10 things you need to know today: March 8, 2016

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1. Bloomberg decides against independent presidential bid
2. Clinton and Trump lead polls heading into today's Michigan primaries
3. Obama to open the books on drone strikes
4. Preemptive airstrikes kill 150 militants in Somalia
5. China and South Korea tighten sanctions on North Korea
6. Tunisia blames ISIS for attack that left 54 dead near Libyan border
7. Boston Marathon bombing survivor killed in Dubai car crash
8. Peyton Manning officially retires from NFL
9. Jury awards Erin Andrews $55 million over nude video
10. Maria Sharapova says she failed a drug test at Australian Open

published 8 March 2016

1. Bloomberg decides against independent presidential bid

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Monday that he will not launch an independent campaign for president this year. He said that after months of groundwork he had concluded he couldn't win, but might tip a three-way race in favor of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. Bloomberg said his fellow New York billionaire was dangerous, and had run "the most divisive and demagogic presidential campaign I can remember, preying on people's prejudices and fears."

Michigan voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump leads his nearest rival, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, 36 percent to 23 percent, according to a Monmouth University poll. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is close behind with 21 percent, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 13 percent. On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders, 55 percent to 42 percent. Both parties also have primaries in Mississippi, and the GOP has another in Idaho and caucuses in Hawaii.

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The Obama administration will release data on the number of people killed by U.S. drone strikes since President Obama took office, the White House said Monday. The assessment will be released in the next few weeks. Deputy National Security Adviser Lisa Monaco said the information will cover "combatant and noncombatant casualties resulting from strikes taken outside areas of active hostilities," meaning it will not include Iraq and Afghanistan but will cover strikes in such places as Yemen and Pakistan.

U.S. airstrikes killed as many as 150 suspected Al-Shabaab fighters who, according to intelligence, were training for an attack on U.S. troops and African peacekeeping forces in Somalia, the Pentagon said on Monday. The attack involved both manned and unmanned aircraft. It hit a camp about 120 miles north of Mogadishu that had about 200 fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group. Al-Shabaab on Tuesday confirmed the strike but said the U.S. had exaggerated the casualties.

China and South Korea on Tuesday stepped up sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. Chinese port officials turned away three ships on a list of 31 vessels that were blacklisted by China's Ministry of Transport after they were covered by harsh, expanded sanctions approved by the United Nations Security Council last week. South Korea imposed unilateral sanctions, including a financial ban on 40 individuals and 30 entities. The moves came a day after North Korea threatened to launch preemptive nuclear strikes.

At least 54 people were killed in Tunisia on Monday when extremist gunmen attacked a town near the Libyan border, raising fears that Islamic State violence was spreading over the border. The government said the dead in the town of Ben Gherdane included 36 attackers, seven civilians, and 11 members of security forces. The gunmen entered the city at dawn, targeting a police station and military facilities. Tunisian Prime Minister Hassid Essid blamed the "unprecedented attack" on ISIS, saying the Islamist group was trying "to take control of this area and to announce a new emirate."

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Victoria McGrath died over the weekend in a car crash in Dubai. McGrath, 23, was due to graduate from Northeastern University in May, and she was on her way to Bali for spring break. Her roommate, Priscilla Perez Torres, and two others in the yellow two-seat Ferrari also died when the car hit a pole. McGrath was injured when the first bomb went off at the 2013 marathon. She was awaiting a friend at the finish line. A bystander tied a tourniquet around her leg, and a photo of a firefighter carrying her to safety was published around the world.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning officially retired from professional football on Monday after 18 seasons. News of his plan surfaced over the weekend, and he followed through as expected, saying, "There's just something about 18 years. Eighteen's a good number, and today I retire from pro football." Manning, 39, won five MVP awards and two Super Bowls, first with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007, then with the Broncos this year.

Jurors awarded sportscaster Erin Andrews $55 million in damages she suffered after a stranger secretly shot a video of her naked in a Nashville Marriott in 2008, and posted it on the internet. Andrews sued the hotel franchise owner, West End Partners, as well as the hotel's former management company Windsor Capital Group, and Michael Barrett, the man who shot the video. Barrett requested a room next to Andrews, tampered with a peephole on her door, and shot cellphone video through it. Andrews said she still thinks about the ordeal "every day."

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova announced Monday that she had failed a drug test at this year's Australian Open. She said she had legally taken the drug, meldonium, since 2006 to treat several health issues. It was added to a list of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as of Jan. 1. Tennis officials provisionally suspended her starting March 12. Sponsors Nike, Porsche, and Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer suspended ties with the five-time Grand Slam winner.

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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.