K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 23rd, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - NOW THAT THE SENATE HAS WRITTEN ITS HEALTH CARE BILL, THE NEXT CHALLENGE FOR REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL IS GETTING HIS PARTY TO VOTE FOR IT. HIS GOAL IS TO AVOID A DEFEAT THAT COULD SHATTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND THE GOP AFTER YEARS OF PROMISING TO REPEAL THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW. MCCONNELL DRAFTED THE MEASURE AFTER WEEKS OF CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS THAT SAW PARTY LEADERS SEEK COMPROMISE BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE SENATORS AND CENTRISTS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE ALWAYS TOLD A "STRAIGHT STORY" ABOUT WHETHER HE RECORDED HIS PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH FIRED FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY. IN AN INTERVIEW BROADCAST ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S "FOX &FRIENDS" FRIDAY, TRUMP REPEATED HE NEVER MADE TAPES, BUT ADDED THAT WHEN COMEY "FOUND OUT THAT I, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE MAY BE TAPES OUT THERE, WHETHER IT'S GOVERNMENTAL TAPES OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND WHO KNOWS, I THINK HIS STORY MAY HAVE CHANGED."

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - NORTH KOREA HAS CALLED ITSELF THE "BIGGEST VICTIM" IN THE DEATH OF AN AMERICAN STUDENT WHO WAS DETAINED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AND DIED DAYS AFTER BEING RELEASED IN A COMA. THE NORTH'S OFFICIAL KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY ON FRIDAY DENIED THAT NORTH KOREA CRUELLY TREATED OR TORTURED OTTO WARMBIER AND ACCUSED THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA OF A SMEAR CAMPAIGN THAT INSULTED WHAT IT CALLED ITS "HUMANITARIAN" TREATMENT OF HIM.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AP) - A SENIOR UNITED ARAB EMIRATES OFFICIAL HAS ACCUSED QATAR OF SHARING WITH THE MEDIA DEMANDS MADE AGAINST IT BY FOUR ARAB STATES, SAYING THE MOVE UNDERMINES EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE CRISIS. EMIRATI MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ANWAR GARGASH MADE THE ACCUSATION ON TWITTER ON FRIDAY.
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A MAN WHO ADMITTED IN FEBRUARY TO BEING INVOLVED IN A METH RING AND WAS FOUND GUILTY ON EIGHT FELONY CHARGES AFTER A THREE-DAY BENCH TRIAL IN MARCH COULD SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS AFTER RECEIVING TWO PRISON SENTENCES THIS WEEK IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING ON THURSDAY SENTENCED 38-YEAR-OLD DOYLE EUGENE GABBERT TO 50-65 YEARS IMPRISONMENT. WILKING INCLUDED IN THE SENTENCING ORDER A RECOMMENDATION FOR GABBERT TO PARTICIPATE IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.

THREE MONTHS AGO, WILKING FOUND GABBERT GUILTY OF THREE COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ONE COUNT OF AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, TWO COUNTS OF LARCENY, ONE COUNT OF BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A DEADLY WEAPON WITH INTENT TO THREATEN THE LIFE OF ANOTHER.

THE SENTENCE WILKING HANDED DOWN THURSDAY WILL RUN CONSECUTIVE TO A 6- TO 8-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE GABBERT RECEIVED WEDNESDAY FROM NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY ON ONE COUNT OF CONSPIRACY TO DELIVER METHAMPHETAMINE.

THOSE SENTENCES WILL RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH PAROLE GABBERT RECEIVED IN A CASE OUT OF CONVERSE COUNTY.

GABBERT SHOT AT A MAN ON AUG. 10 AND, TWO DAYS LATER, THREATENED PEOPLE WITH A GUN OUTSIDE RIDLEY'S FAMILY MARKET ON SOUTHEAST WYOMING BOULEVARD. THE SECOND INCIDENT LED TO A CHASE WHICH INVOLVED GABBERT STEALING A WOMAN'S VAN AND CRASHING IT BEFORE HE TRIED TO GET AWAY IN A COCA-COLA SEMI-TRUCK.

OFFICERS USED A POLICE DOG TO SUBDUE GABBERT. AND, AS IT TURNED OUT, THE CHASE IS WHAT LED INVESTIGATORS TO DISCOVER GABBERT'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE METH RING.

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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - FLOODING BECAUSE OF MELTING MOUNTAIN SNOW NOW INCLUDES THE BIGHORN RIVER IN NORTH-CENTRAL WYOMING.

A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL MIDMORNING SATURDAY FOR THE BIGHORN AND GREYBULL RIVERS. LOG JAMMING IS CONTRIBUTING TO HIGH WATER ON THE GREYBULL RIVER.

THE BIGHORN RIVER AT WORLAND IS EXPECTED TO FLUCTUATE BETWEEN 11.2 AND 11.5 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 10.5 FEET.

FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE WIND RIVER AROUND DUBOIS AND RIVERTON IN CENTRAL WYOMING.

IN SOUTHWEST WYOMING, FLOODING CONTINUES ALONG THE GREEN RIVER FROM THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE NEW FORK RIVER TO FONTENELLE RESERVOIR.

AND A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING FOR PINE CREEK, WHICH RUNS THROUGH PINEDALE IN SUBLETTE COUNTY.

LOW-LAND FLOODING IS EXPECTED FROM THE HIGH RIVERS.