10 things you need to know today: March 19, 2016

Police capture Paris terror suspect, Hulk Hogan wins $115 million in Gawker suit, and more

Hulk Hogan
(Image credit: Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via Associated Press)

1. Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam captured in Belgian raid

Belgian police captured Paris terrorist attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam in a raid Friday. A Belgian-born French citizen, Abdeslam, 26, is thought to have been the driver who dropped three suicide bombers off near the Stade de France during the Nov. 13 attacks that killed 130 people. He is due in court Saturday. Officials seek to get him extradited to France.

2. Hulk Hogan awarded $115 million in Gawker suit

Hulk Hogan was awarded $115 million Friday in his lawsuit against Gawker Media, which published a video of the former wrestling star having sex with his best friend's wife. Hogan said the release of the video violated his privacy, while Gawker contended it was a freedom of speech issue. Gawker founder Nick Denton and former editor-in-chief Albert J. Daulerio were both found personally liable. They plan to appeal.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up

The New York Times

3. Donald Trump, Fox News spar over Megyn Kelly

On Friday night, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump continued his months-long attack on Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, calling her "sick" and "overrated" in a tweet. In response, Fox News released a statement backing Kelly: "Donald Trump's vitriolic attacks against Megyn Kelly and his extreme, sick obsession with her is beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate who wants to occupy the highest office in the land."

The New York Times CNN Money

4. Flydubai jet crashes in Russia, killing 62

A Flydubai Boeing 737 jet crashed while attempting to land at a Russian airport Saturday, killing all 62 people on board. Bad weather was likely the cause of the crash, officials said. The plane was headed from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don. The pilot had attempted to land more than two hours earlier and, on the second attempt, clipped the jet's tail on the runway.

CNN

5. Mitt Romney to vote for Ted Cruz in Utah caucus

Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be voting for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the upcoming Utah caucuses. While one time opposed by many in the Republican establishment, Cruz is now seen as one of the very few options to stop Donald Trump. "Through the calculated statements of its leader, Trumpism has become associated with racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity, and, most recently, threats and violence," Romney wrote on Facebook.

ABC News Facebook

6. European Union, Turkey reach deal to ease Europe's migrant crisis

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and leaders of the 28-member European Union have reached an agreement aimed at stemming the European migrant crisis by offering concessions to Ankara. Turkey has agreed to receive financial and political concessions in exchange for accepting all refugees who reached Greek islands off its coast. Going into the negotiating, both sides were hesitant to hope for a successful deal.

Al Jazeera

7. Obama remains convinced Garland is the right SCOTUS pick

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest reiterated Friday that no matter the pushback President Obama faces, he will stand firmly behind Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. "I cannot imagine a scenario where the president would withdraw support from his nominee," Earnest said. The remarks come a day after Bernie Sanders suggested that, if elected, he would request that Obama withdraw his support for the moderate in favor of a more progressive nominee.

The Hill

8. Astronaut Jeffrey Williams prepares to beat Scott Kelly's record for days spent in space

Three astronauts took off for the International Space Station early Saturday, following the recent return of Scott Kelly to Earth. NASA veteran Jeffrey Williams is poised to break Kelly's record of 520 cumulative days in space, reaching 534 by the time he returns in September. Williams, a three-flight veteran, said the spacecraft the men took to the Space Station is "quite the ride." "It's better than an E-ticket ride at Disneyland, I guess you could say."

CBS News

9. Uber reportedly looking to buy self-driving cars

Ride-hailing service Uber is apparently looking into buying self-driving cars, an auto industry source told Reuters on Friday. Such a move would theoretically cut down on the the company's biggest cost: drivers. In some states, it's legal to test self-driving cars, and federal safety regulators have taken steps toward permitting autonomous vehicles on the road.

Reuters

10. Middle Tennessee eliminates Michigan State in shocking NCAA upset

No. 15 Middle Tennessee defeated No. 2 Michigan State in the NCAA Midwest first round Friday, shocking the nation with a 90-81 upset win. The Blue Raiders were 0-22 all-time in games against AP top-10 opponents heading into Friday's matchup, and the Spartans are the highest-ranked team they've ever defeated. MSU had the second-highest odds to win the championship, at +500, according to the odds from earlier Friday, while Middle Tennessee was sixth-to-last with +100,000 odds.

ESPN Odds Shark

Explore More
Julie Kliegman

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.