promoearn: The Navy secretary did not go quietly

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Navy secretary did not go quietly

Monday, November 25

Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer during a visit to Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, July 12, 2018.

Richard Spencer's fiery departure as Navy secretary, and likely Thanksgiving travel troubles. It's Monday's news.

A Mexican drug lord infiltrated America. The Navy secretary fired off a scathing letter. And we're dreaming of a white ... Thanksgiving? 🦃☔️

It's Ashley. Here's the news to know Monday.

But first, we all make mistakes: A "Wheel of Fortune" technicality cost her a trip to Nashville. So Nashville gave her a new one.

The Short List newsletter is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe here!

'Rule of law is what sets us apart': Richard Spencer's last words as Navy secretary

An official who resisted President Donald Trump's efforts to protect a Navy SEAL accused of misconduct is out of a job. Richard Spencer, the secretary of the Navy, did not go quietly. Defense Secretary Mark Esper asked for Spencer's resignation over a situation involving Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, whose demotion for taking a photo with the corpse of a slain Islamic State prisoner was reversed by Trump. In a letter submitted on his way out the door, Spencer delivered a scathing rebuke of Trump, saying they did not agree on the importance of military justice and discipline. "The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries," Spencer wrote.

•	Esper said Trump ordered him to allow Gallagher to retire without losing his Trident pin.

Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher walks out of military court in San Diego on July 2, 2019.

Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

The weather might rain on your Thanksgiving parade

Big storms across the country could make traveling for Thanksgiving a huge pain. Two storms are tracking across the country this week, bringing a miserable mix of rain, snow and wind from coast to coast. The first storm will dump heavy snow across portions of the western and central USA on Tuesday and into Wednesday. And wait, there's more: After the storm moves through the East late Wednesday, howling winds will be the main issue across portions of the Midwest and Northeast into Thanksgiving Day. This could even cause problems for the balloons at Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Let's think on the bright side, though: This is even more of an excuse to cuddle up on the sofa and scout out Black Friday deals.

•	Imagine seeing your first giant balloon at the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving day. That's what happened in 1927.

Thanksgiving travel weather forecast: Big storms to create big trouble from coast to coast.

USA TODAY

What everyone's talking about

•	Who owns the most land in America? Jeff Bezos and John Malone are among them.
•	The man who broke through an 82-year-old female bodybuilder's front door didn't stand a chance. She sent him to the hospital.
•	Conan, the dog wounded in the raid that killed the Islamic State's leader, got a hero's welcome at the White House.
•	"Today" show co-anchor Hoda Kotb is engaged! 💍
•	Billboard's Woman of the Year: Billie Eilish. Woman of the Decade: Taylor Swift.

A ruthless Mexican drug lord devastates small-town USA

A multibillion-dollar drug ring has infiltrated America. The empire is run by one of the most violent drug cartels in the world: Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación – also known as CJNG. The cartel has quickly grown into one of the world's largest criminal organizations, and it's been blamed for acts of terrorism, kidnappings, murders and even cannibalism. A yearlong investigation led by The Courier-Journal reveals how CJNG's reach has spread, overwhelming unsuspecting cities and small towns across America with massive amounts of drugs.

•	Who is El Mencho? He's the most powerful drug kingpin you've never heard of.

CJNG hitmen are accused of killing 13 police officers in an ambush in the community of Aguililla, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, on Oct. 14, 2019.

ENRIQUE CASTRO, AFP via Getty Images

Real quick

•	An Indiana hospital faces legal action after it potentially exposed more than a thousand patients to blood-borne viruses such as HIV.
•	We've sent men to the moon. Why can't we keep romaine lettuce safe and clean?
•	Energy Secretary Rick Perry said he told Trump that he was God's "chosen one" to lead the United States.
•	Elizabeth Warren blasts Michael Bloomberg, accusing him of trying to "buy a nomination."
•	An election landslide for pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong leaves the Chinese territory and the world wondering what happens next.

Carbon dioxide reaches record high in Earth's atmosphere

Carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming – reached an all-time high in Earth's atmosphere in 2018, the World Meteorological Organization announced Monday. "There is no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline, in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere despite all the commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said. The WMO said this long-term trend of rising carbon dioxide means that future generations will be confronted with increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, more extreme weather, water stress, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems.

•	Kids at risk: Climate change damages the health of the world's children, report says.

A break from the news

•	Black Friday 2019 freebies: Here's what you can get for free, starting Thanksgiving.
•	Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Danny DeVito crashed a wedding in Mexico and sang to the bride.
•	Paper or paperless receipts: Should we say so long to long receipts and go digital?