10 things you need to know today: September 14, 2012

President Barack Obama waves to supporters in Las Vegas on Sept. 12: According to a new poll, Obama holds substantial leads in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. — (Image credit: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)

1. U.S. BRACES FOR MORE VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST

Anti-American protests in Cairo, sparked by a Prophet Mohammed-bashing video, entered a fourth day on Friday, as the U.S. braced for more violence in the Muslim world. Authorities are concerned there could be even more riots after Friday's noon prayers, a time when protests in the Middle East and North Africa often take place. Demonstrators were seen on Friday throwing rocks and gasoline bombs near the U.S. Embassy in Egypt's capital. Police fired back with tear gas. More than 220 people have been injured, according to state media. Meanwhile, several U.S. diplomatic missions around the world issued warnings to Americans about demonstrations that could turn violent. [New York Times, Associated Press]

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Four people have been taken into custody in connection with Tuesday's bloody attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Monem Elyasser, the chief aide to Libya Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur, revealed the news of the arrests to CNN, but would not release the names of the suspects. The announcement comes as the U.S. tries to determine if a terrorist group was behind the siege. [CNN]

The man behind the anti-Islam film that has sparked riots across the Muslim world has been identified by the feds as a 55-year-old, Egyptian-born Coptic Christian with a history of crime living in the Los Angeles area. A federal law enforcement official told NBC News that the feds are investigating the man, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, to see if his making and promotion of the film violated probation rules stemming from fraud charges in 2010. [NBC News]

More than 350,000 students in Chicago have no classroom to go to on Friday, as teachers continue to strike. However, the teachers union and school board reported progress, and said they hope students will be back to class on Monday. Negotiations lasted more than 15 hours on Thursday, ending at around 1 a.m. on Friday. Teachers union president Karen Lewis called the talks "productive," but would not go into more detail. The city's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, is pushing for a longer school day and year, and wants to judge teachers based on students' performance on standardized tests. [Associated Press]

Good news for President Obama: The incumbent has clear leads over Mitt Romney in the critical swing states of Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. According to polling by NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Marist, Obama leads Romney by five points in Florida (the nation's biggest swing state, with 29 electoral votes). In Virginia, Obama also leads by five. And in Ohio, Obama leads Romney by an even bigger margin, 50 percent to 43 percent. In all three states, Obama's edge was outside the poll's margin of error. [NBC News]

French magazine Closer is coming under fire for publishing photos of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, sunbathing topless on a balcony while on vacation with Prince William in southern France. A St. James's Palace Official released a statement condemning the release of the images. "Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them." The palace charged that this incident was reminiscent of "the worst excesses" of paparazzi who followed Princess Diana, and were largely blamed for her death in a car crash. The publication of the photos come as the royal family tries to move on from naked photos that recently surfaced of Prince Harry partying in Las Vegas. [Reuters]

Goodbye, super-sized sugary sodas. On Thursday, the New York City Board of Health passed Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to ban the sale of big sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, concession stands, and movie theaters. Beginning in March, vendors will be prohibited from selling non-diet sodas, energy drinks, and pre-sweetened iced teas in containers that are more than 16 ounces. Those beverages can still be sold in supermarkets and most convenience stores. [Associated Press]