10 things you need to know today: April 16, 2016
Army approves women for ground combat jobs, Pope Francis speaks with migrants in Lesbos, and more
- 1. Army approves 22 women for ground combat jobs
- 2. Obamas report lowest income since taking office
- 3. Pope to migrants: 'You are not alone'
- 4. Bernie Sanders meets with Pope Francis
- 5. Spanish minister resigns after Panama Papers revelations
- 6. Bernie Sanders releases 2014 tax return
- 7. 2 strong earthquakes strike Japan, tsunami advisory issued
- 8. AMC walks back proposal to allow texting in theaters
- 9. Loyola to investigate WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes
- 10. Hamilton producers, actors reach profit-sharing deal
1. Army approves 22 women for ground combat jobs
The U.S. Army approved 22 women for combat roles as infantry and armor officers Friday. The Pentagon had ordered all jobs to be open to women as of 2016. The women will be commissioned as second lieutenants, should they complete specialty schools and meet the physical requirements. The Marine Corps estimated that 200 women per year would likely join the ground combat positions newly opened to them.
2. Obamas report lowest income since taking office
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama reported a combined income of $436,065 on their 2015 tax return, the lowest figure yet since they moved into the White House. The couple paid $81,472 in taxes. The Obamas' income while in office peaked in 2009 at $5.5 million, due to earnings from the president's two bestselling books.
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3. Pope to migrants: 'You are not alone'
Pope Francis visited the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday to meet with migrants and refugees fleeing the Middle East and North Africa. "I have wanted to be here with you today to speak with you and tell you: You are not alone. You have endured much suffering in your search for a better life," he said. "You have made great sacrifices for your families." Francis took three Syrian families with him to Rome on the papal plane.
4. Bernie Sanders meets with Pope Francis
Bernie Sanders said he briefly met with the pope at the Vatican on Saturday morning. "I conveyed to him my great admiration for the extraordinary work that he is doing all over the world in demanding that morality be part of our economy," Sanders said. The Democratic presidential hopeful went to the Vatican on Friday for a conference on economic and social issues.
5. Spanish minister resigns after Panama Papers revelations
Spain's minister of industry, energy, and tourism, José Manuel Soria, resigned Friday after Panama Papers documents linked him to offshore investments in the Bahamas. Soria is one of several high-profile public figures to be stung by revelations in the massive trove of documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm that sets up offshore tax shelters. Last week, Iceland's prime minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, said he was temporarily stepping aside after documents revealed he and his wife had set up an offshore company.
6. Bernie Sanders releases 2014 tax return
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders released his 2014 tax return Friday, one day after promising to do so in the Brooklyn debate. Sanders and his wife, Jane, reported an adjusted gross income of about $205,000. They donated $8,350 to charity, about half the percentage of income that opponent Hillary Clinton and her husband, Bill, did.
7. 2 strong earthquakes strike Japan, tsunami advisory issued
Japan was struck by two earthquakes Friday, both near the southern city of Kumamoto. The first quake had a magnitude of 7.1, and a 7.4-magnitude quake followed soon after. Both tremblors come less than 24 hours after the same area was hit by a magnitude 6.5 quake Thursday night, leaving more than 800 injured. Japan's Meteorological Agency has since issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 3 feet along the coast east of Kumamoto.
8. AMC walks back proposal to allow texting in theaters
Following a frenzy of criticism on social media, AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron released a statement Friday ruling out his previous proposal to allow texting in theaters. "We have heard loud and clear that this is a concept our audience does not want," Aron said in a statement, promising that his theaters wouldn't be allowing texting "today," "tomorrow," or "in the foreseeable future."
9. Loyola to investigate WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes
Loyola University is going to review allegations of player mistreatment against women's basketball coach Sheryl Swoopes, the school announced Friday. "Any time there are allegations of student-athlete mistreatment, it is more than concerning," said Jermaine Truax, deputy athletic director and sports administrator for women's basketball. Ten of the school's 13 players reportedly planned to leave due to their treatment by the four-time WNBA champion.
10. Hamilton producers, actors reach profit-sharing deal
The producers of the Broadway show Hamilton agreed Friday to share profits with the musical's original cast members. Each week, Hamilton generates more than $500,000 in profit. "This should be a real moment of celebration for any actor who feels powerless," said Actors' Equity President Kate Shindle. The details of the agreement have not been released.
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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.
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