 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Ashley Shaffer writes The Short List newsletter for USA TODAY. To subscribe to this snappy news roundup, click here. |
| Trump's pulling troops out of Syria. The pope's talking marriage. And the Rockets are probably getting some hate mail from China. |
| Here's the news you need to know Monday. |
| But first, leaf it alone: Raking leaves again this fall? Listen to environmental experts, and stop right now. 🍂 |
Some rare bipartisan backlash on a Trump policy |
| It does not seem like Democrats and Republicans can agree on much these days, but ... President Donald Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria sparked bipartisan backlash Monday. Calling it a "stain on America's honor," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump loyalist, said the "irresponsible" move would fuel chaos in the region. As U.S. troops withdraw, Turkey plans a military incursion against the Kurdish fighters who helped the U.S. fight the Islamic State (ISIS). Trump defended his decision Monday, writing on Twitter that the U.S. "was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days" and "that was many years ago." |
After centuries, could married men become priests? |
| Pope Francis urged South American bishops gathered at the Vatican on Monday to "speak with courage" as they address a severe priest shortage in some areas of the region that could result in the church dropping celibacy requirements for some priests. Cardinal Claudio Hummes said many rural Amazon communities have so little access to priests that Sunday Mass can't be held. The Catholic Church has required celibacy from its priests for centuries. But the vows have been broken so frequently that the Vatican established secret guidelines for dealing with clerics who fathered children. The proposal, however, involves men who are married and have children before ordination. |
 | | Pope Francis arrives to celebrate a mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, for the opening of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. | | Tiziana Fabi, AFP via Getty Images | |
What everyone's talking about |
| |
Unpacking the NBA's China crisis |
| Buckle up as I try to explain this, because I'm not a Sports Person. The NBA is in a tense situation with China over a controversial pro-Hong Kong tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. Morey's tweet: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." (Here's why China and Hong Kong are at odds .) He deleted it, but that didn't stop multiple Chinese businesses, including the Chinese Basketball Association and Tencent Sports – the NBA's exclusive digital partner in China – from suspending business relations with the Rockets. In an effort to address the issue, the NBA released a statement Sunday night, in Chinese and in English. The thing is: Their key message is different, according to translators. |
 | | Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, left, and general manager Daryl Morey | | Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports | |
* Kate McKinnon's Ruth Bader Ginsburg dance * |
| The Supreme Court is back in action Monday starting a new term that will run through much of the 2020 election season. Cases on the docket include but are not limited to: Sex. Immigration. Guns. Abortion. Religion. Pirates (yes, pirates ). And even President Trump. Before the justices adjourn next June, their influence will be felt by tens of millions of Americans, including Trump and Congress. So how'd their first day go? They opened the term with a debate about insanity. |
| |
 | | Chief Justice John Roberts sits in the middle for the Supreme Court's official photo, Nov. 30, 2018. | | MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images | |
Real quick |
| |
'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek: 'I'm not afraid of dying' |
| Alex Trebek knows his public battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer has become an inspiration to fans around the world. But there are times when the "Jeopardy!" host wonders if he should have gone public in the first place. "To be the inspiration to a lot of other people makes me feel good, but it does place a responsibility on me that I feel I'm not deserving of," Trebek said in an interview with CTV News. In his second round of chemotherapy, he said, "The thought of the pancreatic cancer does not frighten me. I'm not afraid of dying. One thing they're not going to say at my funeral as part of a eulogy: 'He was taken from us too soon.' I'm 79 years old. I have lived a good life, a full life and I'm nearing the end of that life. I know that." |
 | | Alex Trebek keeps battling stage 4 cancer | | Getty | |
A break from the news |
| |
| This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. |
| |
| |
| MORE ARTICLES |
| |
| |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment