| |  | | Brought to you by USATODAY.com | | It began as a dispute over a wedding cake. Now it's a Supreme Court case | | The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a watershed case over a Colorado baker's refusal to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. "It was a reflection of my commitment to my faith," bakery owner Jack Phillips wrote in an opinion column for USA TODAY on his refusal to make the cake. For the Supreme Court justices, it could be a close call. The liberal justices said the "cake artist" likely cannot refuse to serve gay couples, and conservative justices said his religious and free speech rights should be respected. A ruling is expected by June. | | #MeToo brings down a civil rights icon | | Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., retired Tuesday from the seat he has held more than five decades, a swift and crushing fall from grace for a civil rights icon and the longest-serving active member of Congress. Why? The rising chorus of voices demanding he step down because of sexual harassment claims. Two weeks ago, a BuzzFeed article detailed a secret settlement of more than $27,000 with a former staffer who accused him of making sexual advances toward her and paying her out of funds from his taxpayer-supported office. Since then, at least six other women have come forward with accusations. Elisa Grubbs said Monday in a statement that Conyers put his hand up her skirt at a church, among other allegations. Conyers denies he has harassed anyone. Other reads today: | | | | Russia is out ... of the Winter Olympics | | "They did it. Stunningly, the members of the International Olympic Committee's executive board did it. They just kicked the bums out," writes USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan of the committee's decision to suspend Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The committee said Russia ran a state-sponsored doping system, so any Russian athletes who want to compete in Pyeongchang will have to prove to an independent panel that they haven't cheated. If cleared, they will compete in 2018 under the Olympic flag and neutral colors. No Russian flag. No Russian uniforms. No Russian anthem. According to Brennan: "Russia has been punished severely. Russia is now cloaked in international disgrace. The bad guys just lost, big time." |  | | LiAngelo Ball tells us what it was like to be in a Chinese jail cell | | LiAngelo Ball appeared on the Today show Tuesday alongside his father, LaVar, to speak publicly about the international incident sparked when he and some UCLA basketball teammates were caught shoplifting in China . "It was horrible," LiAngelo said of his experience in the Chinese jail. "They take your clothes, you wear whatever they have for you, a little jumpsuit or whatever. Take your shoestrings. You just sit in a cement cell for however long." LiAngelo said he spent "a day and a half or something like that" in the jail. His father said Monday that, in light of UCLA's ongoing suspension, he's pulling his son out of school to begin training for the NBA. USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour is not impressed, writing that the quick decision to pull LiAngelo out of UCLA "shows LaVar Ball isn't raising sons, he's exploiting them." | | How many points is "awwwwwww"?
It started with one word: "p-h-a-t." Those letters, typed by Rosalind Guttman, 80, popped up last year on the phone of a 20-something rapper from Maryland named Spencer Sleyon. They were matched as competitors on Words With Friends, a Scrabble-like app. They soon became ongoing rivals. "We played 300-plus games together, and she actually ended up becoming a good friend of mine," Sleyon said. Last week, the two finally met, with the help of a friend's mom. Sleyon flew 1,000 miles to Florida, where Guttman lives in a retirement community. The photos of their encounter — and embrace — are worth the click.
| | This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. Want to get our newsletter? Sign up! | |
Invite others to enjoy The Short List newsletter.
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment