10 things you need to know today

Five fired Memphis police officers charged with murder in Tyre Nichols' death, National Archives asks ex-presidents to look for classified documents, and more [What makes a subscription to The Week so valuable now? Click here.]( [The Week Logo]( [Subscribe to The Week magazine]( [Subscribe to The Week magazine]( 10 things you need to know today 1. [5 fired Memphis police officers face murder charges in Tyre Nichols' death]( Five fired Memphis Police officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were [charged with second-degree murder]( kidnapping, and other offenses on Thursday for the death of Tyre Nichols, who died earlier this month three days after a traffic stop that ended in what police described as a "confrontation." Nichols — who was Black, as are the ex-officers — "suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating," according to preliminary findings of an autopsy commissioned by his family. Authorities called for calm ahead of the planned Friday release of police body-camera video. David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said the recordings are "absolutely appalling. This was wrong, this was criminal." [[Commercial Appeal]( [The New York Times]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=5+fired+Memphis+police+officers+face+murder+charges+in+Tyre+Nichols'+death&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 2. [National Archives asks former presidents, vice presidents to check for classified records]( The National Archives sent a letter to representatives of former presidents and vice presidents asking them to review personal records to see if they have any classified documents. The request came after the recent discoveries of papers with classified markings by representatives of President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence. The FBI last year seized classified documents at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Freddy Ford, chief of staff to former President George W. Bush, told the Archives that Bush aides "remain confident" they have no classified material. Spokespeople for former Presidents Trump, Obama, and Clinton, and former Vice Presidents Pence, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle did not immediately comment. [[The Associated Press]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=National+Archives+asks+former+presidents,+vice+presidents+to+check+for+classified+records&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) Advertisement from Wisebread [Best Reward Cards of 2023]( [Advertisement from Wisebread]( 3. [Economy grew faster than expected despite recession fears]( The U.S. economy grew at a faster-than-expected 2.9 percent annualized pace in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 3.2 percent the previous quarter, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday. For the full year, gross domestic product grew 2.1 percent. The data showed weakening demand among consumers and other red flags indicating ongoing risk of a recession later this year, according to Bloomberg. But the data also suggested the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rates were slowing the economy as intended in the fight against high inflation. "The numbers are good," said Robert Frick, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. "We shouldn't expect them to be fantastic, because the economy is slowing down ... but they were still very positive." [[Bloomberg]( [Reuters]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=Economy+grew+faster+than+expected+despite+recession+fears&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 4. [Biden spars with Republicans over the economy, debt limit]( President Biden on Thursday accused House Republicans of trying to cut retirement benefits for older Americans, and holding the nation's finances hostage by demanding spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit to avert an economic catastrophe. "I will not let anyone use the full faith and credit of the United States as a bargaining chip," Biden told union members in Springfield, Virginia. Republicans rejected Biden's allegations. "Their go-to position ... is to fearmonger senior citizens about essential benefits being stripped from them. No one in this side of the aisle is talking about that," said Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, which has called for cutting government spending sharply. [[The Washington Post]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=Biden+spars+with+Republicans+over+the+economy,+debt+limit&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 5. [California Rep. Adam Schiff launches bid to replace Dianne Feinstein in Senate]( Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that he is [running for fellow Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat]( in the 2024 election. Progressive Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) has already entered the race to replace the 89-year-old Feinstein, who hasn't said yet whether she will seek re-election. Schiff's announcement came two days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), attacking Schiff's integrity, blocked him from taking his spot on the House Intelligence Committee in the new Congress. "The fight for our democracy and working families is part of the same struggle," Schiff said in a statement. "Because if our democracy isn't delivering for Americans, they'll look for alternatives, like a dangerous demagogue who promises that he alone can fix it." [[Los Angeles Times]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=California+Rep.