The regional bureau of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. PENCE LOYAL, BUT WITH AN EYE TOWARD FUTURE
Between traveling overseas, fundraising and being Trump’s chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill, the vice president has been carving out his own political identity.
2. KENYANS HEAD TO POLLS TO ELECT LEADER
Turnout is heavy in this East African economic hub known for its relative, long-term stability as well as the ethnic allegiances that shadow its democracy.
3. WHAT REGIONAL LEADERS ARE DOING IN PERU
Foreign ministers from 14 nations are meeting in Lima in hopes of finding consensus on a regional response to Venezuela’s growing political crisis.
4. WHY MILLIONS OF MOTORISTS, PASSENGERS AT RISK
U.S. officials are abandoning plans to require sleep apnea screening for train engineers and truck drivers, a move that has safety experts concerned.
5. LEBANON’S ARMY PREPARES TO CLEAR BORDER AREA OF ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS
The fight will involve cooperation with the militant group Hezbollah and the Syrian army on the other side, although Lebanese authorities insist they are not coordinating with Assad’s government.
6. REPORT: UNDERGROUND HAVEN FOR HEROIN, DRUG USERS UNCOVERED
An undisclosed location where drug users inject themselves with heroin and other drugs has been quietly operating in the U.S. for the past three years, a medical journal reveals.
7. MARINE MAMMAL BACK IN LIMELIGHT
Kina the false killer whale, used in groundbreaking research on whale hearing and military sonar, has been sold to an amusement park in Hawaii.
8. SAGE GROUSE CONSERVATION CHANGES PRAISED, PROVOKE ALARM
The Trump administration opens the door to industry-friendly changes to a plan to protect the ground-dwelling bird across vast areas of the American West.
9. FRESH CACHE OF STOLEN HBO FILES ONLINE
Hackers are demanding that the network pay a ransom of several million dollars to prevent further such releases.
10. WHO SAYS HE COULD HAVE HIT 800 HOMERS
On the 10th anniversary of breaking baseball’s all-time home run record with 762, Barry Bonds tells AP he believes he would have reached or come close to mark if he played one more season.
