Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know Thursday, July 30, 2015. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers:
1. BREAKTHROUGH SEEN WITH FLIGHT 370 MYSTERY
Debris found in the Indian Ocean is a wing part unique to the Boeing 777, a discovery that may explain what happened to a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that went missing last year.
2. WATER QUALITY WOES PERSIST AHEAD OF RIO OLYMPICS
An AP investigation finds some swim and boat events will take place in waters so badly polluted by human waste that athletes could become violently ill and unable to compete.
3. FEDS FIND HEALTH LAW CO-OPS AWASH IN RED INK
AP’s Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports that nonprofit co-ops, the health care law’s alternative to mega-insurers, are awash in red ink and many have fallen short of sign-up goals.
4. TOP OFFICIALS CRITICAL OF OHIO COP
The indictment of a white University of Cincinnati police officer on a charge of murder in the traffic-stop shooting of a black motorist is applauded by officials.
5. WHO IS ‘NOT AWARE’ OF PEACE TALKS
The statement by the Afghan Taliban, who have been fighting to topple the Kabul government for almost 14 years, may indicate the group is pulling out of negotiations in Pakistan.
6. WHAT MAY HAVE LED TO CECIL THE LION’S DEATH
Critics say an industry of commercial trophy hunting threatens efforts to protect vulnerable species across sub-Saharan Africa.
7. FILM TOUTED AS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ON PALESTINIAN GAY PLIGHT
A new Israeli documentary highlights the struggles of gay Palestinian citizens living in Israel, a reality compounded by being outcasts of their Arab nationality.
8. THIS R2-D2 LENDS A HAND
Toyota’s gliding “human support robot” is devoted to a single task that can help the elderly, sick or disabled: picking things up.
9. WHICH POP STAR IS IN A LAND DISPUTE
A judge will hear arguments on who has the right to sell a hilltop convent that pop singer Katy Perry wants to buy, a property locked in a battle between a group of elderly nuns, the Los Angeles Archdiocese and a developer.
10. BRADY WON’T GO QUIETLY
New England’s star quarterback takes the fight over his “Deflategate” suspension to social media and federal court.
