1. MITT ROMNEY RELEASES 2011 TAX RETURN
Mitt Romney released his 2011 tax return and posted it online Friday, triggering a mad media dash to see what was inside. Romney and his wife, Ann, paid $1.95 million in taxes on investment income of $13.7 million last year (a significant dip from his 2010 haul of $20 million). The GOP presidential nominee made his fortune running private equity firm Bain Capital from 1984 to 1999 (or 2001, depending on whom you ask), so his earnings now come from money he has invested. That means he paid a lower tax rate — 14.1 percent — than workers pay on ordinary income from a paycheck. [The Week]
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2. IRANIAN GROUP REMOVED FROM TERROR LIST
The State Department on Friday announced that it would remove Mujahedeen Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group, from the U.S.'s list of terrorist organizations. The decision was the result of a years-long public relations campaign by MEK, which enlisted a long list of American politicians and former military and intelligence officers to argue its case. MEK had orchestrated several terrorist attacks in Iran in the 1970s and 1980s, killing several Americans, and was once allied with the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. However, the group is not believed to have carried out any terrorist attacks in recent years. The State Department's change of heart came after MEK completed the transfer of 3,000 of its members from Camp Ashraf, a camp in Iraq that has been a magnet for violence, to a U.S. base near Baghdad. [The New York Times]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: September 17, 2012
3. RYAN BOOED AT AARP EVENT
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan on Friday was repeatedly booed at an event in New Orleans hosted by the American Association of Retired Persons. Boos rained down on the congressman from Wisconsin when he reiterated Mitt Romney's pledge to overturn President Obama's overhaul of the health care system. "I had a feeling there would be mixed reactions, so let me get into it," Ryan responded. He was later jeered when he accused Obama of robbing Medicare of $716 billion to pay for ObamaCare, and also when he touted the Republican ticket's plan to augment Medicare with a voucher for private insurance. Obama spoke to the AARP attendees earlier in the day via satellite, and by all accounts enjoyed a warmer reception. [Wall Street Journal]
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4. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES IN 26 STATES
In August, the unemployment rate rose in 26 states, but most states showed a lower rate than a year ago, the federal government reported Friday. Nevada has the highest unemployment rate, at 12.1 percent. Rhode Island (10.7 percent) and California (10.6 percent) had the second- and third-highest rates. Friday's report "will be closely analyzed for its potential impact on the presidential campaign," especially in several key swing states. [USA Today]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: September 16, 2012
5. PROTESTS TURN DEADLY IN PAKISTAN
Violent protests in Pakistan over the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims erupted Friday and have left at least 19 people dead. A television station employee died from gunshot wounds during a protest in the northwestern city of Peshawar, and "far bigger protests in the southern port of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, left between 12 and 14 people dead, Pakistani news media reported." Protesters also attacked and burned two movie theaters in Peshawar, and the government cut off cell-phone service in major cities, forcing many to flock to Twitter to communicate. [The New York Times]
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6. FEMALE COMMANDER TAKES OVER AIR FORCE TRAINING
Col. Deborah Liddick was named the commander of the U.S. Air Force's training program at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas on Friday, "a nod to the pervasive problem of sexual assault on the base, where dozens of female recruits say they were preyed upon by their instructors." In July, an instructor at the base was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of raping one recruit and attempting to rape several others. [Christian Science Monitor]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: September 13, 2012
7. SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR MAKES FINAL FLIGHT
The Space Shuttle Endeavor glided over California landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the state capitol in Sacramento on Friday, before landing in Los Angeles on its final flight. The shuttle will be housed at a United Airlines hangar at LAX airport until Oct. 12, when it will begin a two-day celebratory trek through the city's streets to the California Science Center, where it will be open to viewing by the public beginning Oct. 30. [Los Angeles Times]
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8. 'GANGNAM STYLE' VIDEO BREAKS GUINNESS RECORD
The ridiculously popular YouTube video by South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang, or PSY, has become the most liked clip on the video-sharing site. PSY's "Gangnam Style" has been liked more than 2.2 million times, smashing the previous Guinness record of 1,575,979 likes, held by LMFAO'S "Party Rock Anthem." PSY's video has more than 220 million views, which still pales in comparison to the most-viewed video ever: Justin Bieber's "Baby," which YouTubers have watched more than 780 million times. [ABC News]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: September 18, 2012
9. IPHONE USERS HAVE SPENT $6B IN REPAIRS
According to a survey conducted by SquareTrade, which provides warranties for gadgets, iPhone users in the U.S. have spent $6 billion on repairs for their Apple smartphones since the company first released the phone in 2007. Some of the top reasons: Dropping the phone, the phone falling into water, and people knocking phones off tables. [Los Angeles Times]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: September 20, 2012
10. PITTSBURGH HOSTAGE-TAKER SURRENDERS
A 22-year-old ex-military member peacefully surrendered to the police after a six-hour standoff in which he took a hostage in a Pittsburgh office building. While Klein Michael Thaxton made no demands, police say the negotiation process was hindered by social media, as Thaxton kept publishing emotional, semi-coherent Facebook posts throughout the incident. The hostage was released unharmed. [USA Today]
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