Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know Monday, May 18, 2015. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items, upcoming events and stories in West Virginia newspapers:
1. ISLAMIC MILITANTS KILL HUNDREDS AS THEY TAKE IRAQ’S RAMADI
Shiite militias vow to mount a counter-offensive and reclaim the Anbar provincial capital.
2. PUSH TO WRITE NEW WAR POWERS FOR OBAMA STALLS IN CONGRESS
Lawmakers say they don’t want to give up their check on a commander-in-chief’s authority to use military might, but have little interest in having the first war vote in Congress in 13 years.
3. TEXAS TOWN ON GUARD AFTER BIKER GANG SHOOTOUT LEAVES 9 DEAD
Waco police authorities increase security to quell other possible attempts at criminal activity following the melee.
4. AMTRAK TO RESTORE FULL NORTHEAST CORRIDOR SERVICE
Officials are vowing to have safer trains and tracks while investigators are trying to determine the cause of the derailment.
5. WHOSE INNER CIRCLE HAS OUTSIDE ADVISERS
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio “likes to tap into the world beyond City Hall — some of the people have titles, some are consultants, and some are everyday people.”
6. KERRY SLAMS NORTH KOREA
The U.S. secretary of state accuses Pyongyang of atrocities while reassuring South Korea of America’s “ironclad” security commitments.
7. WHY FRUSTRATION WITH LATIN AMERICA’S LEFT ON THE RISE
Triggering the growing disenchantment are some serious economic headwinds.
8. WHAT OFFERS RESPITE FROM GAZA’S HARDSHIPS
Residents of the isolated territory find relief in the steamy confines of Hamam al-Sumara, a centuries-old bathhouse.
9. STEM CELL ‘WILD WEST’ TAKES ROOT AMID LACK OF REGULATION
The number of U.S. clinics treating patients with experimental techniques surges from a handful in 2010 to more than 170 today.
10. ‘MAD MEN’ COMES TO AN END
The drama concludes with a resolution that rings true to its spirit and likely leaves its devotees satisfied.
