10 things you need to know today: June 13, 2016

ISIS claims responsibility for Orlando mass shooting, attacker had previously been investigated by FBI, and more

Orlando police surround the crime scene outside Pulse
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1. ISIS claims responsibility for Orlando mass shooting

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder of 49 people and wounding of 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning. "The armed attack that targeted a gay night club in the city of Orlando in the American state of Florida which left over 100 people dead or injured was carried out by an Islamic State fighter," the ISIS news agency, Amaq, said Sunday. U.S. officials caution that there's no evidence the apparent shooter, U.S.-born Omar Mateen, had any direct ties to ISIS or was in contact with the Islamist terrorist group. ISIS encourages "lone wolf" attacks in the West, and an ISIS spokesman recently encouraged such attacks before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. President Obama said the attack was "an act of terror and an act of hate."

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.