promoearn: Sully, Bush's service dog, rests near his casket

Monday, December 3, 2018

Sully, Bush's service dog, rests near his casket

Monday, December 3

Former President George H.W. Bush's service dog Sully, lying in front of his casket on Dec. 2, 2018. The image was posted by Bush's spokesperson Jim McGrath on Twitter with the caption: " Mission complete. #Remembering41"

Sully, Bush's service dog, rests near his casket

Long day? Short List. In the news today: George H.W. Bush, a dangerous tick spreading across the nation and a teacher with no Christmas spirit.

It's Monday, and Washington is readying to remember former President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday at age 94. We'll dive into what to know about this week's memorial services in a moment.

But first, if you've ever scrolled past adult content on the blogging site Tumblr, know this: All nudity will be banned from the site Dec. 17, and some users aren't happy.

Bush returns to Washington one last time

Before the public was able to pay respects to George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, a yellow Labrador retriever did the same beside the 41st president's casket. Sully had served as Bush's service dog since June, and his mission is now "complete," as a Bush family spokesperson said. A photo of the moment quickly spread online, and nonprofit America's VetDogs said Sully will go on to help wounded soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's Facility Dog Program after Bush's funeral.

Bush will lie in state until Wednesday at the Capitol. The public will be allowed to pay respects starting at 7:30 p.m.

More on remembering Bush:

•	Day-by-day look at this week's schedule to honor him.
•	He is the 39th American head of state to die since the country's founding.
•	Who did he want to see in heaven first? His wife, his mother and his daughter Robin who died as a child from leukemia.
•	He'll be wearing special socks at the Capitol.
•	One businessman won't serve broccoli on Wednesday, in his honor.

Wear repellent. Dangerous ticks are multiplying across the U.S.

Exotic ticks able to lay up to 2,000 eggs without mating are spreading widely across the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nine states have reported finding the Asian longhorned tick, which is known to carry a host of nasty pathogens. Health officials aren't sure exactly what the critters are capable of here, but the ticks are known to spread serious diseases such as SFTS virus and the pathogen that causes Japanese spotted fever in other areas of the world.

Real quick:

•	No bueno: Havana is collapsing, building by building.
•	Dick Van Dyke shot back after Piers Morgan mocked his name.
•	A Clippers player threw a ball at a fan who insulted his mother.
•	So long, sedan. America is breaking up with passenger cars.
•	Should we make Short List a show? Americans prefer to watch their news, a study found.

From substitute teacher to the grinch who stole Christmas

It looks like someone just joined the naughty list. A school district in New Jersey apologized after a substitute teacher at an elementary school told first-graders Santa Claus is not real . The school's principal said he talked to the teacher about her "poor judgment," while the district superintendent called the situation "troubled." The school's principal said letters were sent to parents so they could take the needed steps to "maintain the childhood innocence of the holiday season." Sounds like someone might be getting coal in their stocking this year.

Got a genealogy geek on your gift list?

In true 2018 fashion, DNA tests are a hot holiday item. But are those 23andme and AncestryDNA kits worth it (even given Amazon's discounts)? The answer if you're a person of color: A disappointing maybe . Most of the companies initially used European-centric samples because those were the easiest to get. Plus, that's where many of their customers' ancestors came from. Though they've improved in the past few years, people of color might prefer other options, such as AfricanAncestry.com and WeAreCousins, a website for South Texas and Northeastern Mexico genealogy. But DNA tests are improving. Stanford genetics professor thinks "within the next decade, we'll have pretty well worked out the genetic tree of everybody who's alive and everybody who's ever lived."

This compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network was brought to you by Ashley May, Ashley Shaffer, Anne Godlasky, Brett Molina and Josh Hafner.

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