10 things you need to know today: April 17, 2016

Ted Cruz picks up Wyoming delegates, 77 dead after Ecuador earthquake, and more

Ted Cruz
(Image credit: Mel Evans/Associated Press)

1. Ted Cruz sweeps Wyoming state convention

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) picked up all 14 delegates awarded at Wyoming's Republican convention Saturday. At earlier county conventions, Cruz notched 10 of 12 delegates, with one going to Donald Trump and another unbound. Campaigning in New York on Saturday, Trump once again criticized the Republican Party's nominating process, calling the delegate system "rigged." The Wyoming success is the latest in the Cruz campaign's effort to pick up small wins that could keep Trump from snagging the nomination outright before the national convention.

2. Ecuador earthquake kills 77

At least 77 people died after Ecuador was hit Saturday with its strongest earthquake since 1979. President Rafael Correa declared a national state of emergency. The magnitude-7.8 quake struck near fishing ports and tourist beaches 105 miles northwest of Quito, the nation's capital. Ecuador's earthquake was apparently six times as strong as the more powerful of the two that shook Japan a day earlier.

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The Associated Press

3. Poll: Clinton, Trump unpopular as frontrunners

Among voters in both parties, 56 percent view Hillary Clinton unfavorably, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. The gap between those who view her positively and those who view her negatively is growing. Donald Trump is even worse off, with 65 percent of voters seeing him unfavorably. None of the presidential hopefuls are seen favorably by more than half of voters.

The Wall Street Journal

4. U.S. transfers 9 Guantánamo prisoners to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. transferred nine Guantánamo prisoners to Saudi Arabia on Saturday as part of a years-long diplomatic effort to get the nation to accept detainees from neighboring Yemen. The move comes ahead of President Obama's Wednesday visit to Riyadh. After the transfer, 80 prisoners remain at Guantánamo.

The New York Times

5. Nevada governor endorses John Kasich

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) refrained from endorsing a presidential candidate before his state's February caucus. On Saturday, he took the plunge and backed Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio). Sandoval signed onto Kasich's longshot campaign as a national chairman. In Nevada, Kasich earned just one delegate and 3.6 percent of the vote.

Politico

6. Monica Lewinsky speaks out on being publicly shamed

Monica Lewinsky spoke out about the public shame she faced on and offline after news broke of her affair with then-President Bill Clinton in a rare interview with The Guardian on Saturday. "I felt like every layer of my skin and my identity were ripped off of me in '98 and '99," she said. "It's a skinning of sorts. You feel incredibly raw and frightened. But I also feel like the shame sticks to you like tar."

The Guardian

7. Rosie O'Donnell hits back at Donald Trump

Comedian Rosie O'Donnell insulted Donald Trump, who has bashed her throughout the primary race. "He's like Lord Voldemort," she said, referencing Harry Potter. "You know, stay away from the dementor." In the 77 WABC radio interview airing Sunday, she also joked that Trump "is not even qualified to run a game show." O'Donnell has backed Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Politico 77 WABC

8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar endorses Hillary Clinton

Retired basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar endorsed Hillary Clinton in a weekend Washington Post column. "Clinton possesses that rare but crucial combination of idealism and pragmatism," he wrote. "She can both envision a better world and take the necessary steps to make that vision a reality." Abdul-Jabbar also offered praise for Bernie Sanders, saying he'd be a "strong ally" for Clinton.

The Washington Post

9. Beyoncé teases April 23 'world premiere event' on HBO

Beyoncé teased Lemonade on Saturday, an upcoming "world premiere event" airing April 23 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. The singer, who released her new single "Formation" ahead of the Super Bowl in February, is expected to drop an album sometime soon. The only clue is an extremely cryptic video the singer posted to Instagram.

Instagram

10. Steph Curry vows to keep playing after ankle injury

The Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 104-78 on Saturday in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs, but the team's news wasn't all good. In the second quarter, star point guard Steph Curry turned his right ankle and mostly sat out afterward. "Right now I don't see a scenario where I'll be out," he said of Monday's Game 2. Curry has had multiple surgeries on his right ankle.

USA Today

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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.