| We've got spirit, yes we do! | | A narrow win. Taunting chants. A pep rally. Sounds like scenes from Friday Night Lights. Instead, these scenes are brought to you by democracy. The Republican-led House narrowly passed a bill Thursday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare. The controversial legislation, which now goes to the Senate, would unravel many of Obamacare's popular consumer protections. The vote was a huge win for the GOP and President Trump after years of trying to repeal the law. Democrats were comforted by one thing — the measure could be the endgame for Republicans. They sang "hey, hey, hey, goodbye " as the bill passed 217-213. But joyous GOP lawmakers rode buses to the White House and whooped and cheered with Trump in an unusual Rose Garden rally. The celebration could be premature. The Senate must pass its own bill — and it's not an easy win. | | This is what retirement looks like (for a prince) | | We know what retirement looks like for a president. But what does it look like for His Royal Highness? Buckingham Palace sent royal watchers into a tizzy Thursday when the palace announced it would have an announcement. Thankfully, no one died. No, Queen Elizabeth II is not pregnant (she's 91!). The announcement: Prince Philip, 95, the queen's husband, is ready to retire. In the fall. He previously said "winding down" would come at age 90. He's carried out up to 300 engagements per year since that milestone — often out-pacing his famous grandchildren. This time, he will carry out scheduled engagements between now and August, but will not accept new invitations, the palace statement said. "He may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time." In other words, the "world's most experienced plaque unveiler" announced that he's ready to do whatever he wants. Cheers. | | What do beards and turbans represent? Help. Not hate. | | "People see a turban and may think, 'Oh my God, he's got some bomb in his head!" said Rajwant Singh, co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign. That's all wrong. The turban signifies "the most helpful person," Singh said. And he hopes outreach events at temples around the USA will dispel myths that Sikhs' turbans and beards symbolize an anti-American agenda. Sikhism is a non-proselytizing faith that does not seek converts. It teaches that all faiths that worship God are basically different paths to the same God. About a half-million Sikhs are in the U.S., and Singh said 99% of people wearing turbans in America are Sikhs. Violence against Sikhs spiked after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and recently rose again, according to Sikh activists. No, turbans are not hiding spots for bombs. | | News that freaks us out: superbugs, ghosts and death-to-humankind | | What has one moon, seven continents and a dwindling time frame to support humankind? Answer: Earth. Stephen Hawking, the planet's resident genius, warns that humans must colonize a different planet soon or perish in the next 100 years. Hawking has for years warned that nuclear war, climate change and genetically engineered viruses could do us in. Meanwhile, federal health officials confirm a deadly, hard-to-spot and difficult-to-kill superbug fungus is invading our hospitals, already infecting dozens. Not sufficiently freaked out? Maybe this footage of a suspected ghost in Upstate New York will help. Searching for our nightlight ... |  | | It's a great day to change your passwords | | It's World Password Day, another arbitrary holiday dreamed up by marketers in hopes that you'll pay attention — or maybe even take some action! This is one we can get behind. Cyberattacks get increasingly sophisticated — like this week's Google Docs phishing scam — and the most common passwords are the opposite. ("Password" and "123456," really?) We know: It's hard to remember them all. One of your best bets is to use a password manager. Two-step verification is also a smart step to enable, both for your password manager and any service that allows it. You'll be able to forget some passwords, just don't forget your phone. | | Want the Short List delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter. | | This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. | |
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