HARPER LEE GIVES US THE BEST SURPRISE EVER Half a century later, it's happening. Harper Lee is publishing her first novel since To Kill a Mockingbird. Just, you know, one of the greatest books of all time. Fans can barely handle the news.Go Set a Watchman , a novel the 88-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning author completed in the 1950s and put aside, will be released July 14. It's essentially a sequel to her masterpiece, even though it was actually finished before To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published on July 11, 1960. It'll feature the character known as Scout as an adult woman. To Kill a Mockingbird is among the most beloved novels in history and was adapted into a 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck in an Oscar-winning performance as attorney Atticus Finch. So how big a publishing event will the new novel be? Think Harry Potter.
THE DIVIDE OVER VACCINATING KIDS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS Even though it really seems like it is. Vaccinations are always a hot topic, but they're back in the national conversation after a measles outbreak that started in Disneyland spread across the country. It feels like everyone's weighing in on the anti-vaccine debate. Several high-profile Republicans, includingChris Christie and Rand Paul, have said parents should get to choose whether or not they want to immunize their kids. Christie later tried to walk back his initial comments, saying in a statement "there is no question kids should be vaccinated." Yesterday, President Obama said parents need to make sure their children are vaccinated. Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed, tweeting "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest." It would seem the fight is pitting Republicans and Democrats against one another. But a Pew Research Center poll found the divide over whether or not to vaccinate is along generational lines rather than ones based on political ideology. When the findings are broken down by age, 41% of 18-to-29 year old adults say parents should decide whether their child is immunized for diseases such as measles. That compares to 20% of adults over 65 who share the view.
ISLAMIC STATE CONTINUES ITS BRUTALITY It feels never-ending. Today, the Islamic State released a video showing Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh being burned alive. In August, the group released a video showing American journalist James Foley being beheaded. The next month, it was Steven Sotloff. Then British aid worker David Haines, American aid worker Peter Kassig, Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa, and on Saturday, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. Today's video marks the first time a high-profile hostage has been killed by fire. In the past, hostages were beheaded or shot. "It shows how the group is continually evolving its methods to gain the maximum exposure for its actions," said IntelCenter, which monitors extremist websites. The Islamic State has employed a social media campaign that has spurred some young Muslim Americans to join them in Iraq and Syria. One Muslim-American, Mohamed Ahmed, a gas station manager who moonlights as an anti-terror propagandist, is fighting back. Ahmed has poured thousands of dollars of his own money over the last six months into producing a series of animated cartoon messages to rebut the extremist group's messaging.
'I'VE NOTICED THAT WE HAVE SO MANY IN OUR GROUP WHO ARE SURVIVING' Great news today. Breast cancer deaths have dropped dramatically in the past two decades. The latest government statistics show deaths declined 34% between 1990 and 2011, from 33 to 22 per 100,000 women. The American Cancer Society says this translates into more than 200,000 deaths averted. So what's contributing to the change? Better treatment, greater awareness and more women getting mammograms. "It's fantastic," says Megan Schanie, 39, who helped start a support group for young breast cancer survivors in her hometown of Louisville. "Even in my own little world, I've noticed that we have so many in our group who are surviving."
LANCE ARMSTRONG PARTIED TOO HARD, HIT CARS, BLAMED IT ON HIS GIRLFRIEND Lance Armstrong isn't commenting, but police reports are telling quite a story. The disgraced cyclist hit two parked cars after a night of partying in Aspen this December and then agreed to let his longtime girlfriend take the blame to avoid national attention, according to reports. USA TODAY's Nancy Armour didn't mince words in her commentary on the incident: "Once a cheater, always a cheater. The news Tuesday that Lance Armstrong tried to pin the blame on his girlfriend for hitting two cars after a night of partying should come as a surprise to no one. He built a career and a lucrative cult of personality out of lies, seeing the truth as something only suckers would champion." |
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| Compiled by Alia E Dastagir. Contributing: Jim Michaels, Aamer Madhani, John Bacon, Jocelyn McClurg, Ann Oldenburg, Kelly Lawler, Catalina Camia, Laura Ungar, USA TODAY; Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports; Associated Press |
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