| Gene Wilder passes into a world of pure imagination | | For some of us, Gene Wilder is synonymous with childhood. We grew up with the eccentric candy magnate in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." For others, he was a master of neurotic characters, playing leading roles in Mel Brooks' greatest comedies, including "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." To all of us, he was a comedy legend. Wilder died at 83 from complications from Alzheimer's disease, which fans were unaware he was battling. His nephew said Wilder kept his condition private because, "He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world." His family said he passed while "Somewhere over the Rainbow" played. What a wonderful world. | | When enough is enough | | She's done. Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, announced Monday she's separating from her husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., following another sexting scandal. Strike 1: Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after it was revealed he was sending women sexually explicit messages. Strike 2: His 2013 race for New York mayor was upended after we learned he was still sending sexually explicit messages. Strike 3: Weiner sends a woman sexually explicit messages, this time with his 4-year-old son in the background. You're out. Abedin's statement: "After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband. Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life." | | Lucy fell from the sky and d-i-i-ed | | The world's coldest cold case has officially been cracked . We now know how Lucy — the skeleton famously named for a Beatles song— died nearly 3.2 million years ago: She took a tumble out of tree, falling some 40 feet, a study published Monday in the British journal Nature found. Lucy is one of the oldest, best and most complete skeletons of any adult, erect-walking hominid (i.e. the great ape family, which, yes, includes humans). Researchers have been studying her since 1974, and this discovery of how she died supports a long-debated theory in human evolution: Our ancestors lived partly in trees. Whoa. | | Kaepernick's politics could get him sacked | | San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's controversial decision to sit during the national anthem is going to have a lot less impact if he is doing it from the comfort of his living room couch. For reasons related more to performance and injuries than politics, Kaepernick is unlikely to start the season as the team's starting QB and there's a chance his refusal "to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people" could leave him off the roster altogether. His protest against what many see as an unjust system that doesn't hold police accountable has won praise from some and infuriated others — including fans who burned his jersey and a former teammate who called his stance "shameful." |  | | Mylan searches for cure to PR woes | | Drugmaker Mylan must be seriously wondering if raising prices on its life-saving allergy treatment EpiPen has been worth it. The White House said it raises serious moral questions. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker said she "ended her relationship " with Mr. Big Pharma after Mylan's move left her "disappointed, saddened and deeply concerned." Worse yet, the price hike won Mylan the praise of infamous "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli, who once raised the price of a life-saving drug by more than 5,000%. In an attempt to turn the PR tide, the company began to offer a $300 discount for families who qualify based on their income, and Monday the company said it will launch a generic version that is 50% cheaper than the brand name. | | U.S. welcomes the 10,000th Syrian refugee | | The United States admitted its 10,000th Syrian refugee Monday , a fact that is a source of either great pride or great concern, depending on who you ask. For the Obama administration, the milestone means a major policy goal was reached and its screening process was a success. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, on the other hand, has said the refugee program is a "Trojan horse" for terrorists trying to enter the U.S., and his running mate Mike Pence has been a leader of state-led efforts to block the resettlement. For the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, 10,000 is not enough. She has proposed raising the number of Syrian refugees allowed into the U.S. to 65,000. | | Extra Bites | | If you only read one thing tonight: Here's how the "swinging general" slipped past Pentagon screeners. | | No games: Lighting killed more than 300 reindeer in Norway. | | Here are 5 things you missed at this weekend's VMAs. | | This is a compilation of stories across USA TODAY. | |
Comments
Post a Comment