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Tuesday, May 26

A teacher works from home in Arlington, Va., on April 1. A poll shows hesitation among educators to return once schools reopen.

One in 5 teachers say they're unlikely to go back to school if their classrooms reopen in the fall. China's beefing up its military power. It's Tuesday's news.

No school for many students and teachers? The end of snowstorms as we know them? Friends, this is not how I envisioned an endless summer.

It's Ashley, back with today's top news. (I've missed you all). Let's get to it, as difficult as today's lineup may be to read.

But first, a fact check: Can hot cars cause alcohol-based hand sanitizers to ignite? No, but storing sanitizer in a car for more than a few hours can lead the alcohol to evaporate, which can make it less effective.

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

Back to school? Not for everyone

Most Americans expect schools to reopen in the fall, but a stunning number of teachers and students may not be there. Six in 10 parents say they would probably not send their kids back into classrooms if they reopen in the fall, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos poll. Nearly a third of parents, 30%, say they are "very likely" to not send them back. Another jarring statistic: 1 in 5 teachers say they probably won't return if their classrooms reopen in the fall, either, leaving the potential for a massive wave of resignations. The surveys underscore how concerns about the coronavirus will complicate efforts to resume daily routines in American life, from work to leisure to commerce, at least until a vaccine is widely available.

•	What schools will look like when they reopen: Scheduled days home, more online learning, lots of hand-washing.
•	Being stuck at home isn't always a money saver. Almost half of Americans say the pandemic has cost them financially.

These clips are difficult to watch

Two videos have gone viral this week that aren't easy to watch (or write about). But they are essential to discuss in an effort to understand the difficult realities in the USA historically and right now.

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In Minnesota: Four Minneapolis police officers were fired after a black man, George Floyd, died in custody. A video shared online showed a white officer kneeling on Floyd's neck during his arrest as he pleaded that he couldn't breathe, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday. Frey said, "Being black in America should not be a death sentence." The man's death came amid outrage over the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while jogging in February by two white men.

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In New York: A woman seen in a video calling police on a black man who says he asked her to leash her dog in Central Park was fired from her job with Franklin Templeton . Christian Cooper, who is black, said he was bird-watching when he saw Amy Cooper, who is white, with her dog in an area where dogs are required to be on leashes. In the video, Amy Cooper refused and called 911, saying, "There is an African American man … threatening myself and my dog." Amy Cooper has since given up her dog.

People gather around a makeshift memorial May 26 in Minneapolis, near where a black man was taken into police custody before he died. The FBI is investigating the death. Video from a bystander showed a white officer kneeling on the man's neck during his arrest as he pleaded that he couldn't breathe.

Jeff Baenen/AP

What everyone's talking about

•	Broadway star Nick Cordero is "doing slightly better" but is "still very sick" after his battle with COVID-19.
•	A new truck has entered the all-electric pickup arena – it's called Endurance.
•	Look what you made Taylor Swift do: Swifties have many, many conspiracy theories about this mysterious new cover.
•	Christie Brinkley's daughter opened up about the struggles she faces with her body image.
•	Elon Musk and Grimes slightly changed their son's name from "X Æ A-12" to checks notes "X Æ A-Xii."

China's making military moves

Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country plans to beef up its armed forces and improve its preparedness for military combat , state media said Tuesday, amid rising tensions with the United States. China intends to increase its military budget in 2020 to about $178 billion; the United States has $738 billion slated for 2020 (the world's largest defense budget). What caused all this tension? A few things. President Donald Trump accuses China of misleading countries on what it knew about the origins of the coronavirus. Trump also threatened China with a "strong" reaction – possibly sanctions – over Beijing's plan to propose a law that would tighten control over Hong Kong, which critics say could plunge the semiautonomous city into turmoil.

•	Hong Kong: Bracing for turmoil over new China national security law.

People's Liberation Army soldiers in sports uniforms march next to the entrance to the Forbidden City after the opening session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on May 22.

AFP via Getty Images

So long, big snowstorms?

Big snowstorms might be few and far between this century as the climate warms, a study released Monday suggests. Global warming is expected to affect the frequency, intensity and size of snowstorms across much of the USA, according to the study. "If we do little to mitigate climate change, the winter season will lose much of its punch in the future," said study lead author Walker Ashley, a Northern Illinois University meteorologist. The news isn't necessarily all bad: There would be likely decreases in snow-removal and energy budgets. But there could be negative consequences for freshwater-resource-dependent industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and power generation.

Real quick

•	Miss Universe New Zealand finalist Amber-Lee Friis died at 23 years old.
•	An NBA All-Star left a $1,000 tip on a $164 check at a Florida restaurant.
•	"Enough is enough." This needs to be the end of Lance Armstrong's story, writes USA TODAY sport columnist Christine Brennan.
•	A multistate manhunt is underway for a University of Connecticut senior accused of killing two people.
•	Stanley Ho, a casino tycoon who was considered the father of modern gambling in China, died at 98.
•	The U.S. suspends travel from Brazil amid a surge in cases of COVID-19.

Will Twitter remove tweets from the president?

A widower asked Twitter to remove tweets that seek to revive false conspiracy theories linking his wife's death to talk show host Joe Scarborough, a prominent Trump critic. The author of the tweets? President Trump. Lori Klausutis, 28, died in 2001 after fainting and hitting her head while working for Scarborough, then a congressman, now the host of the MSNBC news program "Morning Joe." Trump, a frequent target of criticism from Scarborough, defended himself by saying, "The opening of a Cold Case against Psycho Joe Scarborough was not a Donald Trump original thought, this has been going on for years." Twitter said its "deeply sorry" about the pain the statements are causing but has not addressed whether it would remove Trump's tweets.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, co-hosts of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, may not make the president's list of must-see TV.

Shannon Finney/WireImage

A break from the news

•	This isn't the prom they had hoped for, but it was the prom they needed. 💃
•	If you're collecting unemployment, get ready for a hefty tax bill.
•	Cookbook, reader, security camera: Here are 10 creative uses for an old iPad or iPhone.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.