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[h=4]The Short List: Car of the future; gay marriage; Kanye being Kanye[/h]Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.
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Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.(Photo: Toyota)
This could be the car of the future
If you thought a pint-sized clown car was going to be the vehicle of the future, you may have been on to something. The Toyota iRoad, which isn't even three feet wide, is a fusion of motorcycle, tiny electric compact car, bobsled and shopping cart — and you could be driving it in a few years. The company is testing the three-wheeler now in the San Francisco Bay area, which is home to some of the worst traffic in America. The idea is not to replace Toyota's pioneering hybrid Prius or best-selling Camry, but to give people an alternate way to navigate through clogged lanes. It tops out at about 37-miles per hour — pedal to the medal — and can only go about 30 miles on one charge, which means it's for close city driving and not much else. USA TODAY contributor Jennifer Jolly said "it's the most fun I've had driving in as long as I can remember." But that doesn't make it a toy. When you turn too sharply the steering wheel vibrates and makes a humming noise, which tells you to let up a little on the pedal. If you absolutely have to, you can cram a passenger in the back. Which means most of the time you really can say, "sorry, I can't give you a lift," and mean it. Saves space, saves time and saves looking like a jerk. Win, win, win.
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
It handles like a compact car, but moves like a motorcycle. Columnist Jennifer Jolly gets behind the wheel.
What else is in #theshortlist:
• Supreme Court's gay marriage hint
• HPV vaccine doesn't lead to risky sex
• Sling TV has us talking
• Kanye being Kanye
Short on time? Listen to the top stories of the day in the audio below:
What the Alabama ruling probably means the Supreme Court is thinking about gay marriage
Didn't the Supreme Court tackle the gay marriage issue in 2013? Well, yes, but appeal after appeal means the issue has worked its way back to the highest court in the land. And with today's action in Alabama, it seems as though the handwriting is on the wall ahead of a potentially historic Supreme Court ruling on the divisive social issue. Last month, the court announced it would hear arguments on whether gay couples have a right to marry everywhere in America, and a decision is expected by late June. Today the high court denied Alabama's request that gay marriages be blocked while the state appeals a federal judge's ruling that allowed gays and lesbians to wed. More than 70% of the USA's population now lives in states where gay marriage is legal. Alabama today became the 37th to legalize the practice. If the justices thought there was a good chance they would rule against same-sex marriage in the upcoming cases involving Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, they likely would stop couples from marrying elsewhere. So for now, the wedding bells are ringing. Except in the Alabama counties that are refusing to issue marriage licenses.
Could Dish Network's Sling be the thing that gets you to cut cable?
If you're thinking about cutting the cable cord, it might be time to get your Sling on. As of this morning, Dish Network's Internet-delivered subscription video service, Sling TV, is officially open for streaming. Customers can get a free seven-day trial of the service, which starts at $20 monthly, and watch more than a dozen channels, including CNN, ESPN, Disney Channel, HGTV, TBS and TNT. Oh, and Walking Dead fans, good news: Sling TV CEO Robert Lynch says AMC is joining the channel lineup. USA TODAY tech columnist Ed Baig says 2015 will be a big year for cord-cutters. First, smart TVs are only getting smarter. But the bevy of options for streaming on all kinds of devices just keeps growing. As the cable cord-cutting movement has advanced, many have held back because pay-TV alternatives, such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video, don't have live sports. Having ESPN and ESPN 2 available on Sling TV, though, may lure some to join the cord-cutting conga line.
A screenshot of the Sling TV player on a tablet.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Sling TV)
Parents, breathe easy. HPV vaccine doesn't lead teen girls to risky sex
Let's take a break from measles to talk about another vaccination controversy — this one over human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause gential warts and cervical cancer. A vaccine for the disease first became available in 2006, but it's been controversial from the start, and the vaccination rate has remained low. Some parents worry that giving the vaccine to teen girls might make them more promiscuous. But a new study says that isn't true. Getting the vaccine doesn't lead teens to throw sexual caution to the wind and end up with other STDs. The vaccine is actually recommended for all teens, but hasn't been recommended as long for boys. The series of shots work best when given before teens become sexually active. As of 2013, the latest figures available, just 38% of girls and 14% of boys ages 13 to 17 had been fully vaccinated.
University of Miami pediatrician Judith Schaechter gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in 2011. Concerns that the vaccine might increase risky sexual activity are unsupported by a new study.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)
Kanye was only saying what America was thinking
Deja Grammy vu. We all remember that 2009 moment, when Kanye cut off Taylor Swift's VMA speech to say that Queen Bey deserved her award. Flash forward to last night's Grammys, and it seemed that Kanye was spoofing his famous interruption. He walked to the stage and acted like he was going to cut off best album winner Beck, who took the gramophone over Beyoncé (Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Pharrell) … but then he retreated before saying a word. (Ye had Bey and Jay all nervous). Beck stayed humble about the whole thing. Backstage though, Kanye got dead serious, and it turns out he wasn't kidding around when he crashed the stage. At the E! After Party Kanye said Beck didn't deserve to win. "[A]ll I know is if the Grammys want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We ain't gonna play with them no more." You can read his full rant here. Kanye definitely wasn't the only one upset about Queen B missing out on the crown. Twitter users got pretty worked up. We lay out their stages of grief. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kanye and T-Swifty are basically BFFs now.
Stories you're clicking on today:
ISIL, U.S. hostage spur talk of retaliation, 'trap' warning
Officials: Teen charged with killing classmate, took selfie with body
Oh boy. Pharrell is NOT feeling Taylor Swift's dance moves
7 stocks over $100 are still screaming buys
Shark kills man in Australia; 2nd attack in 2 days
Brian Williams watch:
NBC ratings take a dip as the network mulls its next step, and USA TODAY's Rem Rieder weighs in on his tall tales.
Brian Williams at NBC.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
Extra Bites:
There was so much "wow" on the Grammys red carpet you just have to look through this gallery again:
Bruce Jenner is just the latest celeb to have trouble while in a Cadillac Escalade.
Tease us a little more, Ford. It's newest model seems a little ... scary.
UFC champ Ronda Rousey was actually freezing on her Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition photo shoot.
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
Newlyweds jump between the shadows of lantern decorations Feb. 9 at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Fazry Ismail, European Pressphoto Agency)
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Mike Snider, Ed Baig, Richard Wolf, Ann Oldenburg, Patrick Ryan, Carly Mallenbaum, Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY; Jennifer Jolly, Kim Painter, Special for USA TODAY; Brian Lyman, The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser
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