10 things you need to know today: January 2, 2020

1. Siege ends at U.S. embassy in Iraq

Iranian-backed militia members and their supporters withdrew from the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after a two-day siege. American security forces had pushed back the crowd with tear gas and rubber bullets. The embassy suspended consular functions after the compound was rushed by militia members and supporters protesting U.S. airstrikes conducted against militia camps in response to rocket attacks on an Iraqi base that killed an American contractor. The U.S. dispatched hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East to be ready to respond if the situation escalates. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delayed a trip to Europe and Central Asia to help deal with the crisis.

The Associated Press Reuters

2. Sanders, Buttigieg report strong quarterly fundraising

Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) campaign on Thursday reported a blockbuster final fundraising quarter for 2019, with $34.5 million in donations. Boosted by a wave of small contributions, Sanders beat Pete Buttigieg's haul. Buttigieg's presidential campaign announced Wednesday that the outgoing South Bend, Indiana, mayor had raised $24.7 million in the last quarter of 2019, up from $19 million in the previous quarter. Buttigieg, whose last day in office as mayor was Wednesday, was the first of the candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to report quarterly fundraising totals a month ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Other candidates have provided hints about how they did. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) had about $17 million, "a good chunk behind" her third quarter haul of $24.6 million, her campaign said in a recent email to supporters. Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign said in an email that it expected to exceed its $21.5 million second-quarter haul.

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3. Australian state declares emergency as wildfires spread

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) declared a weeklong state of emergency on Thursday as raging wildfires forced evacuations all along Australia's eastern coast, including a military-led naval rescue of thousands of tourists and residents who fled to the beach in Mallacoota, Victoria. The fires have destroyed at least 350 homes and left at least eight people dead and 17 missing in NSW and Victoria over the last week alone. The state of emergency, which starts Friday morning, empowers authorities to close roads, order mandatory evacuations, and do "anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced. Tourists have been urged to vacate a 155-mile stretch of the scenic southern coast before Saturday.

BBC News Sydney Morning Herald

4. Police arrest 400 in Hong Kong New Year's Day protests

Hong Kong police arrested about 400 people during New Year's Day anti-government protests. Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the Chinese-ruled, semi-autonomous financial hub on Wednesday in what started as a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration. Police later fired tear gas to disperse crowds after they said some demonstrators had started throwing bricks. The march started out with official authorization but police rescinded the approval after the clashes. A total of roughly 7,000 people now have been arrested since June, when protests escalated over a now-withdrawn proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

Reuters

5. Netanyahu requests immunity from prosecution

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday asked lawmakers to grant him immunity from prosecution on corruption charges. Netanyahu in November was indicted for alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies all of the charges. The bid for immunity is risky, as it has fueled criticism from rivals who say Netanyahu is putting himself above the law. The allegations could hurt Netanyahu and his conservative Likud party going into elections in two months, the country's third general election since April. Likud narrowly led in the last two votes, but Netanyahu failed both times to pull together a ruling coalition. If the immunity request is delayed, it could prevent a trial as long as Netanyahu is a member of parliament.

The New York Times

6. Illinois becomes 11th state with legal recreational marijuana

Hundreds of people in Illinois lined up Wednesday to be among the first to buy cannabis products as the state became the 11th in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was among the early customers. She bought a 100-milligram tin of Mindy's Edibles Glazed Clementine Orange Gummies at a Chicago marijuana dispensary. "For too long, IL residents, particularly those that are black & brown, have been targeted and criminalized for #cannabis possession," Stratton tweeted. "It's not just a new year, it's a new day. Thank you, @GovPritzker, for ending prohibition and building a more equitable Illinois." Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who signed the marijuana law in June, pardoned more than 11,000 low-level marijuana convictions, saying the misdemeanors left people with "a stain on their records for possessing less than 30 grams of cannabis."

CNN Chicago Tribune

7. Taiwanese military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash

The chief of Taiwan's armed forces and seven other people died Thursday in the crash of a military helicopter. The Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a mountainside during a routine flight, Taiwan's military said. The military chief, air force general Shen Yi-ming, was among 13 people on board, including three crew members and 10 military officials traveling from the capital city of Taipei to northeastern Taiwan for an inspection. Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, said it was "a sad day" as the country lost "several excellent military leaders and colleagues killed in an accident in the line of duty."

The New York Times

8. Trump expected to announce flavored e-cigarette ban

The Food and Drug Administration will soon move to end the sale of all flavored e-cigarette cartridges except menthol and tobacco, The Wall Street Journal reports. President Trump hinted at a total ban on all flavored e-cigarette cartridges in a Tuesday night news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and is expected to make it official later this week. The ban reportedly won't apply to tank vaping systems, which let users mix their own flavors but aren't as commonly used among young people. This is seemingly a concession to the vaping industry, which warned against what a total ban would do to small vaping businesses. Public health groups criticized the scaled-back plan, saying it wouldn’t do enough to halt the rapid rise in teen vaping.

The Wall Street Journal The Washington Post

9. Airbus overtakes Boeing as world's No. 1 planemaker

Airbus surpassed Boeing to become the world's largest planemaker in 2019. It was the first time the European aircraft maker topped its American rival since 2011. Airbus delivered 863 aircraft in 2019, exceeding its target. Boeing, meanwhile, saw sales plummet due to the grounding of its top-selling Boeing 737 Max following two deadly crashes. Airbus faced its own factory problems but made a late push with extra resources to finish the year to beat its target of 860 jets. It had a higher goal earlier in the year, but reduced it slightly in October. Last year, Airbus delivered 800 aircraft.

Reuters

10. Former NBA commissioner David Stern dies at 77

Former NBA commissioner David Stern, who helped build the basketball league into a global brand, died Wednesday less than three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage and undergoing emergency surgery. He was 77. Stern was involved with the NBA for years before taking on the job of commissioner in 1984. He served in the position longer than anyone else, and by the time he left in 2014 he had helped make NBA basketball popular worldwide. "Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand — making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time, but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation," said Adam Silver, who succeeded Stern as commissioner. "David Stern earned and deserved inclusion in our land of giants," the National Basketball Players Association said.

The Associated Press