Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Thursday, June 16, 2016. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. WHAT NIGHTCLUB SHOOTER DID IN FINAL HOURS BEFORE RAMPAGE
Orlando gunman Omar Mateen apparently made a series of Facebook posts in which he raged against the “filthy ways of the west,” according to a U.S. Senate committee letter.
2. OBAMA TO SEEK HEALING IN ORLANDO
The U.S. president will offer solace to Central Florida, even as the political world turns last weekend’s shooting into a fresh excuse to fight about terrorism and gun control.
3. MUSLIM VIEW OF LGBT PEOPLE IN SPOTLIGHT AFTER ATTACK
Along with denouncing the attack by the gunman on a gay nightclub, Nihad Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations expresses unequivocal support for LGBT civil rights.
4. AP: MINORITIES MISSING IN MANY LEGISLATURES
An analysis by the AP finds that minorities remain significantly underrepresented in Congress and nearly every state legislature, though they comprise a growing share of the U.S. population.
5. HOW DISNEY IS DEALING WITH AFTERMATH OF GATOR ATTACK
The entertainment giant is reviewing whether to add warning signs after an alligator killed a 2-year-old boy from Nebraska by snatching him out of shallow water at a resort beach.
6. US COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN TO ASSESS WAR
Army Gen. John W. Nicholson’s report on what it’s going to take to defeat the Taliban comes just days after Obama authorized more airstrikes against insurgents.
7. CIA CHIEF ENVISIONS EXTREMISTS’ FUTURE TACTICS
John Brennan says Islamic State militants are training and attempting to deploy operatives for further attacks on the West and will rely more on guerrilla-style warfare.
8. THAT COKE ZERO IS GOING TO COST YOU IN PHILLY
The City Council is poised to adopt a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sugary and diet drinks, which would make Philadelphia the first big city with such a levy.
9. MICKEY MOUSE CHINA’S LATEST STAR
Shanghai Disneyland, the entertainment giant’s first theme park in mainland China, opens its gates with a gala celebration, promising to be “distinctly Chinese.”
10. OAKMONT THE COURSE OF CHAMPIONS
One measure of a great golf course is the quality of its champions and the Western Pennsylvania track is regarded as the best, with eight of its 11 major champions already in the Hall of Fame.