promoearn: He's a traitor! He's a hero! He's been sued

Tuesday, September 17

He's a traitor! He's a hero! He's been sued

Edward Snowden and Kevin Hart are being sued. It's Tuesday's news.

Ashley Shaffer writes The Short List newsletter for USA TODAY. To subscribe to this snappy news roundup, click here.

The U.S. government and Edward Snowden are at it again. Kevin Hart faces a troublesome accusation. And Alex Trebek shares a cancer update. Here's the news to know Tuesday.

But first, yikes: Only two labs in the entire world keep a live smallpox virus sample. The one in Russia just had an explosion. 😷

Who gave Edward Snowden's new book a terrible review?

The U.S. government, probably. Renegade former CIA and NSA employee Edward Snowden, who tells it like he thinks in his new book, is being sued. The Justice Department filed suit Tuesday, saying Snowden's memoir, "Permanent Record," which was released Tuesday, violates nondisclosure agreements he signed. Snowden – hailed as hero, trashed as traitor – says he never took an oath of secrecy, he took an oath to defend the Constitution "from all enemies, foreign and domestic." The book details his dash out of the country six years ago after he leaked information on how the NSA conducted surveillance on the U.S. public. He has been living in Russia in exile, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, ever since. Snowden says he does not regret his actions but wants to return to the USA for a "fair trial."

Edward Snowden regards himself as a whistleblower.

USA TODAY

Did Kevin Hart conspire to release a sex tape?

Kevin Hart's not having the greatest year. Hart faces a $60 million lawsuit after model and actress Montia Sabbag accused the comedian of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy stemming from a 2017 incident, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Sabbag made headlines with Hart in September 2017 after a video of the two having sex in a hotel room was released online. In a lawsuit filed Monday, she alleges that Hart worked with another person named in the suit to record her in an attempt to gain publicity for his comedy tour, which began days before the video went public.

Lisa Bloom (left), lawyer for Montia Sabbag, speaks regarding the alleged attack on her client's character after accusations that Sabbag attempted to extort comedian Kevin Hart.

Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images

What everyone's talking about

•	Sean Spicer's ruffled, fluorescent-green blouse during his "Dancing With the Stars" debut: Ruffling more feathers?
•	They, themself: Merriam-Webster just added nonbinary pronouns to "their" dictionary.
•	Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Vazquez was arrested for allegedly soliciting a child for sexual acts.
•	For one night only, you could stay at Downton Abbey's Highclere Castle.
•	The Chicken Sandwich War rages on: KFC is testing a "Chicken & Donuts Sandwich."

'Cancer is mysterious in more ways than one'

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is undergoing chemotherapy again after a setback in his battle with pancreatic cancer. Trebek said Tuesday that after a short period of optimism when he stopped chemo, his numbers shot up, and doctors ordered him back on the treatment. "I was doing so well," he explained. "I lost about 12 pounds in a week, and my numbers went sky high. Much higher than they were when I was first diagnosed." The 79-year-old game show host announced in March that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. "Cancer is mysterious in more ways than one," Trebek said. Despite his battle with cancer, he hasn't missed a single day on the show.

Alex Trebek in 1973, hosting "Wizard of Odds" for NBC. He has hosted "Jeopardy!" since its premier in 1984.

NBC

Veteran journalist Cokie Roberts will be missed

Trailblazing journalist Cokie Roberts, whose Emmy-winning career earned her top-tier journalism awards, died from complications from breast cancer. She was 75. "Our dear friend and colleague Cokie Roberts passed away this morning in Washington, surrounded by her family and closest friends," ABC News President James Goldston said. The office of Barack Obama issued a statement after news of Roberts' passing: " She was a trailblazing figure; a role model to young women at a time when the profession was still dominated by men," the statement read.

Roberts' Emmy-winning career earned her top-tier journalism awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Real quick

•	Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski proved to be an uncooperative witness for House Democrats in a hearing.
•	Benjamin Netanyahu's fate is uncertain after exit polls showed no clear winner in the Israeli vote.
•	New York Times reporters responded to the Kavanaugh article controversy.
•	"Dog the Bounty Hunter" Duane Chapman is under doctor's care after a health issue.
•	R. Kelly's "friend" who posted his $100,000 bond wants her money back. It's not happening.
•	A UCLA mom was charged with paying $400,000 to get her son admitted as a fake soccer recruit.

A tropical triple threat

A trio of tropical threats emerged in the Atlantic basin, forecasters warn. Newly named Tropical Storm Imelda threatens to swamp portions of southeastern Texas with up to a foot of rain this week, possibly leading to life-threatening flash floods. In Bermuda, strengthening Category 2 Hurricane Humberto is approaching and will probably track near the tiny island by Wednesday, according to the Weather Channel. Yet another system – Tropical Depression Ten – formed Tuesday in the central Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane center said. The system should become Tropical Storm Jerry in the next day or so and track north of the Caribbean as a hurricane by the weekend.

Three systems -- Tropical Depression 11 near Texas, Hurricane Humberto near Bermuda, and Tropical Depression 10 are all spinning in the Atlantic Basin on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019.

National Hurricane Center

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network.

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