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

Maranie R. Staab
/
Bloomberg
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