10 things you need to know today: January 6, 2016

1. North Korea claims it successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb

North Korea announced that it had successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb. If confirmed, the test would mark a major advance for the isolated communist nation's small nuclear arsenal. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss a response. North Korea said it developed an "H-bomb of Justice" to defend against U.S. aggression. South Korean President Park Geun-hye called the test, which came after a 5.1-magnitude tremor was detected in North Korea, a "grave provocation."

The Washington Post The Associated Press

2. Obama orders broader background checks for gun buyers

President Obama on Tuesday ordered stricter rules on gun sales, including expanding background checks and adding more mental health records to the background registry. Obama said his hardest moments in office came with the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. "First graders," Obama said, wiping away tears. "Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad."

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Reuters The New York Times

3. Record El Nino sends storms to drench the West

A series of storms churned up by the strongest El Nino weather system on record are hitting drought-plagued California this week. Heavy rains threatened to cause landslides and flash-flooding. Two more storms are forecast to come ashore from the Pacific on Wednesday and Thursday, with the West expected to get drenched for two weeks. NASA last month warned that the Nino system that caused rare storms last month could get worse this year.

NBC News Los Angeles Times

4. Trump maintains big lead in first 2016 GOP poll

Donald Trump maintained his large lead over the rest of the Republican presidential candidates in the first national poll released in 2016. The billionaire businessman had 35 percent support in the NBC News/Survey Monkey poll, which was released Tuesday. His nearest competitor, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, was 17 points behind with 18 percent support, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (13 percent), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (9 percent), former Florida governor Jeb Bush (6 percent), and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (4 percent).

Politico NBC News

5. Carmakers post record U.S. 2015 sales

Automakers reported Tuesday that they sold 17.47 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, narrowly beating a record set in 2000. The total was 5.7 percent higher than in 2014. "A number of factors drove the industry this year. Certainly low gas prices helped, coupled with improved fuel efficiency... especially in truck and SUVs," Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Alec Gutierrez said. Analysts expect the same factors to make 2016 sales even better.

The Detroit News

6. State of emergency declared in Flint, Mich., over contaminated drinking water

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Flint and Genesee County over contaminated drinking water. The U.S. Attorney's office said it would investigate. Flint's drinking water became contaminated with lead in 2014 after the city, then under a state-appointed emergency manager, switched its water source from Lake Huron to the dirtier Flint River to save money. A state report mostly blamed the state Department of Environmental Quality, prompting the resignation of the department's director on Dec. 29.

Detroit Free Press

7. Trump says Cruz's Canadian birth could put GOP in 'very precarious' spot

Donald Trump said Tuesday that the fact that his closest rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), was born in Canada could put the GOP in a "very precarious" position if Cruz won the party's nomination. Trump said the issue of Cruz's birthplace could result in a long, distracting court battle over his eligibility to occupy the White House. Cruz said that "the best way to respond to this kind of attack is to laugh it off and move on to the issues that matter."

The Washington Post

8. U.S. soldier killed in fighting during joint mission with Afghan special forces

One American soldier was killed and two wounded on Tuesday in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said. The soldiers came under fire while on a training mission with Afghan Special Operations fighters in Marjah, which is located in Helmand Province. A quick reaction force has been dispatched to rescue the soldiers still on the ground, who were still engaged with the enemy late Tuesday.

CNN

9. College moves to fire professor who said Muslims and Christians worship same God

Wheaton College confirmed Tuesday that it had started the process of firing a tenured political science professor, Larycia Hawkins, who said Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Critics at the school said Hawkins, a Christian, violated the statement of faith faculty members at the Illinois college must sign by failing to note what makes Christianity different from Islam. Hawkins last month announced she would wear a hijab to show support for Muslims facing scrutiny after the recent Paris and San Bernardino attacks by Islamist extremists.

Chicago Tribune

10. Judge lets Camille Cosby delay deposition

A Massachusetts judge has agreed to delay the deposition of Camille Cosby by lawyers for seven women who have accused her husband, comedian Bill Cosby, of drugging and sexually assaulting them. Camille Cosby's lawyers say her conversations with her husband should be off limits. A federal magistrate ruled Dec. 31 that she had to testify, but her lawyers asked for an emergency injunction to allow them time to appeal the decision. The seven women sued Bill Cosby for defamation after he said they were lying, and he has filed a defamation countersuit.

ABC News