5 things you need to know Wednesday
1. Colorado theater shooter to be formally sentenced to life in prison
Judge Carlos Samour Jr. is expected to formally sentence James Holmes to life in prison Wednesday for murdering 12 people at a crowded suburban Denver movie theater on July 20, 2012. A jury earlier this month was unable to unanimously agree on the death penalty for Holmes. For the past two days, dozens of survivors of the attack and victims' family members have shared the pain and suffering caused by Holmes' rampage as he sat in court and listened. In an interview with a court-appointed psychiatrist, Holmes said he believed the attack would make people remember him.
2. D.C., L.A. and San Francisco have the nation's worst rush hours
Partisan politics aren't the only thing slowing D.C. down — it's all that rush-hour traffic. Washington beat out commuting misery stalwarts Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York for the dubious honor of worst rush hour congestion in the country, according to a study published Wednesday. Rush hour congestion adds 82 hours of suffering each year to the average commute around Washington, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Inrix says. Overall, drivers lose nearly 7 billion hours each year to traffic congestion — an average of 42 hours per commuter — and waste 3 billion gallons of fuel, according to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard.
3. Autopsy for IndyCar racer Justin Wilson
An autopsy will be performed Wednesday on IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, who died Monday after he was struck in the head by debris during a Sunday race at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. The coroner's office in Lehigh County, Pa., on Tuesday ruled Wilson's death an accident, but said an autopsy would determine the exact cause of death, according to media reports. Wilson, 37, was an organ donor, and his brother Stefan tweeted Tuesday that Justin "saved six lives today. He just keeps setting the bar higher."
4. Conjoined twins to be born, but only one will survive
A Colorado mother will deliver conjoined baby girls Wednesday, and one of the twins is expected to die soon after. The babies, named Hannah and Olivia, are joined at the chest, stomach and hips. Between them, they share an abdomen, liver and intestinal tract; they each have their own hearts and kidneys. The complications come from Olivia's heart: She only has a single ventricle and missing valves, leading doctors to believe that she will not survive. Hannah's future is uncertain for now. The girls' mother, Amber McCullough, said she was overwhelmed throughout her pregnancy, but ultimately decided that she wanted to give them a shot at life and carried them for 32 weeks: "I just can't lose both. There's a chance of saving one."
5. Dog lovers celebrate furry friends on National Dog Day
The domain dot-dog (".dog") Internet address debuts in time for the 11th annual National Dog Day on Wednesday. Vets, pet photographers, groomers, trainers and pet-supply firms can stake claims to websites that could make the Oklahoma land rush seem lame by comparison. Dog owners can take the day to celebrate their furry friends. The day also serves as a way to bring attention to dogs in need of adoption.
And, the essentials:
Weather: Tropical Storm Erika will likely strengthen as it gets closer to land on Wednesday.
Stocks: China's Shanghai composite index closed 1.3% lower after a roller coaster session Wednesday and U.S. stock futures were higher.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Carmichael Show, Suits and Mr. Robot.
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