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them he couldn't get away from the voices.
• On Aug. 7, police alerted officials at the Newport Naval Station about the naval defense contractor's call. But officers didn't hear from him again.
• By Aug. 25, Alexis had left the state. The 34-year-old arrived in the Washington area, continuing his work as an information technology employee for a defense-related computer company. Again, he spent nights in different hotels. He suffered from serious mental problems, including paranoia and a sleep disorder, and was undergoing treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the law enforcement officials.
• But Alexis wasn't stripped of his security clearance, and he kept working.
• On Saturday, he visited Sharpshooters Small Arms Range in Lorton, Va., about 18 miles southwest of the nation's capital. He rented a rifle, bought bullets and took target practice at the 16-lane indoor range, then bought a shotgun and 24 shells, according to the store's attorney.
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• WASHINGTON (AP) -- When the Federal Reserve ends a policy meeting Wednesday, many investors expect it to announce a shift in course. What they don't want are any surprises.
• Pretty much everyone expects the Fed to take its first step toward slowing the economic stimulus it's supplied since the financial crisis and the Great Recession swept through the economy five years ago.
• Yet it's also assumed the Fed will do so gingerly: with a small cut in its monthly Treasury and mortgage bond purchases -- from $85 billion to perhaps $75 billion. Those purchases have helped keep long-term loan rates ultra-low to encourage borrowing and spending.
• The Fed is also expected to stress that while it's slowing its bond purchases, it plans no change anytime soon in its benchmark short-term rate. It's kept that rate at a record low near zero since 2008. Investors will be watching for anything the Fed says about this rate, which affects rates on countless business and consumer loans.
• Here's what to look for from each of four key events Wednesday: a statement the Fed will issue when its two-day meeting ends; the Fed's updated economic outlook; Chairman Ben Bernanke's news conference; and the reaction of investors:
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