Only 8 ICU Beds In Arkansas, New Sanctions On Belarus, Venus Gets A Fly-By: News You Need To Start Your Day

Published August 10, 2021 at 7:13 AM EDT

Good morning.

Here are the stories we're following today:

Arkansas has “startling numbers” of new COVID-19 cases as the delta variant surges, Gov. Asa Hutchison says.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Belarusian government officials over political repression and corruption.
The European Space Agency probe BepiColomb, scheduled to go into orbit around Mercury in 2025, will get a close-up gravity assist today from Venus.

🎧 Also, on Up First, our daily podcast, as Taliban fighters gain ground, what is the global community doing?

— The Morning Edition live blog team

Emily Alfin Johnson, Nell Clark, Nicole Hernandez, Casey Noenickx, Carol Ritchie and Rachel Treisman