| The question is different, depending on who you ask | | The big question for many Americans right now is "What's the deal with President Trump and Russia?" The big question for the White House right now is "Who is responsible for the leaks?" "SABOTAGE," read the subject line of emails sent out by Trump's re-election campaign and the Republican Party, which pointed to "people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire America First movement." Trump tweeted Thursday that he's facing "the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!" Other news of note: 1. Newly appointed special counsel Robert Mueller — who's leading the Russia probe — appears to be focusing on a criminal investigation. More on what that means here. 2. The chairman of one of the key congressional committees investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election is resigning from Congress, which opens an important post. 3. And in news you can use, a fact-check on Trump's version of what was said in private meetings with the now-fired FBI director James Comey vs. what Comey says. | | If you use the Internet, you care about this vote | | The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to do away with "net neutrality" rules. Don't know what those are? Well, they're important. Net neutrality means companies that provide your Internet (AT&T, Verizon and Comcast) have to give you access to all content on the Web on an equal basis. In other words, they can't mess with the Internet by throttling Hulu's streaming speed when you try to watch "This is Us" so that you'll watch "This is Us" on Comcast's own app instead. The rules were supported by former president Barack Obama, but are opposed by President Trump. Republicans and Internet service providers (like those three big companies listed above) have called the rules heavy-handed and burdensome. But content providers like Apple and Google say they're essential so people who pay for connectivity get the experience they deserve. More than 4 million people have filed public comments with the FCC about net neutrality, and most of them were average people who support it. | | Pandemonium in Times Square | | It doesn't appear to be terrorism, but the scene was still terrifying. A man who appeared intoxicated drove his car the wrong way on a Times Square street Thursday and plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk. One teenager was killed, and 22 other people were injured. The driver, Richard Rojas, was taken into custody and was tested for alcohol, police said. Rojas, 26, of the Bronx, is a U.S. citizen and Navy veteran, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Rojas had two prior DUI arrests. "He didn't stop," said Asa Lowe, of Brooklyn, who was standing outside a store when he heard screaming as people scattered. "He just kept going." | | The man who made Fox News an empire has died, and no one will ever agree on his legacy | | Many will remember Roger Ailes as a patriot who changed the country for the better. His critics will say he helped promote a culture of bigotry and protected a culture of sexual misconduct at the television network he founded. But all can agree that the ex- CEO of Fox News (ousted last year in a sexual harassment scandal) reshaped TV news and transformed America's political conversation. Ailes died Thursday. According to a Palm Beach police dispatch report, he hit his head after falling in a bathroom on May 10. Ailes was a former GOP operative to such candidates as Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and a one-time adviser to President Trump. Fox News' anchors, personalities and a former president paid tribute to Ailes Thursday. Critics, not so much. |  | | It wasn't just another Soundgarden show. It was the last. | | Chris Cornell was a legend in rock music. He was called a leader of the grunge movement with his band Soundgarden. He sold millions of albums over his career and reached success in every band lineup he was a part of. His voice was memorable and powerful, and he was lauded as a skilled songwriter. Cornell's death by suicide Wednesday night in Detroit stunned his family and his die-hard fans, though in hindsight a reporter who attended Soundgarden's final show at Detroit's Fox Theatre hours before Cornell's death said it was clear something wasn't right. Like many of his contemporaries, Cornell struggled with drug abuse. Remember, the No. 1 cause of suicide is untreated depression. If you're thinking about suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away. | | This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. | |
No comments:
Post a Comment