Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know Thursday, April 9, 2015. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items, upcoming events and stories in West Virginia newspapers.
1. NEW REVELATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA FATAL SHOOTING CASE
The officer charged with murder of Walter Lamer Scott was allowed to stay on the force despite an earlier complaint he used excessive force against an unarmed man.
2. WHAT WILL TOP OBAMA’S AGENDA IN JAMAICA VISIT
The president is opening a trip to the Caribbean and Central America, where he hopes to capitalize on mutual needs in the face of expanding Chinese influence and weakening power by Venezuela.
3. IRAN PUSHES WEST TO LIFT SANCTIONS
President Hassan Rouhani is warning that Tehran will not sign on to a final nuclear deal unless it is predicated on the reversal of economic restrictions.
4. AFTER TSARNAEV’S CONVICTION, JURY TO DECIDE LIFE OR DEATH
“In a crime of this magnitude, what American citizen wouldn’t ask, ‘What would drive a person to do this?’ And, as a juror, the question becomes, what answer would satisfy you,” says Meg Penrose, a death penalty expert.
5. WHO IS SET TO BECOME THIRD MAJOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
If he runs for president as expected, Sen. Marco Rubio will have a political committee ready to raise and spend unlimited cash on his behalf.
6. DEADLIEST PEACE-TIME COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
El Salvador had more homicides in March than any other single month in a decade, a dark moment that some attribute to the collapse of a gang truce.
7. NORTH KOREA EXPLORES WAYS TO DECLAW NEW U.S. SANCTIONS
Pyongyang says it will conduct trade in rubles with Moscow if Congress passes a bill designed to shut off the regime from the U.S. dollar.
8. TIBET CHIEF DEMANDS MONASTERIES DISPLAY CHINESE FLAGS
The move is intended to shore up patriotic drive that in the past has sparked protests in the restive Buddhist region.
9. HOW SAMSUNG WANTS TO REVERSE DIMMING FORTUNES
The company is hoping the flagship Galaxy S6 smartphone and the S6 Edge, which go on sale in 20 countries on Friday, will help claw back lost market share.
10. EYES ON MCILROY, WOODS AS THE MASTERS GETS UNDERWAY
But let’s not forget the other potential contenders, a lengthy list led by defending champion Bubba Watson.
