Dorothy Abernathy, regional media director of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. DELVING INTO TRUMP’S TRAP
His persistent criticism of a Muslim-American military family fits a familiar pattern: The Republican nominee can’t let go of a perceived slight, no matter the political risk.
2. SINGAPORE MARKS MILESTONE WITH US
The prime minister of the Southeast Asian city state joins Obama in Washington to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the contentious Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal will be high on the agenda.
3. SNAPPING UP CHEAP SPY TOOLS, NATIONS ‘MONITORING EVERYONE’
Governments known to stifle dissent are buying off-the-shelf surveillance software that can monitor the phone conversations and track the movements of thousands, an AP investigation finds.
4. CIRCUMCISION OF GIRLS A BATTLEGROUND IN TINY INDIAN MUSLIM SECT
At least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital cutting, according to the U.N. — 70 million more than in 2014 because of increases in both population and reporting.
5. FLOSSING BENEFITS DEBUNKED
Despite years of study, the use of dental floss is not backed up by scientific proof. And after questioning by the AP, the federal government dropped its longtime guidance.
6. WHERE PREGNANT WOMEN NEED TO AVOID
The CDC advises expectant mothers to avoid a part of Miami where mosquitoes are apparently transmitting Zika directly to humans.
7. OVERSIGHT GAPS SEEN IN BALLOON INDUSTRY
If Skip Nichols, pilot of the hot air balloon that crashed in Texas, had been a commercial airplane pilot, he probably would have been grounded long ago.
8. PAID FAMILY LEAVE BENEFITS RISING
Despite the absence of a federal law mandating it, these perks are rising in some business sectors and regions thanks to company policy and state laws.
9. BILL WOULD END BIKE BAN IN US WILDERNESS
More than 100 million acres of America’s most rugged landscapes designated as primitive spaces are off-limits to mountain bikers, but two Utah senators are trying to change that.
10. LOOK WHO’S BACK IN JAPAN
After a 12-year absence, Godzilla returns to its homeland and the AP notes four ways “Shin Godzilla,” or “New Godzilla,” breaks from its past, and other ways it is reassuringly familiar.
