10 Things to Know for Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

  1. SYRIA SCHEME HITS A SNAG  Leading nations disagree on whether military force should be used if Syria fails to comply with a plan to dismantle its chemical weapons. SYRIA-DIPLOMACY

2. EVIDENCE LESS THAN IRONCLAD  Obama makes his case to the nation on Syria — but proof of who launched the deadly chemical attack is still lacking. UNITED STATES-SYRIA-FACT CHECK

3. EXPLOSION ROCKS BENGHAZI  A powerful blast on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — and one year after the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate — seriously damages Libya's Foreign Ministry building. LIBYA

4. SPYING TOOK ON LIFE OF ITS OWN  Newly declassified documents tell a story of a U.S. surveillance apparatus so unwieldy and complex that nobody fully comprehended it. NSA SURVEILLANCE

5. WHO WON'T BE SPEAKING AT GROUND ZERO  No politicians — including the mayor — were allowed to speak last year or will be this year. It's an effort to keep politics out of the 9/11 anniversary ceremony. SEPT 11-ANNIVERSARY  

6. SEX SCANDALS SINK WEINER, SPITZER  New York voters reject bids by the pair of disgraced pols to resume their careers in office. WEINER AND SPITZER

7. WHAT APPLE DESERVES CREDIT FOR The AP's Michael Liedtke says one of the best things about the latest iPhones is the slick new software that runs them.  TECH TEST-NEW IPHONES-IOS 7

8. SWIMMER ANSWERS SKEPTICS  Diana Nyad denies that she got into or held onto a boat during part of her record swim from Cuba to Florida. CUBA-SWIMMING TO FLORIDA

9. JIMMY KIMMEL: I'M THE PRANKSTER BEHIND TWERKING VIDEO  The clip of a woman accidentally catching fire while doing the provocative dance has generated more than 10 million views on YouTube. TV-KIMMEL-TWERKING PRANK

10. AMERICANS PUNCH TICKET TO RIO

The U.S. team blanks Mexico 2-0 and qualifies for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. WCUP-MEXICO-US