CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The regional bureau of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. DETAILS OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S DEATH NOT YET REVEALED
Medical officials have performed an autopsy on the high-profile inmate accused of sexually abusing underage girls and paying them hundreds of dollars in cash for massages but have yet to release the results.
2. WHO IS UNDER SCRUTINY IN FINANCIER’S DEATH
Jeffrey Epstein’s death is also the latest black eye for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, the jail’s parent agency that already was under fire for the October death of Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, who was fatally beaten at a federal prison in West Virginia shortly after his arrival.
3. FIVE CHILDREN KILLED IN FIRE AT DAY CARE CENTER
At least four victims, who ranged in ages from 8 months to 7 years, were staying overnight at the residential house that had been turned into a day care.
4. WHO SOUTH KOREA REMOVED FROM PREFERRED TRADE LIST
Japan was taken off a list of nations receiving preferential treatment in trade in what was seen as a countermeasure to Tokyo’s recent decision to downgrade Seoul’s trade status amid a diplomatic row.
5. DESPITE US SANCTIONS, VENEZUELA’S ECONOMY SHOWS SOME LIFE
Economists caution that the surprise bounce is unlikely to last. Sweeping U.S. sanctions, tightened last week when the Trump administration threatened to target foreign companies found doing business with Venezuela’s government, are likely to exacerbate an economic fall years in the making.
6. WHERE THERE’S AN UNEASY CALM
Troops in India-ruled Kashmir allowed Muslims to walk to mosques alone or in pairs and pray for Eid al-Adha during a security lockdown in its second week that still forced most people indoors on the Islamic holy day.
7. REMEMBERING WOODSTOCK 50 YEARS LATER
Memories of the anarchic weekend of Aug. 15-18, 1969, remain sharp among people who were in the crowd and on the stage for the historic festival.
8. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A DIFFERENT SQUAD
The alterna-squad consists of Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Virginians Spanberger and Elaine Luria — women possessing deep military and intelligence experience, now voices of moderation in a Democratic party often portrayed as veering sharply left.
9. FIRST CELEBRITY IMPRISONED IN #METOO ERA TO FIGHT CONVICTION
Bill Cosby’s lawyers contend the trial judge erred in letting five other accusers testify to bolster the prosecution’s case. The 82-year-old comedian is serving a three- to 10-year prison term in Pennsylvania.
10. WHERE EVERYTHING IS SMALLER AND NARROWER
The Golden Gai, a one of a kind tourist attraction, is a sliver of old Tokyo in a modern metropolis filled with endless gleaming buildings. Nearly 280 bars and restaurants are squeezed into an area about the size of half a soccer field.
