10 things you need to know today: May 19, 2012

1. FACEBOOK STOCK HITS THE MARKET

Facebook capped its extraordinary journey from a Harvard dorm room to Wall Street darling on Friday, when it debuted on the stock market at $42 a share. By day's end, more than 400 million Facebook shares had been traded — a record for first-day offerings. While the stock price didn't soar as some analysts had expected, deflating much of the initial hype, the company's $38-per-share IPO remains one of the largest in history, and values the company at more than $100 billion. [USA Today]

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2. SYRIA'S BIGGEST CITY SEES LARGEST PROTESTS YET

Syrian forces opened fire on anti-regime protesters on Friday in Aleppo, the country's largest city and a pro-regime stronghold for President Bashar al-Assad. The protests, which are being described as some of the largest yet, have been steadily growing since a raid on Aleppo University dormitories earlier this month killed four students. [Associated Press]

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3. VIDEO SURFACES OF TRAYVON BEFORE SHOOTING

A video of Trayvon Martin purchasing candy and a drink at a convenience store minutes before he was shot has surfaced amid a mixed bag of evidence that prosecutors just released. The security video offers the public a first glimpse into the last moments before the unarmed teenager's death. If convicted of murder, neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who says he was acting in self-defense, faces up to 25 years in prison. [The Guardian]

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4. JOBLESS RATES IN SWING STATES DROP SHARPLY

The unemployment rates in battleground states such as Florida, Nevada, and Ohio have taken a dive. Florida's jobless rate in April dropped nearly two points from a year before, to 8.7 percent from 10.6 percent. While Nevada continued to hold the highest jobless rate in the nation, at 11.7 percent, the rate was much lower than the 13.6 percent in April 2011. [Reuters]

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5. JPMORGAN CEO WILL TESTIFY TO CONGRESS

The embattled Jamie Dimon agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee to explain his company's massive loss, which reports now claim is close to $3 billion. Although Dimon says that the loss was the result of a "terrible, egregious mistake," the blunder has led critics to call for reform of the big banks. [Reuters]

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6. COSTA CONCORDIA WRECK TO BE REMOVED

A complicated operation to remove the wrecked cruiseship Costa Concordia from the Italian sea bed is expected to begin within the next few days. The procedure, which involves raising the shipwreck in one piece from the sea floor and towing it from the disaster site, could take up to a year to complete. [CNN]

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7. CDC RECOMMENDS HEP-C TESTING FOR BOOMERS

In draft recommendations issued Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposed that all baby boomers — anyone born from 1945 to 1965 — be tested for Hepatitis C. Baby boomers account for 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans infected with the blood-borne virus. The virus can take decades to cause liver damage, and many people don't know they're infected. [Associated Press]

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8. CHEN GUANGCHENG LEAVES CHINA FOR U.S.

The blind Chinese activist, who exposed abuses in China's one-child policy, was placed under house arrest, and then found himself at the heart of an international incident as he sought refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, has finally left China with his wife and two children. He boarded a United Airlines flight bound for Newark, N.J. [New York Times]

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9. CUBS PITCHER KERRY WOOD RETIRES

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Kerry Wood announced his retirement Friday, following the Cubs' 3-2 loss to the White Sox. Wood, 34, became known as Kid K after he tied a major-league record with 20 strikeouts in his fifth start as a rookie in 1998. The game — a one-hitter — is considered one of the top moments in club history. [Associated Press]

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10. RIDLEY SCOTT PLANS BLADE RUNNER SEQUEL

In an interview with The Daily Beast, director Ridley Scott confirmed that he is working on a sequel to his 1982 sci-fi classic film Blade Runner. "I started my first meetings on the Blade Runner sequel last week," he said. "We have a very good take on it. And we'll definitely be featuring a female protagonist." [Daily Beast]