promoearn: Liz Cheney for president?

Wednesday, August 17

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks Aug. 16, 2022, at a primary Election Day gathering in Jackson, Wyoming. Cheney lost to Republican opponent Harriet Hageman in the primary.

She's thinking about it.

Gas prices are dropping. Liz Cheney lost her primary — but could run for higher office. And a team of scientists wants to resurrect a predator that has been extinct nearly a century.

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Liz Cheney for president?

Rep. Liz Cheney, Trump's most prominent Republican critic, said she's intent on keeping him out of the Oval Office and may consider a presidential run herself. Hours after her stinging defeat in her GOP primary in Wyoming, she said a 2024 campaign "is something I'm thinking about and I'll make a decision in the coming months." She did not mention party affiliation, and there has been speculation she could run as an independent. But analysts are skeptical, saying Cheney is unlikely to beat Trump or even be a viable independent candidate. Keep reading.

•	Liz Cheney, from Trump backer - then critic - to considering 2024 run.
•	What are Cheney's political positions? What happened in her Wyoming primary? Everything you need to know.

🗳 Wyoming, Alaska primaries recap: Cheney loses to Hageman in Wyoming; Alaska's Murkowski and Palin advance to general.

Rep. Liz Cheney speaks to supporters at an event during the Wyoming primary election at Mead Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, on Aug. 16, 2022. Cheney lost her U.S. House to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, in the latest signal of her party's disavowal of traditional conservatism in favor of Trump's election-denying movement.

PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images

Giuliani appears before grand jury

Rudy Giuliani departed a Georgia courthouse Wednesday, declining to comment following a nearly six-hour session before a special grand jury investigating interference in the 2020 election. Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, declined to say whether former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer invoked his right against self-incrimination after being designated by prosecutors as a target of the inquiry. Giuliani had made wide-ranging claims that voting systems altered Georgia ballots while ignoring a hand-count audit that confirmed President Joe Biden's victory in the state. Giuliani is the closest Trump associate known to have been summoned before the Fulton County grand jury, and demands for the testimony of others are pending. Here's the latest on Trump's investigations.

•	A storm of investigations presses on Trump. A breakdown of each one.
•	Mike Pence says he would 'consider' testifying before Jan. 6 committee if asked.

Rudy Giuliani walks into the Fulton County Courthouse to appear before a grand jury aiding in the Fulton County district attorney's investigation. Giuliani is a target of the ongoing criminal investigation into Georgia's 2020 elections.

John David Mercer, John David Mercer-USA TODAY NETW

What everyone's talking about

•	Surge in rip current deaths prompts calls for better beach protection.
•	Marijuana laws are changing. That's not helping people with past convictions.
•	Calm before the storms: Hurricane season 2022 won't stay quiet much longer.
•	When should I get a COVID-19 booster? Researchers are working on a test.
•	What's been found in Lake Mead? 5 bodies, sunken boats and a ghost town – so far.
•	Springsteen tickets for $4,000? How dynamic pricing works and how you can beat the system.

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How low can gas prices go?

After the national average for gas surpassed $5 per gallon in June, U.S. drivers are finally finding some relief. As of Wednesday, AAA data showed the average price per gallon in 29 states was below $4, and a handful of Southern states are inching closer to $3. But experts warn that prices could spike again. See what gas prices look like in each state.

•	Why are gas prices falling? Lackluster demand among drivers and oil released from the strategic petroleum reserve have helped, but the majority of the savings come from the drop in oil prices.
•	Will they go below $3? Wholesale gasoline futures indicate gas prices in "quite a few" areas could fall under $3 around Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service. This includes regions in Oklahoma, Kansas and Gulf Coast states like Texas.

The national average for a gallon of gas is almost $4.

As of Wednesday, AAA data showed the average price per gallon in 29 states was below $4, and a handful of Southern states are inching closer to $3.

Morry Gash/AP

Female athletes stiffed on scholarships

Under Title IX, schools are required to distribute athletic scholarship dollars equitably between men and women. But each year, thousands of the nation's top college female athletes get the short end of the same stick. And unlike some aspects of Title IX that are subjective and complex, the scholarship requirement is relatively straightforward. USA TODAY analyzed the 107 public universities with top football programs. Only 32 complied. Read the investigation here.

•	Athletic scholarships: How they show bias toward football — and against women.
•	These 20 universities stiffed female athletes on scholarships. We asked them why.

Members of the UConn women's rowing team rally about being cut by the university after the season, in Storrs, Conn., April 19, 2021.

Members of the UConn women's rowing team rally about being cut by the university after the season, in Storrs, Conn., on April 19, 2021.

Brad Horrigan, AP

Real quick

•	The future is fast: American Airlines to buy supersonic jets.
•	Gotta see the video: Large waterspouts spotted in Florida.
•	77-year-old man falls to death after bridge he was walking on opens.
•	Body of missing Indian soldier found on glacier 38 years later.
•	Pilot who died after exiting plane midflight was 'upset' over emergency.
•	Ukraine live updates: Kremlin-backed separatist leader seeks North Korea's help.

Resurrecting the Tasmanian tiger

The Tasmanian tiger hasn't roamed Earth in nearly 100 years. But a genetic engineering company called Colossal is looking to resurrect it. In a project that sounds like it's straight out of Jurassic Park, scientists will use gene-editing technology and a complete Tasmanian tiger genome from a preserved specimen to create an embryo. The ultimate goal is to reestablish the animal on the island of Tasmania, off the southeast tip of Australia. The predator was exterminated in the early 20th century because it was a threat to livestock. Keep reading.

•	Same company, different resurrection: Colossal wants to return Woolly mammoths to the Arctic.
•	Remains of house-cat-sized dinosaur with spikes discovered in Argentina.

The last known live Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, died in captivity in 1936

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A break from the news

•	🛳 Want to live at sea? This residential ship offers full-time cruising.
•	💵 Social Security benefits hike could bring retirees extra $1,800 next year.
•	🤕 Think you have a migraine? Here's what neurologists recommend.
•	🍿 Magic moments: From 'Top Gun' to 'Elvis,' the 10 best summer movie scenes.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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