Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know Friday, June 26, 2015. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items, upcoming events and stories in West Virginia newspapers:
1. FRENCH GAS FACTORY AMBUSHED
France opens a terrorism investigation after the attack in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier leaves one person decapitated and multiple people wounded.
2. THOUSANDS EXPECTED FOR OBAMA’S TRIBUTE
The first black president of the United States is coming to Charleston to eulogize the victims of a mass shooting at a historic African-American church.
3. POST-FERGUSON GRAFFITI BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD
Confederate monuments are now garnering backlash — none more direct than repeated spray-painting of “Black Lives Matter” on several installations.
4. HOW EU IS DEALING WITH MIGRANT CRISIS
European Union leaders agree to relocate 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece to other EU countries over the next two years in an effort to share the burden.
5. HOW MANY ARE CONFLICTED BY ‘OBAMACARE’
The insured are happy their monthly premiums will continue to be affordable, but exasperated by the coverage the new health care exchanges provide.
6. WHAT GUARD IS SAYING ABOUT PRISON BREAK
Gene Palmer admits giving two inmates tools, paint, frozen hamburger and access to a catwalk electrical box but says he didn’t know the killers planned to escape.
7. TRUMP COMMENTS RANKLE TV NETWORKS
After Univision pulled its coverage of the Miss USA pageant over negative comments he made about Mexican immigrants, NBC remained silent about its scheduled coverage.
8. WHO MADE DIAMOND HISTORY
Baseball history is made in Northern California wine country when 23-year-old Sean Conroy, the sport’s first active professional player to come out as gay, pitches a shutout.
9. BRISTOL PALIN PREGNANT AGAIN
The daughter of the former vice presidential candidate, who launched an abstinence campaign after giving birth as an unwed teenage mother, says she is expecting her second child out-of-wedlock.
10. NBA DRAFT GOES ACCORDING TO FORM
As expected, Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor were the first three picks, with the Lakers taking Russell over Okafor at No. 2 the only mild surprise.