10 things you need to know today: May 2, 2016

Cruz shrugs off Trump momentum ahead of Indiana vote, Sanders says Democratic convention will be 'contested,' and more

 Ted Cruz during a campaign rally in Indiana
(Image credit: AP Photo/AJ Mast)

1. Cruz slams 'mainstream media' for counting him out in Indiana

Ted Cruz criticized the "mainstream media" for counting him out in Indiana's Tuesday primary, which is considered a must-win for Cruz as Republican frontrunner Donald Trump gets closer to sealing the party's presidential nomination. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday put Trump 15 percentage points ahead. But another poll by the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics put Cruz up by double digits. Andy Downs, director of the center, said the poll might be "incredibly optimistic" for Cruz, but it suggests the race is "closer than some people think."

2. Sanders says Democratic convention will be 'contested'

Bernie Sanders said Sunday that the July Democratic convention should be viewed as "contested" if his rival, frontrunner Hillary Clinton, does not go in with enough delegates to claim the nomination. With the support of 520 superdelegates, Clinton has nearly enough support to lock up the nomination. Sanders' campaign recently laid off hundreds of staffers in states that have already voted, and its fundraising dropped to $25.8 million in April from $44 million in March.

Subscribe to 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

ABC News The New York Times

3. CIA marks 5th anniversary of bin Laden raid with 'live' tweets

The CIA on Sunday posted a series of "live" tweets of the raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed to mark the fifth anniversary of the Navy SEAL operation. "The takedown of bin Laden stands as one of the great intelligence successes of all time," said CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani, so, "It is appropriate to remember the day and honor all those who had a hand in this achievement." Some on Twitter praised the tweets, saying the account of the terrorist leader's death made them proud, while others criticized them as "grotesque and embarrassing."

The Washington Post

4. Suicide bombers kill at least 32 in Iraq

Two suicide bombers killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 others in southern Iraq on Sunday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. Also on Sunday, supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr withdrew from Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone a day after storming Iraq's parliament building. Earlier in the day, demonstrators chanted slogans accusing politicians of corruption. One organizer said the protesters would return on Friday to make a "major stand."

Reuters The Washington Post

5. Seattle police arrest 9 as May Day protest violence injures 5 officers

Police arrested at least nine protesters during May Day clashes on Sunday. Five police officers were wounded after a peaceful march by advocates for workers and immigrants was followed by a protest in which participants threw flares, bricks, and Molotov cocktails. Last year, 16 people were arrested in similar demonstrations. The event was one of several across the nation calling for higher wages, and work permits for undocumented immigrants.

NBC News

6. Top L.A. sheriff's aide resigns over emails mocking women and minorities

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department staff chief Tom Angel has resigned in the face of backlash over emails he sent mocking women and minorities, the department said Sunday. "This incident is one that I find deeply troubling," Sheriff Jim McDonnell said. "Despite the Sheriff’s Department’s many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do."

Los Angeles Times

7. Puerto Rico defaulting on $422 million debt payment

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla on Sunday declared a moratorium on a $422 million debt payment due from the island's Government Development Bank on Monday . The default is the most significant one yet for the U.S. Caribbean island territory. Garcia Padilla said he made the "painful decision" due to Congress' failure to pass a legislative solution to Puerto Rico's $70 billion debt burden.

The Christian Science Monitor

8. Freight train derails in Washington, spilling hazardous substance

A CSX freight train spilled hazardous chemicals after derailing in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. Thirteen cars overturned, releasing an undetermined amount of sodium hydroxide, a substance used to produce household products such as paper, soap, and detergent. No injuries were reported. "We don't know how much leaked. That's the process, trying to figure that out. The fumes should not cause you any problems," District of Columbia Fire Department Deputy Chief John Donnelly said.

Reuters

9. Bodies of climber and cameraman found in glacier 16 years after avalanche

The bodies of renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe and cameraman David Bridges reportedly have been found 16 years after they disappeared in a Himalayan avalanche. Climbers trying to reach the top of the world's 14th highest mountain in Tibet discovered the remains of two people, partially exposed in a melting glacier. The climbers described the clothes and backpacks on the bodies to Conrad Anker, who survived the 1999 avalanche, and he concluded the bodies were those of Lowe and Bridges.

The Associated Press

10. Malia Obama to attend Harvard

Malia Obama will attend Harvard University after taking a gap year, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama announced Sunday. Malia, the Obamas' eldest daughter, will turn 18 on July 4 after her graduation from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. She reportedly was spotted wearing a Harvard Class of 2020 shirt at the school's "college signing day." Both of her parents attended Harvard Law School.

MarketWatch

Explore More
Harold Maass, The Week US

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.