Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. EUROPE SCRAMBLES TO FIND TUNISIAN SUSPECT IN BERLIN ATTACK
German officials had deemed suspect Anis Amri, who arrived in the country last year, a potential threat long before the attack.
2. TRUMP DENOUNCES BERLIN MARKET ATTACK
The president-elect also appears to suggest a willingness to move ahead with his campaign pledge to temporarily ban Muslim immigrants from coming to the United States.
3. LAST GROUP TO BE EVACUATED FROM SYRIA’S ALEPPO WITHIN HOURS
The International Committee of the Red Cross says the few thousand remaining people will leave in 40 buses and hundreds of private cars.
4. REPEAL OF NORTH CAROLINA LGBT LAW FAILS
A deal has fallen apart to undo the North Carolina law known as the “bathroom bill” in a sign of the state’s bitter political divide.
5. AFTER YEARS FLEEING ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS, IRAQI FAMILY FACES TRAGEDY
They get caught in the crossfire in Mosul, where many civilians have been killed or wounded by shelling or in gunbattles between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants.
6. WHAT GETS SCRUTINY AFTER DEADLY OAKLAND FIRE
The shutting down of a makeshift nightclub highlights friction between underground music venues and authorities who see the DIY events as disasters-in-waiting.
7. ERIC TRUMP TO STOP RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY
The president-elect’s son says he worries the donations will be perceived as a way to buy access to his father.
8. WHO MEETS AMID REGIONAL CONCERNS
In an annual show of seasonal goodwill, Finland’s Santa teams up with Russia’s Grandfather Frost at the two countries’ busiest joint border crossing.
9. WHERE LEGO MASTER BUILDERS SHOW WORK
Gingerbread houses built of Legos are created for this year’s White House holiday display by a team of master builders.
10. WHICH OILY TREAT OUTLASTS HEALTH CAMPAIGN IN ISRAEL
Israelis find a minister’s advice on dumping their beloved Hanukkah doughnuts tough to follow.
