Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. INVESTIGATORS CAST WIDE NET IN CLUB SHOOTING PROBE
Authorities are trying to figure out what led to Omar Mateen’s murderous rampage in an Orlando gay dance club where patrons say they knew him as a regular who danced and sometimes tried to pick up men.
2. WHO WAS MATEEN’S WIFE
Noor Zahi Salman was a sweet, pretty California girl with Palestinian roots who left an arranged marriage only to find love with a man who committed the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
3. WHAT HAS AFGHAN AMERICANS CONCERNED
News that a man born to Afghan immigrant parents attacked a nightclub in Orlando sparks horror, sadness and for some a fear of reprisals in Fremont, California — home of the largest U.S. population of Afghan-Americans.
4. TRAGEDY STRIKES DISNEY RESORT
Authorities are searching for a 2-year-old boy who was dragged into the water by an alligator near the upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
5. WHY TRUMP SHOWS DISDAIN FOR MEDIA
The likely Republican presidential nominee sees little downside to bashing the media and plenty of potential benefits, especially with the public and conservatives.
6. STEENKAMP COUSIN TESTIFIES AHEAD OF ‘BLADE RUNNER’ SENTENCING
Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius did not give the “true version” during trial testimony of how he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa in 2013, a cousin of Steenkamp says.
7. PRICE HIKES IN EGYPT TAKE JOY OUT OF RAMADAN
Rising inflation and a faltering economy are putting a damper on the Muslim holy month when families traditionally break the dawn-to-dusk fast with lavish feasts.
8. NEW EVIDENCE OF RISING ‘OBAMACARE’ PREMIUMS
Premiums for popular low-cost medical plans under the federal health care law are expected to go up an average of 11 percent next year, the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation finds.
9. U.S. CENTRAL BANK TO RELEASE POLICY STATEMENT
With the Federal Reserve expected to leave interest rates alone when it ends a meeting, Fed watchers will be seeking clues to the timing of future moves.
10. MOVE OVER, 3-D
Now that virtual reality is the latest craze, Fox Sports is offering VR streams from the U.S. Open at Oakmont.