Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is describing the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history as an "act of terror" targeting a place of "solidarity and empowerment" for gays and lesbians. And he's urging Americans to decide "if that's the kind of country we want to be." Hours after a gunman killed at least 50 people in a gay nightclub in Florida, Obama said the U.S. "must spare no effort" to determine if he suspect had any ties to extremist groups.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says investigators have not yet found evidence of direct communication between the Orlando nightclub gunman and Islamic State members overseas. But Rep. Adam Schiff says that could change. He says it's possible that Omar Mateen was self-radicalized but not "under the command and control of ISIS." Schiff has been briefed multiple times by federal law enforcement.
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities nationwide are beefing up police presence at events celebrating LGBT Pride Month. Today's deadly attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, occurred amid events in several cities hosting such events today. Seattle's openly gay mayor says every time progress is made in the U.S., there's a blow back and an increase in gay lesbian bisexual transgender violence. But he says the community will not be intimidated.
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Syrian independent media activist working in southeast Turkey has survived an assassination attempt claimed by the Islamic State group. Colleagues say the founder of the Syrian media group Eye on Homeland was shot on Sunday by two gunmen riding a motorbike. One fellow Syrian activist says he's "hospitalized, in a stable condition." Another colleague says the gunmen had used silencers. The gunmen escaped.
UNDATED (AP) — Travel costs that could dissuade potential kidney donors from volunteering for life-saving transplants will be reimbursed by the nation's biggest insurer starting next year in a move designed to encourage more donations. UnitedHealth Group says that it will pay back up to $5,000, not counting lost wages from missed work, becoming the latest insurer to reimburse people who donate for an organ transplant.
'
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
