10 things you need to know today: June 12, 2016

1. Mass casualties in Florida night club shooting

Police say approximately 20 people were killed and another 40 wounded after a gunman armed with multiple weapons opened fire in Orlando's Pulse nightclub around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. The shooter was killed by police at about 5 a.m. after creating a hostage situation inside the club. Investigators say the gunman was Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Floridian. No motive has been established yet, but police believe the attack was planned well in advance. They say the attack is unrelated to Friday's fatal shooting of The Voice singer Christina Grimmie, which also took place in Orlando.

CNN The Hill

2. Obama, 2016 candidates offer condolences for Florida nightclub shooting

President Obama was briefed on the shooting in Orlando and offered condolences to those affected. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims," a White House statement said. "The president asked to receive regular updates as the FBI, and other federal officials, work with the Orlando Police to gather more information, and directed that the federal government provide any assistance necessary to pursue the investigation and support the community." Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released a statement of sympathy too, tweeting that her "thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act." Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump tweeted a simple report: "Really bad shooting in Orlando. Police investigating possible terrorism. Many people dead and wounded."

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L.A. Times The Atlantic

3. West Virginia Democrats vote to end the superdelegate system

West Virginia Democrats voted at their state convention Saturday to remove unbound superdelegates from their party's presidential nominating process. The state party also unanimously passed a resolution calling on Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. The superdelegate system has been a source of persistent frustration to supporters of Bernie Sanders this election. Wisconsin's Democratic Party passed a resolution like West Virginia's and Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has urged her supporters to sign a petition to similar effect.

The Hill Politico

4. Thousands protest drone warfare at U.S. base in Germany

A crowd of several thousand formed a human chain around a U.S. Air Force base in Germany on Saturday in protest of American drone warfare in the Middle East. The demonstrators object to the use of Ramstein Air Base as a support location for drone strikes in places like Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen, arguing that the practice violates the German constitution. Drone war continues to be controversial in Germany, particularly in light of evidence that as many as 90 percent of strike casualties are innocent civilians.

Reuters The Washington Times

5. Pocahontas.com redirects to Elizabeth Warren’s campaign site

Donald Trump's preferred nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is "Pocahontas," a title he picked after she publicly laid claim to distant Native American ancestry. After Trump deployed the name again on Friday, a Warren supporter purchased Pocahontas.com and set up a redirect to Warren's campaign website for reelection to the Senate. Warren herself has hit back more directly, calling Trump "a loud, nasty, thin-skinned fraud."

The Hill Politico

6. Clinton drops the first ad of the general election

Hillary Clinton released the first official television ad of the general election on Saturday. Titled "Who We Are," the one-minute clip paints a contrast between Clinton and Donald Trump, using some of his more incendiary remarks to punctuate her hopeful narration. The spot will begin airing Thursday in key swing states.

7. Judge rules veteran is legally neither male nor female

An Oregon judge ruled Friday that Army veteran Jamie Shupe can legally identify as "non-binary," conforming to neither the male nor female gender. "No person has shown cause why the requested General Judgment should not be granted," said the ruling, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. Shupe hailed the decision as a "liberating" recognition of a "third sex."

CNN Oregon Live

8. Apple to announce software innovations Monday

Apple executives will reveal a new round of tech innovations at their annual World Wide Developers Conference on Monday. The announcement is not expected to feature any new hardware, like a new iPhone or tablet, but instead will focus on changes to software products including Siri, Apple Music, Apple Pay, Apple TV, and the Apple operating system.

CNN

9. Broadways’ Hamilton is nominated for a record 16 Tonys

Historical rap opera Hamilton is nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tonys and is expected to sweep Sunday's 70th Annual Tony Awards show. The nominations include nods for acting, writing, dance, music, design, and more. The ceremony is headlined by The Late Late Show host James Corden and will air on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The AV Club The New York Times

10. Creator wins the Belmont Stakes in a photo finish

Racing fans weren't blessed with a Triple Crown winner two years running, but the 2016 Belmont Stakes did end Saturday in a photo finish win for Creator, who edged out Destin by a nose. "There are just a couple chances to prove you are a classic winner," said Creator's trainer, Steve Asmussen, of the horse's come-from-behind performance. Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator was the favorite at Belmont but ultimately finished in 11th place.

The Wall Street Journal The New York Times