10 Things to Know Today

Monday, August 27, 2012

photo A man walks on the beach in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 as heavy winds hit the northern coast from Tropical Storm Isaac. Isaac is expected to continue streaming across Marion County Monday as it continues toward the northern Gulf of Mexico. National Weather Service officials in Jacksonville on Sunday said Marion County began getting rain bands from Isaac around 2 p.m. and that the rain would continue through Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT):

1. GOP CONVENTION POISED FOR ANTICLIMACTIC OPENING

At 2 p.m., Romney's convention sputters to life with the banging of a gavel in a mostly empty hall, hardly the opening splash intended for the nation. It will recess 10 minutes later because of Tropical Storm Isaac.

2. ISAAC HEADED FOR GULF COAST STATES

Forecasters predict the tropical storm will gradually intensify into a Category 2 hurricane and strike Wednesday between Morgan City, La., and Destin, Fla.

3. PARENTS URGED TO CIRCUMCISE NEWBORNS

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner reports that an influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.

4. WHAT POLITICAL CONVENTIONS MEAN NOW

AP's Senior Managing Editor Michael Oreskes explores how nominees use these gatherings to woo less partisan voters who usually decide the election.

5. ONCE AN INNOVATOR, HP LOOKING BEHIND THE TIMES

PC maker Hewlett-Packard, coming off a five-year stretch of miscalculations, is in such desperate need of a reboot that many investors are writing off its chances of a comeback.

6. WHAT IRAQIS ARE CHEWING ON

Baghdadis are witnessing a wave of new American-style restaurants, enticing customers hungry for alternatives to traditional foods. And big multinational chains are not the ones driving the fad.

7. WHY AMERICAN TALIBAN SAYS PRISON POLICY IS UNJUST

John Walker Lindh, charged with supporting terrorists, is going to court because he can't pray with a group each day.

8. NTSB TO SAY WHAT WENT WRONG AT RENO AIR SHOW

At 9:30 a.m., federal investigators will determine the cause of the deadly 2011 crash of a modified World War II-era fighter plane into a spectator area in Reno, Nev.

9. HOW SOME WOMEN IN TOGO PLAN TO APPLY POLITICAL PRESSURE

They're calling for a weeklong sex strike starting today to demand the president's resignation.

10. TENNIS'S FINAL MAJOR GETS UNDER WAY

Defending champion Samantha Stosur kicks off the U.S. Open in a match against Petra Martic of Croatia, hoping a return to the scene of her greatest triumph will help her end a troubling trend of early exits.