Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Get the news
Log In or Subscribe to skip
104 [h=6]Share This Story![/h]Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about
[h=4]The Short List: Trump is running for president; goodbye trans fats; Tropical Storm Bill[/h]Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed on Donald Trump running for president, the FDA banning trans fats and Tropical Storm Bill hammering Texas.
{# #}
[h=4]Sent![/h]A link has been sent to your friend's email address.
[h=4]Posted![/h]A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
[h=6]Join the Nation's Conversation[/h]To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs
Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.(Photo: Christopher Gregory, Getty Images)
Donald Trump is seriously running for president. But is anyone taking him seriously?
OK, let's get real. It's hard to find anyone who thinks The Donald is a credible contender for the Republican presidential nomination. When Trump announced Tuesday he's running for president, the GOP field let out a collective groan. (Think about it this way: Candidates can participate in the first televised debate if they're polling in the top 10. Trump ranks ninth, according to the latest RealClearPolitics rolling average, meaning he could boot a more serious contender off the stage.) Trump hinted at running several times in the past, including in 2012. But now he's serious (he even released a financial statement that shows his massive assets of nearly $9 billion), and he's quickly becoming the most entertaining presidential contender. Priceless quotes from his announcement today: Money. "I'm really rich." 'Merica. "Sadly the American dream is dead. But if I get elected president, I will bring it back." Trade. "We don't have victories any more. ... When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All the time." Jobs. "I will be the greatest jobs president God ever created." The Democratic National Committee welcomed Trump to the race. DNC press secretary Holly Shulman wrote in a tongue-in-cheek email to reporters: "He adds some much-needed seriousness that has previously been lacking from the GOP field, and we look forward to hearing more about his ideas for the nation." Burn.
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
Speaking before a crowd at Trump Tower on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency. Michael Monday
Short on time? Listen to the audio version of #TheShortList in the player below:
Get ready for trans fat's long goodbye
Cake frostings. Stick margarines. Microwave popcorn. They're going to need a reboot. The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it's requiring manufacturers to phase out partially hydrogenated oils — the primary source of trans fats — from processed foods over the next three years. The FDA said research shows partially hydrogenated oils aren't "generally recognized as safe" for use in food. (Remind us again why we've been allowed to eat this for so long?) The oils are used to keep food from quickly spoiling, meaning a longer shelf life. Trans fats are bad because they LDL cholesterol, which can clog your arteries. Doctors estimate ditching trans fats would prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart attacks per year, said cardiologist Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women's heart health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. We think we're just fine with this goodbye. #ArteryParty.
Poor Texas is getting hammered by Mother Nature yet again
For the last two months, heavy rains have been blasting the Lone Star State — and on Tuesday, Tropical Storm Bill brought buckets more to its beleaguered coast, making landfall at about 11 a.m. CT. The good news is that the storm should weaken as it moves over land. The bad news is that it's still going to rain over a large swath of the state, and there's really nowhere for the water to go. The National Weather Service warned to expect heavy rains, flash flooding and river flooding. Overnight, Bill could deliver a deluge to the Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state. The rain is then forecast to march toward Dallas by Wednesday morning. Last month's deadly floods killed 20 people and destroyed dozens of homes.
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
Tropical Storm Bill brought heavy wind and giant waves to the Galveston shore and flooding to other parts of the Texas coast. VPC
U.S. may have just helped give the Islamic State more power
We learned Tuesday that a U.S. missile strike had killed al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader. On the surface, it sounds like good news. But here's why it's not so cut and dry. Al-Qaeda used to be the No. 1 terrorist group in the Middle East. Until the Islamic State started gaining more power. Now, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State are locked in a battle for dominance over the global jihad movement. The Islamic State, a more brutal al-Qaeda offshoot, is attracting a new generation of recruits with its more ruthless methods (the group has no qualms about killing civilians or attacking mosques). So while the death of Nasir al-Wahishi — who'd been close to Osama bin Laden — is a blow to al-Qaeda, it may end up benefiting the Islamic State, giving the group a boost at a time when it's already attracting new recruits. Read more about the debated effectiveness of using drone strikes to target al-Qaeda leaders.
This frame grab from a video released on March 29, 2014, by Al-Malahem Media, the media arm of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, shows Nasir al-Wahishi.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Al-Malahem Media, AFP/Getty Images)
Houston1234? HTXAstros? Did the Cardinals use old passwords to hack Astros network?
They weren't stored under a keyboard. They weren't written on a Post-It and stuck to the wall. The security breach of the Houston Astros' networks was more complicated than that — but still a good lesson of the importance of changing your passwords when you move on. As The New York Times first reported, the FBI and Justice Department are investigating front-office officials for the St. Louis Cardinals in a security breach that seemed to target the work of Jeff Luhnow, the Astros' now general manager who had been with the Cardinals until 2011. The article, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, said the hackers used the old passwords of Luhnow and other officials — all of whom were formerly with the Cardinals — to access information that included trade discussions, statistics and more. (And of course, after the story broke, the mockery began on Twitter. The hashtag? #Astrospasswords.) In a statement, Major League Baseball said it "has been aware of and has fully cooperated with the federal investigation into the illegal breach of the Astros' baseball operations database. Once the investigative process has been completed by federal law enforcement officials, we will evaluate the next steps and will make decisions promptly." Meanwhile, the Cardinals and Astros issued their statements, each pledging full cooperation and declining to comment. There's no word yet on any suspensions or charges, but some are calling for a crackdown if the allegations prove true.
Federal investigators say hackers used former St. Louis Cardinals general manager Jeff Luhnow's old passwords to hack into the Houston Astros networks.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: 2011 photo by David J. Phillip, AP)
If you only read one thing tonight, read this: Rachel Dolezal: 'I identify as black'
Extra Bites:
Orange is so last season. Swipe through more great shots from the Day in Pictures.
A model at the opening of the 88th Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence, Italy. The fashion exhibition of men's clothing runs from June 16 to 19.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Maurizio Degl'Innoocenti, epa)
Have you seen it? Amazing airplane acrobatics at the Paris Air Show.
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
Le Bourget Airshow began yesterday in Paris, an event over 100 years old. Take a peek at the opening show that had onlookers amazed. VPC
Only the best get out of school note ever:
Stories you're clicking on today:
6 die in Calif. balcony collapse; victims were Irish
Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian dead at age 98
Former Ravens cheerleader to enter guilty plea on child sex charges
We all need a little distraction at some point during the day (what else are smartphones for?), so add DISTRACTME on the YO app. It'll be fun, we promise.
Want the Short List newsletter in your inbox every night? Sign up here.
This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Susan Page, Cooper Allen, Liz Szabo, Jane Onyanga-Omara, Jim Michaels, Jacqui Barrineau, John Bacon, USA TODAY; Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports; Nina Mandell, Ted Berg, For The Win; KHOU-TV, Houston
0) { %> 0) { %>
0) { %>
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed