We propose and apply a new approach to determining $|V_{us}|$ using dispersion relations with weight functions having poles at Euclidean (space-like) momentum which relate strange hadronic $\tau$ decay distributions to hadronic vacuum polarization functions (HVPs) obtained from lattice QCD. We show examples where spectral integral contributions from the region where experimental data have large errors or do not exist are strongly suppressed but accurate determinations of the relevant lattice HVP combinations remain possible. The resulting $|V_{us}|$ agrees well with determinations from K physics and 3-family CKM unitarity. Advantages of this new approach over the conventional hadronic $\tau$ decay determination employing flavor-breaking sum rules are also discussed.
We also report an update reflecting the recent Babar Branching Fraction analysis
taken from the presentation at Charm 2018 by Alberto Lusiani.