10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2014

Anti-government protesters march through Bangkok on Jan. 19.

(Image credit: Ed Wray/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. Bomb blast injures dozens in Bangkok

At least 28 people were injured after an explosion at an anti-government rally in Thailand's capital Sunday, sharply raising fears that the country is entering a worsening cycle of political violence. The early afternoon blast at Victory Monument came two days after a grenade blast Friday that killed one person and injured 39 others. [Wall Street Journal]

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Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said on MSNBC's Up With Steve Kornacki Saturday morning that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie held Hurricane Sandy relief funds hostage to force her to approve a development plan that overly favored one specific property holder. Christie's office denied the allegations as "outlandishly false." The allegation comes on the tail of Christie's much-publicized bridge traffic scandal. [Huffington Post]

Hundreds of residents who fled a wildfire in the Los Angeles suburbs returned home Saturday as warnings of extremely dangerous fire conditions expired, but officials say that bone-dry winter conditions remain a threat for the region. The fire erupted early Thursday in the Angeles National Forest when Santa Ana winds hit a campfire that authorities said was recklessly set by three men. Five homes were destroyed and 17 other houses, garages, and other structures were damaged, according to early assessments. [Associated Press]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said on Fox News Sunday that he expects Attorney General Eric Holder to face tough questions about the White House's much-maligned surveillance program when he makes an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 29. "There's going to be a lot of questions between both Republicans and Democrats concerned we're going too much into the privacy of Americans...Where's all this going?" Leahy said. "You still have to have some checks and balances before you can have a government that can run amok." [Politico]

Terri is a freelance writer at TheWeek.com. She's a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and has worked at TIME and Brides. You can follow her on Twitter.

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