Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know today, Friday, Aug. 23, 2013. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items, upcoming events and stories in West Virginia newspapers:
1. WIKILEAKER: ‘I AM CHELSEA MANNING’
The soldier, just sentenced to prison, wants to live as a woman and undergo hormone treatment — creating a whole new set of complications for the military.
2. NASDAQ TRADING HALT PUTS PRESSURE ON EXCHANGES
Three-hour outage highlights risks of computer-driven trading and technological vulnerability of markets.
3. FRESH DISCONTENT IN EGYPT
Islamists remain incensed that Morsi is still in captivity. Now reformists are angry that Mubarak has been released.
4. UN SAYS ONE MILLION SYRIAN CHILDREN ARE NOW REFUGEES
Syrian kids facing child labor, early marriage and potential sexual exploitation in neighboring countries.
5. HOW LATEST WITNESS IN BO XILAI’S TRIAL HELPED PROSECUTORS’ CASE
Videotaped testimony from the disgraced politician’s wife bolstered bribery allegations against him.
6. IDAHO WILDFIRE DISRUPTS VACATION FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS
Sun Valley’s jet-set are being whisked away in their private planes to escape the incessant blaze.
7. HYPERLOOP TRAVEL IDEA DRAWS DREAMERS, INVENTORS
The race is on for everyone to polish blueprints of the ultra-fast capsule mode of transportation.
8. WHY FINANCIAL SANCTIONS ARE HURTING IRANIANS
Freeze on Tehran’s oil revenues is causing high inflation and cutting into the nation’s foreign reserves.
9. WHO WILL PLAY BATMAN IN ‘MAN OF STEEL’ SEQUEL
Ben Affleck will play the Dark Knight opposite Henry Cavill’s Superman in superhero mash-up.
10. RYAN BRAUN COMES CLEAN
The suspended Milwaukee Brewers slugger admits taking performance-enhancing drugs during his NL MVP season of 2011.