Each year news organizations rank their most popular stories, a sort of barometer of current American interest. The Press will release its list shortly. Meanwhile, national news source ABC was among the first to post its view of 2016’s top 10 stories:

1. U.S. election: This year’s top story began last summer, when Donald Trump announced his candidacy. He was considered a long shot, with an unconventional and raucous campaign which clearly worked. This, and one-party control of Congress and Washington, dominated American news interest in 2016.

2. Brexit: Another shocker to most of Europe and at least half of Britain, the U.K.’s popular vote to leave the European Union caused (or perhaps revealed) an emotional split among the British people reminiscent of our own divide. Brexit triggered financial and political upheaval; prime minister David Cameron resigned, replaced by Theresa May and a new Conservative government.

3. “Black men killed by police”: Tragically, strained race relations continue to captivate American minds and hearts. A day apart, police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, on the heels of similar events elsewhere, intensified the Black Lives Matter movement (which originated peacefully by a group of women), as well as departmental reexaminations of policies and practices.

4. Orlando night club massacre: ABC described it as “the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.” A gunman killed 49 people at a popular nightclub before being killed by a SWAT team. Essentially an act of terrorism, the shooter expressed religious objections to clientele’s sexual orientation.

5. Terrorism worldwide: In addition to ongoing violence against civilians in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, high-profile extremist attacks occurred at airports in Brussels and Istanbul, a crowded family park in Pakistan, and in Nice, France when a truck plowing through a crowd, killing 86 at an independence day celebration. Recently another truck similarly killed holiday marketgoers in Germany.

6. Attacks against police: Related to No. 3 were targeted attacks on police officers. Victims included five officers in Dallas who were attempting to keep the peace at a protest over the fatal, high-profile police shootings of black men in other states. Other unprovoked attacks on officers occurred in Louisiana and Iowa.

7. Email leaks: Hacked emails disclosed by WikiLeaks exposed the national Democratic party to campaign criticism and led to the resignation of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The CIA later announced its conclusion that Russia was behind the hacking in hopes to boost Donald Trump’s chances of winning.

8. Syria: Relentless warfare among multiple factions persisted. With Russia’s help, controversial President Assad’s forces seized rebel-held areas, with a huge cost of civilian lives.

9. Supreme Court vacancy: After Justice Scalia’s death in February, the president has been unable to get nominee Merrick Garland approved. The seat remains vacant, to be filled by the incoming president.

10. Emails, reprise: The FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private computer server to send personal emails garnered much campaign attention. FBI Director James Comey called Sen. Clinton “careless,” but did not recommend criminal charges.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Sholeh@cdapress.com.