10 things you need to know today: December 14, 2015

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)

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1. Kerry and Republicans clash over effect of climate deal on jobs
2. Rand Paul and Chris Christie win spots on stage in next GOP debate
3. Egypt says no evidence so far that Russian plane downed by bomb
4. France's far-right suffers setback in regional election runoffs
5. Trump dismisses rising Cruz as a "bit of a maniac"
6. Russian warship fires warning shot at Turkish fishing boat
7. 20 women win local posts in historic Saudi vote
8. L.A. sheriff's office releases video it says shows man fatally shot was armed
9. Planned Parenthood sues Ohio's attorney general
10. Panthers continue perfect season with 38-0 win over Atlanta

last updated 14 December 2015

1. Kerry and Republicans clash over effect of climate deal on jobs

Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that the historic Paris climate change accord would provide a massive global economic boost by encouraging corporations to invest trillions of dollars in clean energy over four decades. "There are jobs to be created, money to be made," Kerry said. Republican lawmakers said the deal, which calls for curbing carbon emissions blamed for contributing to global warming, would be devastating economically. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it would kill jobs and increase energy costs.

CNN announced Sunday that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had made it onto the main stage in the next prime-time GOP presidential primary debate, scheduled for Tuesday. Paul, in danger of being excluded due to low poll numbers, had vowed to challenge host CNN if he was excluded, but CNN said he was saved by a new poll showing him with 5 percent support in Iowa. Christie bounced back after getting bumped from the main stage in the last debate. Frontrunner Donald Trump will be center stage. The others on stage will be Ben Carson, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

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Egypt said Monday that it had found no evidence that terrorists were behind the crash of a Russian passenger jet in the Sinai Peninsula in October. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Metrojet plane crash, which killed all 224 people on board. Russian investigators have said they believe a bomb brought down the plane. Egypt has downplayed the possibility of terrorism from day one. Chief investigator Ayman el-Muqadam said in the Monday statement that the investigative committee is "continuing its work."

The far-right National Front led by Marine Le Pen took a beating in the final round of French regional elections on Sunday, failing to win any regional assemblies in second-round balloting. The anti-immigrant National Front, boosted by security fears after the Paris terror attacks, posted a strong showing in the first round, but former President Nicolas Sarkozy's Republicans wound up taking five regions while President Francois Hollande's Socialists won six. "The left has broken the spiral of defeat," pollster Frederic Dabi said.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Sunday went on the offensive against his new leading rival, Ted Cruz, saying the Texas senator was "a little bit of a maniac." Trump said Cruz alienates politicians from both parties, and lacked the "temperament" and judgment to be president or to get things done on Capitol Hill. Cruz has surged to a 10-point lead over Trump in early-voting Iowa, a key prize in the primaries. Cruz's campaign declined to comment on Trump's remarks.

A Russian destroyer fired warning shots past a Turkish fishing ship in the Aegean Sea on Sunday, worsening relations already damaged by Turkey's recent downing of a Russian warplane near its Syrian border. The Russian patrol boat was anchored and issued visual warnings when the Turkish vessel approached. When it continued to cruise to within 1,600 feet, the Russian ship fired, and the Turkish vessel changed course. The Russian government "urgently" summoned Turkey's military representative at its Moscow embassy after the incident.

At least 20 women have been elected to local offices in Saudi Arabia in historic elections, according to preliminary results released Sunday. Saturday's vote was the first in the country's history in which women were allowed to vote and run. Activists hailed the election as a landmark day for women's rights, but said that restrictions made it hard for some women to vote or become candidates. A total of 979 women ran for office, compared to 5,938 men. Voters fill half the seats, and Saudi Arabia's king fills the rest.

The Los Angeles County sheriff's office on Sunday released photos and videos that it said showed that a man fatally shot Saturday by law enforcement was holding a gun. Capt. Steve Katz said the man, Nicholas Robertson, 28, fired six to seven shots into the air on a residential street in Lynwood, California, then walked into at least one business in a bustling shopping district "behaving erratically with gun in hand." "Public safety was critical here," Katz said. Protesters came out Saturday after video footage showed deputies shooting Robertson repeatedly as he appeared to be walking away, then again after he fell and tried to crawl away.

Ohio Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit on Sunday accusing the state's attorney general, Mike DeWine, of trying to ban abortion. DeWine, a Republican, said Friday that his office had investigated the women's health organization and found that it, and biomedical companies working with it, disposed of fetal parts in landfills. He threatened to take legal action. Planned Parenthood officials said DeWine was making "bogus" accusations out of a desire to prevent the group from providing abortions, and asked the court to block him from disrupting its services.

The Carolina Panthers remained undefeated on Sunday with a blowout, 38-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) in Charlotte. The victory, the Panthers' fourth straight game with 30 or more points, clinched the team a bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Quarterback Cam Newton threw three touchdown passes for the Panthers, now 13-0 on the season. Now three victories from a perfect 16-0 regular season, the Panthers can secure home-field advantage through the playoffs with a win over the New York Giants.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.