10 things you need to know today: June 1, 2016

1. California Gov. Jerry Brown endorses Hillary Clinton

California Gov. Jerry Brown endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Tuesday, giving the Democratic frontrunner a boost ahead of the state's June 7 primary. Brown praised Clinton's rival, Bernie Sanders, for standing up for the majority of Americans left behind as "the top one percent has unfairly captured way too much of America's wealth." Still, Brown said, Clinton's "tenacity" and support offer the "only path forward to win the presidency and stop the dangerous candidacy of Donald Trump."

The New York Times

2. U.S.-supported fighters attack ISIS stronghold in northern Syria

Thousands of U.S.-backed Syrian fighters launched an offensive on Tuesday to capture an area in northern Syria that the Islamic State has been using to move foreign fighters to and from Europe. "It's significant in that it's their last remaining funnel" to Europe, a U.S. military official said. Some U.S. special operations forces will serve as advisers and offer support in the area, known as the Manbij pocket, but they will not engage in direct combat. The operation also will involve airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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

Reuters

3. Trump attacks news media in rant over scrutiny of donations to veterans

Donald Trump lashed out at the media on Tuesday for demanding details on his promised donations to veterans' groups, telling journalists at a news conference that they were "dishonest" and "sleazy." Trump listed donations to 41 veterans' charities, and said he had given a total of $5.6 million. An Associated Press investigation found that many of the checks went out in overnight mail on or about May 24, the day Trump was interviewed by The Washington Post, which had been raising questions about the promised donations for weeks.

The Associated Press

4. U.N. says ISIS using civilians as human shields in Fallujah

Iraqi forces have surrounded Fallujah, but Islamic State fighters stopped them from advancing through the city's southern gate in fierce fighting on Tuesday. ISIS said it killed at least 25 Iraqi soldiers and destroyed six military vehicles. About 3,700 people have fled in the past week as government forces launched an offensive to retake the city, the last major ISIS stronghold in western Iraq. The U.N. says 50,000 people, including 20,000 children, are trapped in Fallujah, and ISIS is using hundreds of families as human shields.

CNN

5. Drew Peterson convicted of trying to hire hitman to kill prosecutor

Drew Peterson, a former police officer who is serving a 38-year prison sentence for the 2004 murder of his wife Kathleen Savio, was found guilty on Tuesday of trying to hire a hitman to kill the prosecutor who tried his case. The charges carry a sentence of up to 60 years. The jury took just an hour to reach its verdict. Another inmate worked with investigators in 2014 to record conversations in which Peterson discussed having the other man hire his uncle to kill the prosecutor, Will County, Illinois, State's Attorney James Glasgow.

Chicago Tribune

6. Police investigate killing of gorilla as activists file complaint

The animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now filed a federal negligence complaint on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Zoo over the killing of a 450-pound gorilla named Harambe last weekend. The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, asks for a penalty of $10,000. Zoo officials said they had no choice but to kill the gorilla to rescue a 3-year-old boy who fell into its enclosure. Local police are investigating the actions of the boy's mother and others as prosecutors consider whether to file charges against anyone.

Reuters Cincinnati Enquirer

7. State Department warns of terror attacks in Europe

The State Department issued a travel alert on Tuesday, warning Americans of the possibility of a terrorist attack in Europe this summer. The alert says restaurants, commercial centers, tourist sites, transportation networks, and major events — such as the European Soccer Championship, the Tour de France, and the Catholic Church's World Youth Day in Poland — could be targeted. The warning followed several deadly attacks by Islamist terrorists on the continent in recent months.

Time State Department

8. Ex-volunteer deputy sentenced for killing unarmed suspect

An Oklahoma judge on Tuesday sentenced former Tulsa County volunteer sheriff's deputy Robert Bates to four years in prison for the fatal 2015 shooting of an unarmed black suspect. The suspect, Eric Harris, had tried to run away during an illegal-gun-sale sting. He was being restrained by other deputies when Bates, a white insurance executive, fatally shot him. Bates, 74, said he confused his handgun for his stun gun. The incident was caught on video. A jury found Bates guilty of second-degree manslaughter last month.

Tulsa World

9. Feds sue to get San Bernardino shooter's life insurance payments

The federal government filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to keep the family of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook from collecting $275,000 in life insurance payments. Prosecutors say Farook was planning a terrorist attack when he obtained the policies: one for $25,000 in 2012, and another for $250,000 in 2013. His mother, Rafia Farook, is the beneficiary for both policies. "Terrorists must not be permitted to provide for their designated beneficiaries through their crimes," U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement.

Los Angeles Times

10. Annual index says 46 million living in slavery

Nearly 46 million people live in slavery around the world, according to the Walk Free Foundation's third annual Global Slavery Index, released Tuesday. The number — up from 35.8 million in 2014 largely due to improved data collection — includes people who were born into servitude, those forced into sex work by human traffickers, and those trapped in debt bondage or forced labor conditions. India was the country with the largest total, but North Korea had the highest prevalence.

Business Insider