promoearn: Apples for teacher? Try ammo, Trump says

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Apples for teacher? Try ammo, Trump says

President Trump delivers remarks during a Public Safety

Trump suggests 'a little bit of a bonus' for armed teachers

"If the coach had a firearm in his locker when he ran at this guy ... he wouldn't have had to run." That's what President Trump told students from a Florida high school about their coach who died in last week's shooting. On Thursday, Trump fully defended his idea that trained teachers should pack heat at schools to deter possible gunmen. Teachers, notoriously underpaid, could even get "a little bit of a bonus" for being armed, he said. Yet, law enforcement groups and teachers' unions say that plan would only add danger: "I don't know of any police chief who believes this is a good idea," said Richard Meyers, director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Another culprit in school shootings? Violent video games, Trump suggested.

The NRA calls them opportunists, but these kids could start a movement

"As usual the opportunists wasted not one second to exploit tragedy for gain," National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre said Thursday at a conservative political conference. He said gun-control advocates "hate the NRA, they hate the Second Amendment, they hate individual freedom." Tell that to student survivors of the Parkland, Fla., shooting, who have busted open the gun debate like no other group. In the past few days, they've pressured the president and his education secretary into calls to action and could upend Republican prospects in this year's elections. And it's not just President Trump who noticed them. "We've been waiting for you," former president Barack Obama wrote Thursday. "And we've got your backs."

What U.S. women want: Medals, and lots of 'em

The picture of female empowerment is painted in gold, silver and bronze. The U.S. team at the Winter Olympics is a living, breathing, butt-kicking example of what happens when women get equal treatment and opportunities instead of lip service. With three days left in the Games, it's women who carry America's once-flagging medal count. The U.S. women's hockey team defeated Canada 3-2 overnight, winning gold in one of the best moments in U.S. Olympic history. How'd Canada take it? One player yanked off her silver medal.

Nearly 100 girls go missing after an attack in Nigeria

Nearly 100 Nigerian schoolgirls are still missing three days after suspected Boko Haram militants raided their school in northeastern Nigeria, parents said Thursday. Teachers and students fled as the girls were taken away in trucks, the BBC reported. The incident came four years after 276 students were abducted from another school in Nigeria, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Half of parents fear their kids are phone addicted

Parents hate how much they're on their smartphones. But they're even more worried their children can't quit the small screen. A new survey found 47% of parents worry their child is addicted to their mobile device. By comparison, only 32% of parents say they're addicted themselves. Nearly one in five say they're "extremely" or "very" concerned about how the devices affect kids' mental health.

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. Subscribe here.

MOST SHARED STORIES