10 things you need to know today: January 16, 2016
Iran reportedly frees U.S. prisoners, Taiwan elects first female president, and more
- 1. Iran reportedly frees 4 prisoners, including journalist Jason Rezaian
- 2. Taiwan elects first female president
- 3. Al Qaeda claims credit for Burkina Faso terrorist attack
- 4. Falling oil prices cause Dow Jones to tumble 500 points
- 5. Iran nuclear deal expected to take effect
- 6. Former Republican candidate Lindsey Graham endorses Jeb Bush
- 7. Chipotle to close all its restaurants next month for food safety meeting
- 8. Oregon police arrest wildlife refuge protester
- 9. Sean Penn: El Chapo's capture makes my article a failure
- 10. 24 to return without Jack Bauer
1. Iran reportedly frees 4 prisoners, including journalist Jason Rezaian
Iran is reportedly freeing four Iranian-American dual-national prisoners Saturday, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, according to Iran state news outlets. In 2015, Rezaian was convicted of espionage in a controversial closed-door trial. The U.S. has not confirmed the release of the prisoners.
The Associated Press The Washington Post
2. Taiwan elects first female president
Tsai Ing-wen won Taiwan's presidential election Saturday. The Democratic Progressive Party candidate will be the first woman on the island to hold the office. She has vowed to support maintaining the status quo in Taiwan's relationship with China, rather than pushing for more formal independence, as her party traditionally has. Tsai scored nearly 60 percent of the vote, easily defeating Kuomintang candidate Eric Chu.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. Al Qaeda claims credit for Burkina Faso terrorist attack
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for a Friday night attack at a hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Gunmen stormed the Splendid Hotel, which is popular with foreigners, and took hostages. Burkina Faso security forces encircled the hotel and engaged in gunfire with the suspected militants, reportedly killing four of them and freeing 126 hostages. At least 23 people were killed and 33 were injured in the attack.
4. Falling oil prices cause Dow Jones to tumble 500 points
Oil prices nosedived Friday, sending U.S. stocks tumbling. The Dow Jones industrial average briefly dropped more than 500 points before a slight recovery Friday afternoon, and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 2.7 percent to its lowest level since October 2014. While oil prices had rallied on Thursday, traders bracing for the resumption of Iranian oil shipments drove crude oil prices below $30 a barrel.
5. Iran nuclear deal expected to take effect
The agreement the U.S. and other Western nations made to lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country curbing its nuclear program is expected to go into effect Saturday, Western and Iranian officials said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry planned to visit Vienna, where the United Nations is expected to certify that Iran has met its obligations. "It proved that we can solve important problems through diplomacy, not threats and pressure," said Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The Wall Street Journal The Guardian
6. Former Republican candidate Lindsey Graham endorses Jeb Bush
Onetime Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham endorsed Jeb Bush for president during a news conference Friday, citing the candidate's performance in Thursday's debate as a reason Bush should win his party's nomination. "Last night I heard from Jeb Bush the right answer," Graham said. "He demonstrated somebody in my view who is ready on day one to be commander-in-chief."
7. Chipotle to close all its restaurants next month for food safety meeting
Mexican chain Chipotle will close its over 19,000 restaurants nationwide on Feb. 8 for a few hours for a company-wide food safety meeting. The move comes after the company was forced to shut down clusters of restaurants after outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella, and norovirus sickened customers. The meeting will give employees an opportunity to discuss changes and ask questions, Chipotle said. In the wake of the infections, Chipotle's stock has plummeted 42 percent; a new marketing campaign is reportedly planned for February.
8. Oregon police arrest wildlife refuge protester
Oregon police arrested one of the protesters occupying a federal wildlife refuge when he drove into town Friday, charging him with stealing a government vehicle. Kenneth Medenbach, 62, is the first person to be arrested in connection with the armed takeover, which started two weeks ago. In November, Medenbach was released from custody after being charged with illegally camping on federal property on the condition that he would not occupy federal land.
9. Sean Penn: El Chapo's capture makes my article a failure
Speaking with CBS host Charlie Rose for an interview to be broadcast Sunday on 60 Minutes, Sean Penn said he has "a terrible regret" that Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's capture last Friday after six months on the run distracted from the actor's Rolling Stone article. "Let me be clear. My article has failed," Penn said. Penn also dismissed some reports that his meeting with El Chapo led to the kingpin's capture.
10. 24 to return without Jack Bauer
Following the success of 2014's limited series 24: Live Another Day, which saw Kiefer Sutherland return as 24's tough-as-nails protagonist, Fox has announced a quasi-reboot of the franchise that will continue the story without Jack Bauer — or any of the other characters from the original series. The new series, titled 24: Legacy, will instead follow "a military hero recently returned to the U.S." who teams up with CTU, the fictional government agency at the center of 24's narrative.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
-
How did Trump shift voters to the right and win?
Today's Big Question Latino voters led a national shift to the right
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How do presidential transitions work?
The Explainer Donald Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after a two-month process
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Abortion rights measures go 7 for 10
Speed Read Constitutional amendments to protect abortion passed in seven states but failed in three others: Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 18, 2024
Daily Briefing Judge threatens to remove Trump from his defamation trial, medicine for hostages and Palestinians reach Gaza, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 17, 2024
Daily Briefing The US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen a third time, Trump's second sex defamation trial begins, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published