| Decision day in Alabama | | Now it's up to the voters. Alabamians went to the polls Tuesday in the special U.S. Senate election pitting Republican Roy Moore against Democrat Doug Jones, concluding a months-long battle with national political implications. Moore (who rode his horse named Sassy to his polling place ) would be heavily favored in the conservative state, but polls show a close race after allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls when Moore was in his 30s arose. The winner will take the Senate seat held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, so keeping it is key for Republicans, who hold a slim 52-48 majority. Moore was embroiled in another controversy Monday night when his wife, Kayla Moore, in defending her husband against accusations that he doesn't support blacks or Jews, said, "Well, one of our attorneys is a Jew." The outcome could hinge on six factors, including Jones' ability to turn out black voters. Here are some key counties to watch. Polls close at 7 p.m. CT. | | The story with that video of a crying bullied boy gets complicated | | Kimberly Jones posted a now-viral video of her son, Keaton, 11, saying he was bullied at school and afraid to go to lunch. His story hit a nerve, with celebs and pro athletes reposting it. But unrelated social media posts by Jones and her daughter, Lakyn, featuring photos of the Confederate flag, sparked backlash. So did social media accounts trying to cash in on Keaton's fame. Not good. Jones said Tuesday on CBS that the flag posts were meant to be "ironic" and "funny" and not racist. As for posting the original video of her son in the first place? "I knew it could be great and I knew it could be awful, and it has been," she said. | | What it looks like to be sexually harassed by the president on Twitter | | Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and President Trump are feuding. The New York Democrat has called for Trump's resignation after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct before he was elected. In response, Trump insinuated the senator was willing to trade sexual favors for campaign contributions. "It was a sexist smear attempting to silence my voice, and I will not be silenced on this issue," Gillibrand said Tuesday. The spat comes a day after several of Trump's accusers called for a congressional investigation about the allegations. Several Democrat lawmakers are now asking for congressional hearings. | | Time to return to that galaxy far, far away | | Every sci-fi nerd has had this date marked on the calendar for months: Dec. 15. Friday means the arrival of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," the next chapter in the intergalactic saga. And reviewers really, really like it. USA TODAY's Brian Truitt describes "The Last Jedi" as " a stellar entry that owes much to George Lucas' original films while finding a signature vibe of its own and unleashing a few welcome twists." As for the Porgs? Still adorable. |  | | And the word of the year is … | | It's nearing the end of 2017 and what a year, friends. We saw the worldwide Women's Marches and the #metoo movement, so it may not come as a shock that Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "feminism." The online dictionary explains its word of the year sheds light on topics that spark the nation's interest as measured by a significant increase in lookups compared to past years. Lookups for "feminism" spiked throughout the year, such as when President Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said she didn't consider herself a "classic" feminist, and during the onslaught of sexual harassment allegations against famous men. You got this one right, Merriam-Webster. | | A taunt to President Trump. Then, allegedly, a bomb near Times Square | | "Trump you failed to protect your nation." That's what prosecutors say Bangladesh native Akayed Ullah wrote on Facebook minutes before igniting chaos near Times Square Monday by detonating a pipe bomb. Ullah, 27, of Brooklyn, admitted to investigators that he built the explosive, saying he was inspired by the Islamic State, according to a federal complaint filed Tuesday. Ullah's radicalization began in 2014, authorities said, and he started searching the Internet about a year ago for information about building explosives. | | This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. | |
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