10 things you need to know today: May 22, 2012

1. SPACEX'S PRIVATE ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES

Early Tuesday morning in Cape Canaveral, Fla., SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched into space carrying a cone-shaped space capsule bound for the International Space Station. The capsule, named Dragon, is carrying half a ton of food and provisions for the space station, and it reached orbit nine minutes into the flight. The historic liftoff marks the first time a private company has sent a vessel to the space station, something previously done only by major governments. The launch was first attempted on Saturday but was aborted with just a half-second left in the countdown when flight computers detected an issue. [Associated Press]

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2. IAEA: IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL NEAR

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, says he anticipates making a deal with Iran to investigate its disputed nuclear program "quite soon." Iran has insisted that its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes, but Western countries fear that Tehran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Amano's remarks come ahead of talks between Iran and world powers that are scheduled to take place in Iraq on Wednesday. [New York Times]

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3. NATO SUPPORTS OBAMA'S AFGHANISTAN EXIT PLAN

NATO leaders signed off Monday on President Obama's timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Under Obama's exit strategy, combat operations will end in 2012 and U.S.-led international military forces will leave by the end of 2014. Afghan President Hamid Karzai supports the plan, calling it "good for Afghanistan and good for our allied countries." [CNN]

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4. EVEREST DEATH TOLL RISES TO FOUR

The official death toll on Mount Everest for the weekend rose to four after the body of a missing climber was located. All four died while descending from the summit. A Nepalese guide who was also reported missing safely reached the base camp. Despite the deaths, officials in Nepal say the climbing will continue unabated, with some 200 climbers set to scale the summit this weekend. Overcrowding and traffic jams on the 29,035-foot mountain have created safety issues as climbers are forced to wait too long at high altitudes. [BBC, Associated Press]

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5. CONGRESSIONAL GROUP INVESTIGATES DEA AGENTS

Congressional sources say three Drug Enforcement Administration agents are being investigated by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) and committee investigators for allegedly hiring prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia. The news follows last month's prostitution scandal with Secret Services agents and military personnel in Colombia. The two scandals are said to be unrelated. [CNN]

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6. FACEBOOK STOCK DROPS 11 PERCENT

Facebook closed at $34.03 on Monday, its shares down 11 percent from the company's Friday IPO price of $38. "We're very bullish on Facebook, but the share price just wasn't justified," says Morningstar analyst Rick Summer. "It was overvalued." [Washington Post]

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7. OBAMA VISITS JOPLIN ON TORNADO ANNIVERSARY

President Obama traveled to Joplin, Mo., on Monday on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the tornado that killed 161 people, injured 900, and destroyed some 8,000 homes and businesses. Obama spoke to Joplin High School grads, telling them, "We can define our own lives not by what happens to us, but by how we respond." [CNN]

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8. PROSTATE SCREENING MAY NOT BE WORTH RISK

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Forces says that prostate-specific antigen screenings for prostate cancer do more harm than good; studies suggest the number of lives saved by the screenings is "very small" compared with the risk of side effects from unnecessary treatments. A 2008 report said that screening in men older than 75 was not necessary because of the slow growth of most prostate cancers; this latest recommendation applies to men of all ages. [Bloomberg News]

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9. CHINESE FIRM BUYS U.S. MOVIE THEATER CHAIN

Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group announced Monday that it will pay $2.6 billion for AMC Entertainment Holdings. AMC runs 346 movie theaters, most in the U.S. and Canada. The deal will create the biggest movie theater operator in the world and is part of a trend of cash-rich Chinese companies investing in foreign companies and brands. [Businessweek]

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10. DOG-BITE CLAIMS COSTS ON THE RISE

According to the Insurance Information Institute, U.S. insurers paid out nearly $479 million in claims for dog bites in 2011. The cost of dog bite claims is up 48 percent since 2003, though the number of actual dog bites has remained fairly flat. [USA Today]