10 things you need to know today: May 9, 2015

1. Lawyers for Baltimore police officers file motion for dismissal of charges

Attorneys filed a motion on behalf of all six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray on Friday, asking that the case be thrown out because State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby moved forward with "overzealous prosecution" in the face of civil unrest. The motion alternatively called for Mosby to be removed or dismissed from the case, citing several possible conflicts of interest. Gray died on April 19 after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody — an arrest Mosby said was illegal in the first place. Mosby brought charges against the six officers involved following a week of violent protests and riots across Baltimore in reaction to Gray's death.

NBC News

2. Dozens of prisoners dead, others escape in Iraq prison break

At least 30 inmates and a half-dozen guards are dead following a prison break in eastern Iraq, authorities reported on Saturday. Between 40 and 50 other prisoners managed to escape during the attack at Khalis prison; at least nine of the inmates had been convicted on terrorism charges, and some are reportedly members of the Islamic State. There are conflicting reports of how the prison break began. Officials say fighting initially broke out between the prisoners, and that the inmates turned on guards who came to restore order. But some local sources said ISIS militants in trucks stormed the prison in a bid to free their comrades.The mayor of Khalis has imposed a curfew on the city, and authorities are on the hunt for the escaped prisoners.

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BBC News The Associated Press

3. WHO declares Liberia free of Ebola

Liberia is Ebola-free, according to a statement from the World Health Organization on Saturday. The West African country has not discovered a new case of the disease in 42 days, twice the maximum incubation period of Ebola. Along with Guinea and Sierra Leone, Liberia saw thousands die from Ebola in an epidemic WHO called "the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976." Neither of the two other hardest-hit countries have managed to eradicate the disease yet, prompting WHO officials to warn Liberia about border security, lest an infected individual cross into the country.

The Wall Street Journal

4. U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs in April

The American economy created 223,000 jobs last month, according to Friday's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number was a big jump from the 126,000 jobs created in March, which ended a stretch of just over a year in which each month had seen 200,000 jobs or more created. The unemployment rate in April dropped to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent in March, and average hourly earnings were $24.87, a 2.2 percent change from a year ago, meaning wage growth has remained effectively flat.

The New York Times

5. Judge declares mistrial in Etan Patz murder case

One of New York City's biggest missing child cases resulted in a mistrial on Friday, after a 12-person jury deadlocked in their decision whether or not to convict Pedro Hernandez, 54, after three weeks of deliberation. Hernandez confessed to kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz, who was six years old when he disappeared on his way to school on May 25, 1979. Police never recovered his body. Prosecutors argued that the confession showed Hernandez was guilty, while the defendant's lawyer said his statements were “the rantings of a mentally ill man with a low IQ,” and that there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime. Justice Maxwell Wiley declared the mistrial, and set a new trial date for June 10.

New York Daily News The Associated Press

6. Ambassadors to Pakistan from Norway, Philippines killed in helicopter crash

A Pakistani military helicopter crashed on Friday morning during a tourism flight over the country's Naltar valley, killing Leif Larsen and Domingo D. Lucenario, Jr., the ambassadors from Norway and the Philippines, respectively. Several other passengers, including the wives of the ambassadors to Pakistan from Malaysia and Indonesia, also died in the crash, while two more diplomats survived and were rushed to a medical facility. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was traveling in a separate aircraft, which returned to Islamabad. While members of the Pakistani Taliban branch claimed responsibility, eyewitnesses said the helicopter was not targeted, and government officials cited "a technical fault" for the crash.

Time

7. Pentagon raises security level on U.S. bases

A Pentagon spokesman said on Friday that the security level on U.S. military bases is at its highest level in nearly four years. The affected locations include National Guard posts, recruiting stations, and all bases and camps in the U.S. and its territory in the Caribbean. While the Pentagon said the additional security was due to a general climate and not specific threats, one official speaking anonymously suggested that last weekend's attack at a provocative Texas cartoon-drawing contest could encourage other attacks.

Reuters

8. Egyptian court sentences Hosni Mubarak to three years in jail

A retrial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons came to a close on Saturday, as an Egyptian court sentenced the men to three years in jail on corruption charges. It was not immediately clear whether the time that Mubarak and his sons, Gamal and Alaa, have already spent in jail will negate an actual new prison term for the three men. Mubarak was toppled from power during the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, after ruling Egypt for 30 years.

Reuters

9. Nike pledges 10,000 new jobs in U.S. if TPP deal approved

President Barack Obama visited Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, on Friday, using the stop to promote the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he called the "highest-standard, most progressive trade deal in history." Nike promised to create 10,000 new jobs in the U.S. if the accord is approved; the company has been criticized in the past for its use of nearly one million overseas factory workers.

The New York Times The Associated Press

10. ESPN parts ways with Bill Simmons

ESPN will not renew longtime sports columnist and Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons' contract when it ends in September, the company announced on Friday. "We have been in negotiations and it was clear it was time to move on," ESPN president John Skipper said in a statement. "ESPN's relationship with Bill has been mutually beneficial - he has produced great content for us for many years and ESPN has provided him new opportunities to spread his wings. We wish Bill continued success as he plans his next chapter."

ESPN The Washington Post