promoearn: '45 is a puppet': Trump's wild stage decor

Thursday, July 25, 2019

'45 is a puppet': Trump's wild stage decor

Thursday, July 25

President Donald Trump takes the stage at Turning Point USA Teen Student Action Summit at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, Tuesday, July 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ORG XMIT: DCAH106

'45 is a puppet': Trump's wild stage decor

A doctored presidential symbol and the return of federal executions: Thursday's news

A rogue "presidential" seal appeared, the death penalty is back and fast cars are killing bears. It's Thursday. Here's the news you missed.

But first, a humble millionaire: A frugal Iowa carpenter saved $3 million over his lifetime and put it into a fund to send 33 small-town students to college.

Wait. Did Trump see what's behind him?

An "A/V mistake" caused President Donald Trump to appear in front of a doctored presidential seal featuring an eagle holding golf clubs and other related icons. The president walked onstage at an event for conservative group Turning Point USA as two presidential seals flashed on screen. The seal directly behind Trump was authentic. The seal on Trump's right included a double-headed eagle that echoed the Russian coat of arms. And instead of "e pluribus unum," the fake seal's scroll said "45 es un titere," which translates from Spanish to mean "45 is a puppet." Yikes.

Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found injured in jail

Wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking with girls as young as 14, was found injured in his Manhattan jail cell this week. NBC New York and the New York Post said Epstein was found with neck injuries after a possible suicide attempt, citing unidentified law enforcement officials. It wasn't clear whether bruising on the 66-year-old's neck was self-inflicted or from an assault. Officials investigated whether there was an attack by another inmate or simply an effort by Epstein to win a transfer to another facility, reports said.

Federal executions are back

The federal government will start carrying out death sentences for the first time in 16 years, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday, ordering executions for five inmates. Barr ordered that the method for executing prisoners – a lethal cocktail – be exchanged for injections of a single drug. "The Justice Department upholds the rule of law, and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system," Barr said. The five men Barr ordered executed were all convicted of murder and exhausted their appeals.

What I'm reading: Sean Rossman, a USA TODAY Washington editor

Once a week, we feature 🔥 story picks from my USA TODAY colleagues. Today's guest: Sean, our direct line to the White House.

•	We hope you weren't affected by the Equifax data breach, but if you were, you best file a claim for a piece of a $575 million to $700 million settlement.
•	Did you drift into dream-like bliss during Robert Mueller's testimony? No problem, here's what you need to know to look super smart.
•	If trucking trends tell us anything, it's that an economic slowdown – or recession – may be on the way, as fewer goods are shipped across the country.
•	Because everyone loves a good list, we've ranked Quentin Tarantino's films from worst to best. We won't spoil our top choice here.
•	Even the greats are human: Paul McCartney humbly admitted he relearns his big hits before performing them.

To protect wildlife, park rangers use an unusual tool: radar guns

Some of America's most treasured animals, from bison and bears to rare Hawaiian geese, are in danger from tourists crashing into them. "Our biggest problem, and one that's getting worse, is that people drive too fast," said Scott Gediman, a Yosemite National Park spokesman. Rangers at Yosemite say at least 61 bears have been hit by cars in the past decade, though there's no way to track how many died as a result. Rangers made more than 25,000 speeding stops last year at the National Park Service's 419 parks, monuments, parkways and battlefields, according to an exclusive USA TODAY analysis. So we leave you with this: Please slow down for the animals.

A herd of bison crosses a bridge at Yellowstone National Park in March 2017. The free-ranging herds often cause minor traffic delays for park visitors who find their vehicles temporarily surrounded. [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Trevor Hughes/USA TODAY

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A late NBA player's ex pleads guilty to aiding his murder

Nine years ago, NBA player Lorenzen Wright was shot to death. Thursday, his ex-wife took some responsibility for the killing, changing her plea to guilty for the charge of facilitating murder in the first degree.

Megadroughts are coming

Megadroughts – defined as intense droughts that last for decades or longer – once plagued the Desert Southwest. A study suggests that because of the drying influence of climate change, megadroughts could return.

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