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Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.(Photo: Cindy Ord, Getty Images)
Kendall Jenner denies talking about her dad's reported transition
We just can't keep up with the Kardashians. Runway model-of-the-moment and Kardashian-clan member Kendall Jenner, 19, is fighting back against what she says is a falsified comment about her father, Bruce, and his alleged transition from male to female. Here's the quote in question: "I love my dad. He's always been there for me and my sisters," Us Weekly reports Jenner told them backstage at the Comedy Central Justin Bieber roast. "He's a wonderful man. And just because he's changing shoes now, so to speak, doesn't make him less wonderful. I will always love my dad, whether he's a man or a woman." Kim Kardashian alluded to the transition back in January when she told Entertainment Tonight, "I think everyone goes through things in life, and I think that story and what Bruce is going through, I think he'll share whenever the time is right." Jenner was reportedly filming a docu-series about his transgender journey, but an E! producer recently told USA TODAY the show is not happening. Last month, USA TODAY looked at whether Jenner could end up becoming the new hero for transgender Americans.
What else in #TheShortList:
• Not what you want in your mac and cheese: Metal shards prompt recall
• Globally, this winter was super warm
• Federal Reserve sets the stage for hiking interest rates
• Mourning after massacre in Tunisia, beacon of hope in Arab Spring
If you're thinking about buying a house, you might want to do it soon
It's time for a reality check. Those low interest rates we've all been loving the past several years? Don't count on them being around much longer. The Federal Reserve today set the stage for its first interest rate hike since 2006, signaling its confidence in the U.S. economy. The Fed's benchmark rate has been near zero since the 2008 financial crisis, which has helped fuel the six-year bull market. Fed policymakers haven't decided on the timing of the initial increase, but did clear a path for it as early as June. A rise in the funds rate would ripple across the economy, pushing up rates for everything from mortgages and car loans to corporate bonds. The small silver lining? The rate on your personal savings account — you know, the one that's been under a percent for seemingly ever — will also go up. Here's to interest accruing in dollars rather than cents.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen speaks during news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on March 18 in Washington, D.C.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)
Massacre in Tunisia a blow to the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was born in Tunisia. In 2011, a revolution ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The country adopted a constitution in 2014 that guaranteed rights for women and mandated that the president's religion be Islam. It recently conducted successful democratic elections. So when gunmen stormed an iconic museum and killed at least 19 people today, it was more than just a tragedy for the nation — it was a tragedy for all those that saw Tunisia as a beacon of hope for the Arab world. "It is not by chance that today's terrorism affects a country that represents hope for the Arab world," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. "The hope for peace, the hope for stability, the hope for democracy. This hope must live." The nation has struggled with militants since its revolution. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, and Tunisian authorities didn't say who was behind it.
Be on the lookout if you've got a box of Kraft mac and cheese on your shelf
Kraft's got the blues. The company voluntarily recalled 6.5 million boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese because some packages may contain small pieces of metal. Yikes. Shares of Kraft Foods Group were down today on the news. The company said it was aware of eight incidents in which consumers reported finding metal in the boxes. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries. If you have a box involved in the recall, don't eat it, duh. Kraft says you can take it back to the store where you bought it for a full refund. (The boxes — all 7.25-ounce in size — have "best when used by" dates ranging from Sept. 18, 2015, through Oct. 11, 2015. They are marked with the code "C2" directly below the date.)
Short on time? Listen to today's top stories in the audio player below:
Earth had the warmest winter on record. Huh?
The past few months have felt really cold to us. You, too, right? (We're looking at you, Bostonians.) Well, NOAA tells us the Earth just had its warmest December-January on record. Climate scientists define winter as the months of December, January and February in the Northern Hemisphere, which is also summer in the Southern Hemisphere. So actually, the Northern Hemisphere had its warmest winter on record and the Southern Hemisphere had its fourth-warmest summer. One of the planet's only land areas that had a cooler-than-average winter? Eastern North America — hello, Boston, that includes you. No wonder we were cold.
Global temperatures for December-January. Areas in red and pink were warmer-than-average, while areas in blue were cooler-than-average. Eastern North America was one of the few land areas that saw an unusually cool winter.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: NOAA/NCDC)
Stories you're clicking on:
Party's over for frat after ski-resort rampage
Schock case a reminder of why reporting matters
Food Network finalist, husband killed; neighbor charged
Cheney: Obama is 'worst president of my lifetime'
'Empire' rides high as it heads to finale
Extra Bites:
It's so ... pretty? Swipe through more top shots from the Day in Pictures.
Models wear a creation by Japanese designer Takafumi Tsuruta during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on March 18 in Tokyo.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Christopher Jue, European Pressphoto Agency)
We know Sinead O'Connor for two things — the crazy publicity stunts she pulls every few months and her gorgeous, haunting breakthrough hit, Nothing Compares 2 U. She's in the news for both this week.
We saw the future at SXSW and it included flying cars and tracking chips.
The Royals are here! Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are taking in the sights in Washington.
From left, Harry Johnson President and CEO of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., Guy Vickers, President of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, Britain's Prince Charles, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Ed Jackson Jr., Executive Architect tour the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)
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Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and his daughter, Leah, who's been in a long, arduous battle with cancer, are celebrating some great news.
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Kevin McCoy, Doyle Rice, Paul Davidson, Adam Shell, Jane Onyanga-Omara, Maria Puente, Andrea Mandell, Donna Freydkin, Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY; A. Khelifa and Katharina Wecker, Special for USA TODAY; Associated Press
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