Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. TRUMP LANDS JAW DROPPER DURING DEBATE
By refusing to say he would accept the results of the election, he rattles the foundation of American democracy and flirts with the notion of a contested transition of power.
2. DAY AFTER DEBATE, TRUMP, CLINTON SQUARE OFF AGAIN AT ROAST
The nominees will be together at an annual gala in New York that every four years becomes a showcase for presidential politics and humor.
3. TURKISH JETS STRIKE SYRIAN KURDISH MILITIA TARGETS
Turkey’s state-run news agency says between 160 and 200 militia fighters are killed in the raid, while the Syria Kurdish forces leader estimates the death toll at no more than 10.
4. IRAQI SPECIAL FORCES JOIN MOSUL OFFENSIVE AGAINST ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS
Iraq’s prime minister says the battle to oust Islamic State extremists from the besieged city is going “more quickly than we thought.”
5. SEEING OPTIONS SHRINKING, WHITE MEN IN THE U.S. ASK WHY
Discontented with economic prospects and cultural shifts, they are central to Trump’s campaign.
6. WHERE FAMILY TRIES TO STAY SAFE DURING DRUG WAR
A desperate mother fears her husband would end up like more than 1,500 drug suspects killed by police since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office.
7. MOST U.S. SYRIAN ARRIVALS ARE KIDS
U.S. State Department says nearly 80 percent of the more than 11,000 Syrian refugees who have arrived in the country over the past year are children.
8. WHICH COMPANY IS EQUIPPING CARS TO DRIVE ON THEIR OWN
Tesla Motors is starting to build all its electric vehicles with all the gear needed to navigate the roads without the help of a human.
9. WHO ROCKS THE CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
Country singers Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini celebrate their shared successes at the show.
10. CELEBRITIES AMONG THOSE LONG-SUFFERING CUBS FANS
Actor Joe Mantegna, “Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman and Stephen Colbert will be cheering for the team to win a World Series.