10 things you need to know today: November 3, 2013
The New York City Marathon returns, the LAX shooting suspect is charged with murder, and more
1. LAX shooting suspect charged with murder
Federal officials charged Paul Ciancia, the suspect in Friday's shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport, with two felony counts, including a murder charge that could carry the death penalty if he is convicted. A Transportation Security Administration officer, Gerardo Hernandez, died from gunshot wounds in the attack. According to reports, Ciancia fired multiple shots at Hernandez before returning to shoot again to ensure that the officer was dead. Some 1,550 flights and 167,050 passengers were affected by the incident, which plunged the nation's sixth busiest airport into chaos. LAX has since mostly returned to normal operations. [Wall Street Journal]
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2. Kerry sees progress toward democracy in Egypt
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that there are indications Egypt's generals intend to restore democracy. Kerry, who arrived the day before deposed Egyptian President Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders are due to appear in court on charges of inciting violence, stressed the need for fair and transparent trials for all Egyptians. His Cairo visit is the first stop in a nine-day trip to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. [Reuters]
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3. Ayotte calls ObamaCare "a mess"
Sen. Kelly Ayotte called the ObamaCare rollout "a mess" on CNN's State of the Union and said President Barack Obama should delay the law. The New Hampshire Republican said the problems with the Affordable Care Act implementation go "deeper" than HealthCare.gov. She said her constituents have informed her office of cancellation notices and rising premium costs in addition to having difficulty accessing the website. [Politico]
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4. Pakistan fearful following U.S. strike on Taliban leader
Days after a U.S. drone strike killed Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, Pakistanis say they are living in fear as they wait for revenge attacks. Although CIA officials called the death a "serious blow to the Pakistani Taliban," Pakistan's interior minister slammed the U.S. over the attack, accusing it of destroying the country's fragile peace process. The terror organization is reportedly now choosing a new leader. [Associated Press, USA TODAY]
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5. New York City marathon returns with eye on security
After a one-year hiatus, the New York City Marathon returned Sunday with a major focus on security. The 47,000 runners will race through five boroughs for the first time since the Boston Marathon bombing, which left three people dead and more than 260 injured in April. Last year's marathon was canceled due to the devastation following Superstorm Sandy. [CNN]
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6. Bangladesh sentences two war criminals to death
A war-crimes tribunal in Bangladesh on Sunday sentenced two expatriates — one now living in the U.S., and the other in Britain — to death by hanging for the murder of 18 people during the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. A judge in the capital, Dhaka, said the two men, who were tried in absentia, "encouraged, gave moral support to, and participated in the killing" of 18 people, described as university professors, journalists, and physicians, who supported the independence movement. [The New York Times]
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7. U.S. sees rare partial solar eclipse
A partial solar eclipse — one of only two on Earth this year — was visible for about 30 minutes after sunrise over much of the eastern U.S. early Sunday morning. This eclipse was a rare "hybrid" eclipse, in which some parts of the Earth see an "annular" eclipse (where the moon does not completely block out the sun), while other parts see a "total" eclipse, when the moon completely covers the sun. [USA TODAY]
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8. U.S.'s wealthiest choose Teslas over Bentleys
The country's top 1 percenters are buying Teslas, the first luxury-all electric vehicles, according to the latest Edmunds report. One of the five most popular cars among residents in 15 of the 25 wealthiest US zip codes include Jeep Cherokees, typically associated with middle-income buyers. [New York Post]
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9. Broncos coach to undergo heart surgery
Denver Broncos coach John Fox will undergo aortic valve replacement surgery early next week in Charlotte, N.C., and miss several weeks of coaching. The Broncos did not immediately name an interim head coach. The 58-year-old Fox had been told earlier about his heart condition and was hoping to put off the operation until February but was taken to the hospital for dizziness on Saturday. [CBS News]
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10. SNL satirizes diversity issue
After a week in which The New York Times criticized Saturday Night Live for the program's lack of diversity, the show cold-opened Saturday night with a skit starring guest host Kerry Washington, satirizing the situation. Since its debut in 1975, SNL's regular cast has included only four black women. Recently, cast members Jay Pharoah and Keenan Thompson have spoken up on the issue. [People]
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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.