JAMES HOLMES WENT FROM GRAD STUDENT TO DEFENDANT IN A MASS MURDER TRIAL. TODAY HE WENT TO COURT. Gone are the orange hair and the thousand-yard stare. In their place, trimmed hair, a shaggy beard and red-framed glasses. Sitting upright in court in a dark jacket, blue striped shirt and khaki slacks, James Holmes was looking very much like the neuroscience graduate student he used to be, not a man on trial for his life. Holmes faces 12 murder charges in connection with the summer 2012 massacre at a suburban Denver movie theater's midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises . He could be executed if convicted. Holmes also faces dozens of other charges. "What's most important to me is that justice is done," Judge Carlos Samour told prospective jurors. Jury selection in the case began this afternoon. The trial may last into October.
#SOTU: THE STATE OF OUR UNION WILL BE TRENDING ON TWITTER There was the annual photo op. The annual lunch with the news anchor elite. The Cabinet member who will stay away from the Capitol in the event of a disaster has been selected (it's Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx). Now comes the main event. Get your Bingo cards ready, because President Obama delivers his State of the Union Address tonight. Here's what we know: his focus will be on the middle class and tax cuts. #SOTU will trend and Twitter will go wild with comments from the right, left and middle. Freshman Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is giving the GOP response. (She's known to ride a Harley-Davidson and pack a pistol in her purse, and is making all kinds of history.) What we're waiting on: The speech to start (#POTUS will be up shortly after 9 p.m. ET); The "oops" moment, if it happens. And, of course, the history that will be made. Follow@USATWashington for the latest, and don't forget to let #theshortlist know what you think about the big speech..
SUPREME COURT SAYS MUSLIM INMATE CAN KEEP 1/2 INCH BEARD In this fight, spirituality beat security. That's what the Supreme Court decided today when it ruled unanimously that a Muslim prisoner has the religious right to grow a beard, even though the Arkansas Department of Correction said it was a security concern. Gregory Holt, also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad, convinced the court to hear his case with a 15-page, handwritten petition. He said he wanted to keep the beard as part of his Muslim faith. The prison says facial hair is a security concern, because inmates can use it to hide weapons and contraband. But Holt had agreed to keep his to a half-inch — pretty much negating the chance he could hide anything in his beard. The Supreme Court agreed. "Hair on the head is a more plausible place to hide contraband than a half-inch beard," Justice Samuel Alito wrote.
GET YOUR TAX REFUND IN CASH FROM WALMART It makes perfect sense. You get a pocketful of cash, and you're in the middle of a giant retail store: Like you're not going to buy something? Walmart has started a new program this year that lets you receive your tax refund as cash at all of its stores. The company's "Direct2Cash" program targets those of us who opt for paper-checks (so maybe we don't have a bank account and can't get direct deposit) and want to avoid expensive check-cashing locations. Walmart is partnering with 25,000 tax-preparation locations in all 50 states. The tax preparers will have a built-in option in their filing software for Walmart cash refunds, but the program is only available to filers who go to a tax-preparation office in person. If you opt for the new service, we suggest you start practicing your retail self-restraint now.
TIGER WOODS' MISSING TOOTH … LOST HOW? So here's where it stands, friends. Lindsey Vonn told USA TODAY Sports today that, "I didn't see it happen, but I guess some photographer hit him in the face with a camera and it totally knocked his tooth out." That puts Vonn's story on point with the story Woods' agent told. The agent —Mark Steinberg — released this version via a statement , saying Woods had his tooth knocked out by a videographer toting a shoulder-mounted camera at the awards podium. The incident happened when the cameraman surged toward the stage and turned toward Woods, hitting him in the mouth. But, wait. Now organizers are telling their version. Race secretary general Nicola Colli disputes Woods was near the awards ceremony when the incident reportedly occurred. "During the [awards] ceremony, Tiger Woods was in the operations tent, the tent just outside the exit gate," Colli told USA TODAY Sports. "He was looking on from there and he was not in the finish area." Colli said he personally escorted Woods for about 15 meters from the tent to a snowmobile following the awards ceremony. "If you look at the pictures, there was no blood, nothing of pain in his face," Colli said. So, about that tooth … Oh, and congrats again, Lindsey, on your record. Vonn continues her World Cup season (and perhaps more tooth talk) in St. Moritz this weekend. |
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| Compiled by Cara Richardson and Alia E. Dastagir. Contributing: David Jackson, Susan Davis, Catalina Camia, Trevor Hughes, Hadley Malcolm, Richard Wolf, Patty Michalski, USA TODAY; Brian Pinelli, Special for USA TODAY Sports |
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