10 things you need to know today: April 25, 2015

1. Hundreds dead after massive 7.8 earthquake strikes Nepal

A powerful earthquake on Saturday struck Nepal near the capital Kathmandu, killing hundreds of people and leaving extensive damage across the area. Rescuers are picking through the rubble in search of survivors, and the death toll, which rapidly rose to around 900 in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, is expected to rise further. The death toll includes eight killed on Mount Everest by a quake-triggered avalanche. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the initial quake's magnitude at 7.8, with at least 15 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or above.

The New York Times CNN

2. Bruce Jenner: 'I'm a woman'

Famed Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner on Friday came out as transgender in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer and said he is transitioning from male to female . "For all intents and purposes, I'm a woman," Jenner said. "Bruce lives a lie," the 65-year-old Jenner added. "She is not a lie. I can't do it anymore." Jenner said his struggle with gender identity began as a child when he would try on his mother's clothing, and it continued in private for decades even as he became a masculine icon while winning gold in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. In recent months, tabloid rumors abounded surrounding Jenner's then-alleged transition.

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ABC

3. Baltimore police admit to errors in Freddie Gray arrest

Baltimore's police commissioner on Friday conceded that officers made mistakes in their handling of Freddie Gray, the unarmed black man who died last weekend of a severe spinal injury while in custody. "We know that police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner," Commissioner Anthony Batts said, adding that 30 investigators are probing the incident. "If someone harmed Freddie Gray, we will have to prosecute him," Batts said. As they have all week, demonstrators took to Baltimore's streets Friday to protest the incident.

USA Today

4. Eric Holder leaves Justice Department after 6 years

Eric Holder on Friday stepped down from the Justice Department after a six-year tenure as attorney general, one day after the Senate finally voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as his replacement. "I'm going to miss you," Holder said in his farewell speech. "I am going to miss this building. I am going to miss this institution. More than anything, I am going to miss you all." Holder announced his resignation in September, but agreed to stay on until a successor was in place.

The Associated Press

5. Hillary Clinton calls for change in 'deep-seated' abortion beliefs

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday took a forceful stance on abortion rights, calling for a change to "deep-seated" cultural and religious standards on the issue. Clinton made the remark during her keynote address at the annual Women in The World Summit in New York. "Rights have to exist in practice, not just on paper," she said. "Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed."

The Hill

6. Statue of Liberty evacuated over bomb threat

The Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island were all evacuated Friday after the U.S. Park Police received a bomb threat. Coming in the form of a pre-recorded message, the threat to blow up the iconic landmark claimed there was some device hidden inside a locker at Liberty Island. Bomb squads that searched the area found no evidence to support the threat, and the sites were reopened.

CBS

7. Hawaii poised to raise smoking age to 21

Hawaii on Friday passed a bill that would raise the legal smoking age to 21 while also banning the sale and purchase of electronic cigarettes for anyone under that age limit. If Democratic Gov. David Ige signs the bill — he has yet to indicate whether he will — Hawaii would become the first state in the nation to raise its smoking age to 21. "The activities we've engaged in over the years to manage smoking — our additional efforts in education, the raising of cigarette taxes — this is a continuation of those policies," Democratic state Senator Rosalyn Baker told Reuters.

Reuters

8. Scientists discover massive magma chamber beneath Yellowstone

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown magma reservoir below a supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park. The chamber, which is about 28 miles beneath the earth's surface, contains about 11,200 cubic miles of magma — or enough to fill the Grand Canyon almost 14 times. Scientists from the University of Utah discovered the chamber by using earthquake data to create a 3D map of the ground beneath the volcano. The researchers hope that studying the chamber will help scientists better understand the timing of the volcanic cycle and magma's movements.

The Guardian

9. Abercrombie & Fitch to tone down sexuality

Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. on Friday announced it would tone down the sexuality in its stores and advertising. Known for its lightly clad models, the company said it would no longer hire staff based on "body type or physical attractiveness," and that "Brand Representative" would replace "Model" as the title for its salespeople. The shift comes amid a steep falloff in sales for the company over the past few years. "We are focused on the future not the past, and there is complete alignment that these are the right changes," A&F brand president Christos Angelides said.

The Wall Street Journal

10. Starbucks stores back online after computer glitch

Starbucks locations around the country reopened Saturday after a widespread computer failure forced thousands of stores to close one day prior. Roughly 7,000 stores in the U.S. and 1,000 in Canada temporarily closed down following what the company called a "failure during a daily system refresh." Some stores, unable to process orders, simply handed out free cups of coffee to would-be paying customers.

The Denver Post