| RIP HB2, with a big assist from the NCAA | | Thursday's compromise measure rolling back North Carolina's controversial "bathroom bill" likely came down to one word: basketball. Legislators voted to undo a law requiring transgender people to use bathrooms based on their birth certificate and not by the gender in which they identify. And Gov. Roy Cooper signed it into law. The NCAA's reported full-court press on N.C. legislators — which included pulling any future sporting events from the state for several years — played a big role in the rush to repeal House Bill 2, which was signed into law last year. However, there's no real winner here, as neither side is thrilled with the outcome. The N.C. Values Coalition says the repeal risks children's privacy and safety, while supporters of LGBT rights say the compromise doesn't go far enough to prevent future discrimination. The new retains the General Assembly's ability to regulate access to public restrooms and prevents local governments from adopting non-discrimination ordinances until December 2020. So, it remains to be seen if this compromise will satisfy the NCAA. | | We can tell you a few of these heroic stories, but the rest are still secret | | These are stories of bullets and death. Of heroism and brotherhood. And until now, these stories were only known to a small circle. The Silver Stars awarded to Army special operators since the Sept. 11 terror attacks offer a rare glimpse of soldiers on secret missions risking their lives, again and again, to rescue comrades in battles against militants in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army released to USA TODAY a few of the narratives associated with this medal, the third-highest medal granted for heroism. The common threads that bind the stories together are gruesome: lots of bullets, many aimed at the soldiers, some striking them, but many, many more outgoing, killing insurgents and protecting fellow troops. And death, mostly, for insurgents. | | Bill Gates may not be the richest person in the world for much longer | | Sorry, Warren Buffett. You are no longer the second-wealthiest human being on the planet . That honor belongs to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who jumped past Buffett with a net worth of $75.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Our obsession with Amazon deliveries is making Bezos a ton of money. As for Buffett, he will have to settle for third with $74.9 billion. We're sure he'll be just fine. The only person standing between Bezos and the top spot? Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who is worth $86 billion. | | Feeling ill? The barista will see you now | | The home of the pumpkin spice latte also serves a potential cure for the common cold . Next time you go to Starbucks and feel under the weather, order the "medicine ball," the formerly secret tea beverage now on the coffee chain's official menu. The "medicine ball" is a venti-sized drink filled half with steamed lemonade and half with hot water, a tea bag of jade citrus mint tea, a bag of peach tranquility tea, one to four packets of honey and an optional pump of peppermint. Sure beats guzzling Robitussin. |  | | That time Elsa from 'Frozen' was almost a villain | | Remember "Frozen," the Disney princess flick starring sisters Anna and Elsa that left fans and kids singing "Let It Go" for months? It originally starred zero princesses, and one evil Snow Queen . In a recent interview, Peter Del Vecho, one of the movie's producers, said Anna and Elsa weren't originally meant to be sisters, and Elsa was to be the main villain. Also, there were way more snow monsters involved. Ultimately, Del Vecho says the characters weren't relatable enough. "The problem was that we felt like we had seen it before." Considering the amount of Elsa outfits, toys and other merchandise purchased, Disney is probably relieved. Now we can get back to singing "Let It Go. " | | This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. | |
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