+Adam+Schiff+launches+bid+to+replace+Dianne+Feinstein+in+Senate&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 6. [Suspect convicted in deadly N.Y. bike-path terrorist attack]( A federal jury in Manhattan on Thursday found a man guilty of driving a truck down a Hudson River bike path in 2017 and killing eight people. Authorities have called the attack the deadliest terrorist act in New York City since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The suspect, 34-year-old Uzbek native Sayfullo Saipov, said after the attack that he had been inspired by Islamic State videos he watched on his phone. The truck sent bicycle riders flying and left a trail of mangled bikes and bodies. Six of the people killed were tourists, one from Belgium and five from Argentina, The New York Times reported. A 23-year-old Manhattan software engineer and a 32-year-old financial worker from New Jersey also were killed. [[The New York Times]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=Suspect+convicted+in+deadly+N.Y.+bike-path+terrorist+attack&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 7. [FDA proposes easing ban on blood donations by gay, bisexual men]( The Food and Drug Administration plans to propose relaxing restrictions to let gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships donate blood without requiring them to abstain from sex, ending a policy imposed early in the AIDS crisis, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The FDA is expected to release the proposal within days and adopt it after a public comment period. Blood banks, the American Medical Association, and LGBT rights organizations pushed for the change, calling the old rule homophobic, outdated, and counterproductive, as it prevented many people from safely donating blood. The new rule focuses on screening out people with an elevated risk of contracting and transmitting HIV based on sexual behaviors, regardless of gender, an official told the Post. [[The Washington Post]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=FDA+proposes+easing+ban+on+blood+donations+by+gay,+bisexual+men&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 8. [U.S. raid kills top ISIS leader in Somalia]( U.S. Special Operations commandos killed a senior Islamic State leader and 10 of the terrorist group's operatives in northern Somalia on Thursday, according to U.S. officials. The leader, Bilal al-Sudani, was the raid's target. Al-Sudani was "responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and funding the group's operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. U.S. officials said no civilians were killed in the helicopter raid, which President Biden ordered on the recommendation of Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [[NBC News]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=U.S.+raid+kills+top+ISIS+leader+in+Somalia&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 9. [Georgia governor declares state of emergency over Atlanta 'Cop City' protests]( Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) declared a two-week state of emergency on Thursday, authorizing the use of up to 1,000 National Guard troops to help contain violent protests in Atlanta against a police training facility known as "Cop City." Protesters oppose the construction of the Atlantic Public Safety Center in Dekalb County's South River Forest. An environmental protester was fatally shot last week during a raid to clear a protest camp. Police say the activist, 26-year-old Manuel "Tortuguita" Teran, shot first, wounding a state trooper. Activists dispute the police version of what happened, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations says the officers involved were not wearing body cameras. In his Wednesday State of the State address, Kemp said the protesters were "out-of-state rioters." [[Politico]( [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=Georgia+governor+declares+state+of+emergency+over+Atlanta+'Cop+City'+protests&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) 10. [California Bar calls for disbarment of Trump lawyer John Eastman]( The State Bar of California on Thursday filed disciplinary charges seeking the disbarment of attorney John Eastman for his role in then-President Donald Trump's effort to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. Eastman was behind memos for Trump's campaign encouraging Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of the 2020 election results, and urging key states to declare Trump the winner even though he lost. The State Bar accuses Eastman of continuing to promote the lie that the election was stolen after it was clear there was no evidence that fraud could have tipped the election. The State Bar also said Eastman's speech at a Jan. 6, 2021, rally "contributed to provoking a crowd to assault and breach the Capitol." [[Los Angeles Times]( [The Hill]( [Share to Facebook]( [Share to Twitter]( [Send in email](mailto:?Subject=California+Bar+calls+for+disbarment+of+Trump+lawyer+John+Eastman&body=Read the story here: utm_campaign=10_things_newsletter_20230127&utm_source=10_things_newsletter) [The Week's new daily puzzles are here!]( [Read more things you need to know at theweek.com]( MOST POPULAR [Related image]( [Britney Spears reportedly 'annoyed' after fans call police to conduct wellness check]( Brendan Morrow [Related image]( [DOJ says over a quarter of Lousiana's state inmates held beyond their release date]( Theara Coleman [Related image]( [Jeremy Renner was trying to save his nephew before being crushed by snowplow]( Brendan Morrow [Related image]( [Former U.S. generals explain how 100 U.S. Abrams and German Leopard 2 tanks can help Ukraine beat Russia]( Peter Weber [Related image]( [The big debate about alcohol]( Peter Weber [Speed reads banner] [Article image]( [John Durham's secret criminal investigation reportedly involved Trump, not Clinton or the FBI]( January 27, 2023 [Article image]( [Arizona Legislature exempts itself from state public records law]( January 27, 2023 [Article image]( [California's Adam Schiff announces bid to replace Dianne Feinstein in U.S. Senate]( January 26, 2023 [Article image]( [Newsmax CEO decries 'discrimination' after AT&T drops conservative network]( January 26, 2023 [Read more of today's best articles at theweek.com]( [What makes a subscription to The Week so valuable now? 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