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The Obamas are officially a work of art |
| The National Portrait Gallery unveiled the latest additions to its collection of presidential portraits Monday: former first couple Barack and Michelle Obama. The Obamas picked two African-American artists, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, to paint their portraits. The couple seemed to love the paintings, although some say Michelle's portrait doesn't resemble her the way, say, a photograph would, and the former president joked that he tried to negotiate less gray hair and smaller ears. But the impact of the portraits was strong: "I'm also thinking of all the young people, particularly girls and girls of color, who ... will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution," Michelle Obama said. "I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives because I was one of those girls." |
Trump's wish list is out |
| The White House released President Trump's budget request on Monday, and it's exactly what you'd expect. Trump's priorities — infrastructure, a border wall and opioid treatment — receive full funding, and defense spending would represent the greatest buildup since President Reagan. Overall, the budget would run a $984 billion deficit for fiscal year 2019. Here's the breakdown: |
| • | $21 billion for infrastructure, as part of a spending plan worth $200 billion over the next decade | | • | $23 billion for border security, which includes $18 billion for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border | | • | $10 billion on opioid treatment | | • | $716 billion in defense spending | |
| A word to the wise: Trump's proposal is merely a wish list because Congress sets the budget through legislation and can just ignore it. His budget proposes $57 billion less in domestic spending than what Congress agreed to (and what Trump signed) in last week's budget compromise. |
Dishonor for Japan: First positive doping test of the Olympics |
| The first positive doping test of the 2018 Winter Olympics was reported Tuesday morning (that's South Korea time — remember, it's 14 hours ahead of the East Coast), and Japanese short-track speedskater Kei Saito was the culprit. Japan's Kyodo News revealed that Saito, who had not yet competed, tested positive for an unnamed banned substance and would be excluded from the short-track program. The positive test is the first by a Japanese athlete at a Winter Olympics. And it will be a major embarrassment to Japanese sports, which has long prided itself on its clean image and will be hosting the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. Also happening in Pyeongchang, South Korea: |
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Reminder: The Happiest Place on Earth is definitely not the cheapest |
| It's a whole new world for visitors of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Ticket prices for the Magic Kingdom in Orlando are up $4, to $119 for adults and $113 for kids. At Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., regular tickets will now cost $7 more for adults, rising to $117. To put it in perspective, a family of four hoping for a day at Disney on its most expensive days will have to spend about $526 (that doesn't include any food or monogrammed Mickey ears). For parents, it's a test of how far they'll go for their kids to see Moana or Minnie. |
Johnny Manziel says he has bipolar disorder |
| We have some answers now about Johnny Manziel and the behavior that made people ask his mom, "What the hell is your son doing?" Manziel, a former NFL quarterback, says he has bipolar disorder and depression and had been self-medicating with alcohol. He's now taking medication and said: "I can't help that my wires are a little bit differently crossed than yours. I can't help my mental makeup of the way that I was created." It's not clear what's next for him; he's still unsigned with a Canadian Football League team. |
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| The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. |
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