Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. COMBATIVE TRUMP MEETS PRESS
The freewheeling spectacle in the marbled lobby of Trump’s Manhattan skyscraper is his first news conference since winning the election in early November.
2. HOW PRESIDENT-ELECT IS BREAKING WITH PRECEDENT
Rather than sell off his financial assets, as other presidents have, Trump says his Trump Organization will be run by his adult sons and a longtime company exec while he’s in office.
3. FAMILIES MAKE FINAL STATEMENTS IN CHURCH MASSACRE
One by one, family members of nine slain black parishioners confront convicted killer Dylann Roof in court, a day after jurors sentenced him to death in South Carolina.
4. WHAT’S UPSIDE TO STORMS IN CALIFORNIA
The massive rain and snowfall is helping much of the northern part of the state recover from a six-year drought.
5. BATTLE FOR SYRIAN TOWN TOUGHER THAN EXPECTED
Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey is bogged down in a bloody fight to retake the Islamic State group’s last stronghold in northern Syria.
6. WHOSE REMAINS ARE NOW A TEACHING TOOL
The bones of Josef Mengele, the “Angel of Death” who conducted horrific experiments on Jews, are being used to teach forensic medical students in Brazil.
7. VOLKSWAGEN REACHES DEAL IN EMISSIONS SCANDAL
The automaker agrees to plead guilty and pay $4.3 billion — by far the biggest fine ever levied by the U.S. government against an automaker.
8. WHICH CELESTIAL BODY IS SHOWING HER AGE
It turns out the moon is older than many scientists suspected: a ripe 4.51 billion years old.
9. FILMMAKERS TURNING TALENTS TO TV
The Coen brothers, creators of such films as “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski,” will make their first television show, a miniseries titled “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.”
10. DENVER FILLS HEAD COACHING JOB
The Broncos hire Vance Joseph, regarded as one of the NFL’s best secondary coaches, for their top job, replacing Gary Kubiak.
