Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Top 10 national stories
Trump, allegations of sexual misconduct dominated 2017 news
THE wave of sexual misconduct allegations that toppled Hollywood power brokers, politicians, media icons and many others was the top news story of 2017, according to The Associated Press’ annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.
The No. 2 story was Donald Trump’s tumultuous first year as president. A year ago, Trump’s unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election was a nearunanimous pick for the top news story of 2016.
The first AP top-stories poll was conducted in 1936, when editors chose the abdication of Britain’s King Edward VIII as the top story.
Here are 2017’s top 10 stories, in order.
Sexual misconduct
Scandals involving sexual misdeeds by prominent men are nothing new in America, but there’s never been anything like the deluge of allegations unleashed this year by women who were emboldened to speak out by the accusers who preceded them. Luminaries toppled from their perches included movie magnate Harvey Weinstein, media stars Bill O’Reilly, Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose, and celebrity chefs and members of Congress.
Trump’s first year
The controversies started on Inauguration Day, with the new president challenged over his claims on the size of the crowd, and persisted throughout the year. Trump’s approval ratings hovered around record-low territory, his base remained loyal, and his tweeting provoked a mix of outrage, mockery and enthusiasm.
Las Vegas mass shooting
A 64-year-old highstakes video poker player, after amassing an arsenal of weapons, unleashed a barrage of gunfire from a high-rise casinohotel that killed 58 people and injured hundreds among a crowd attending an open-air concert along the Strip. Weeks after the massacre, questions about the gunman’s motives remained unanswered. A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Irma, left, just north of the island of Hispaniola.
Hurricane onslaught
In a four-week span, hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ravaged Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. Harvey killed more than 80 people in Texas and caused an estimated $150 billion in damage. Irma killed scores of people in the Caribbean and U.S., including 12 residents of a Florida nursing home that lost its air conditioning. Maria damaged more than 200,000 homes in Puerto Rico and caused power outages that still endure.
North Korea
At times the taunts had a schoolyard flavor to them — a “dotard” versus “Little Rocket Man.” But they came from two world leaders with nuclear arms at their disposal: Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Fueling the tensions were North Korea’s latest tests of a hydrogen bomb and of ballistic missiles that potentially could reach the U.S. mainland.
Trump-Russia probe
Trump fired FBI director James Comey, but a former FBI chief, Robert Mueller, was soon appointed to investigate potential coordination between Russia and Trump’s election campaign. By mid-December, Mueller’s team had brought federal charges against four people, including former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Islamic State
After lengthy assaults, an array of forces drove the Islamic State from its two main strongholds: the city of Mosul in Iraq, and its self-styled capital, Raqqa, in Syria. The defeats left the Islamic State without significant territory in either country, but affiliates elsewhere in the region, particularly in Egypt and Afghanistan, continued to operate.
Terror attacks
The first big terror attack of 2017 came on New Year’s Day: a gunman killing 39 at an Istanbul nightclub. Then came attacks at an Ariana Grande concert in England, a bike path in New York City and a promenade in Barcelona. In October, a bombing in Somalia killed more than 500. In November, an attack on a mosque in Egypt killed more than 300.
Tax overhaul
Without a single Democratic vote, Republicans in Congress pushed through a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul that would cut corporate taxes while producing mixed results for individuals. GOP lawmakers, backed by Trump, said the bill would have broad benefits by accelerating economic growth. Critics said consequences would include higher budget deficits and the potential loss of health care coverage for millions of Americans.
Obamacare
Despite repeated efforts, majority Republicans in Congress failed to repeal Barack Obama’s health care law and replace it with new plan. At one point, a deciding vote against a GOP replacement bill was cast by Republican Sen. John McCain. But questions remained as to how Obama’s plan would fare going forward without substantive help from the Trump administration.