The Short List: Cars that 'wow' in Germany; report rates fast-food meat; North Korea restarts nuke program
Cars that make us say 'oooh' and 'ahhhh' are on display in Germany
So many concepts! The Frankfurt International Motor Show offered a peek Tuesday at some incredible cars. (The show runs through Sept. 27.) Famous European brands say the timing is finally right for electric cars and are going after the leader, California's Tesla Motors. Here's what we saw: Audi's e-tron quattro. Huh? It's a concept electric luxury crossover, and possibly a realistic vision of where Audi is headed. The company says it will release a luxury electric crossover in early 2018. Porsche is weighing a battery-powered electric sports car concept called Mission E. The car will be able to travel 310 miles on a single charge and be recharged up to 80% capacity in 15 minutes. It's also ridiculously fast: zero to 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds. Porsche says it will become a production car in the next five years. Back to luxury crossovers, Jaguar Land Rover showed off its Jaguar F-PACE, which isn't electric, but pretty. Automakers are racing to lure shoppers with luxury crossover models that deliver a comfortable ride without compromising fuel economy or craftsmanship. Nissan took the wraps off its futuristic Gripz concept. Part rally car, part off-roader, part sport coupe and part hybrid, the Gripz draws attention to both the company’s past and future. The last car we'll tell you about is the from Bentley. The Bentley Bentayga is billed as great for tailgating. Pause for a moment and think about that. Find full auto show coverage here. Happy motoring!
If we are what we eat, let's talk about fast food, antibiotics and meat
Most restaurant chains in the U.S. are failing us on antibiotic use, according to a report from a coalition of environmental and consumer advocacy groups. The fuss about antibiotics. Research has indicated that the use of human antibiotics to treat animals raised for food has contributed to the rise of “superbug” bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. Fast food chains are increasingly facing demands to eliminate the use of antibiotics in their meat supply. Chains that got good grades: Panera Bread. Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chains that failed: Burger King, Domino's, Wendy's. KFC. Even Starbucks and Subway, despite both companies publicly stating they would limit the use of antibiotics in their meats, were given big fat Fs. In the middle of the pack: Chick-fil-A (B grade) and McDonald’s (C grade) have announced plans to limit antibiotic use in their chicken with implementation timelines, while Dunkin’ Donuts (C grade) has a policy covering all meats but has no reported timeline for implementation. Meatless Tuesday, anyone?
North Korea makes another move that reminds us why we are not friends
Oh-so-secretive North Korea says it is fully ready to use nuclear weapons against the United States "and other hostile forces" at any time if they "persistently seek their reckless hostile policy towards the (North) and behave mischievously." The dictator-run state says it has restarted operations at its atomic bomb fuel production plants. Niiiiice. Tuesday's move follows a warning by Pyongyang on Monday that it is ready to launch "satellites" — which the West considers banned long-range missiles — aboard long-range rockets to mark the ruling Communist Party's anniversary next month. The U.S. sees North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a threat to world security and to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea.
A pledge was hazed to death by frat boys — and now frat boys are looking at criminal charges
Baruch College freshman Chun “Michael” Deng died after a Pi Delta Psi hazing ritual in December 2013. He was forced to carry a backpack filled with 30 pounds of sand and walk blindfolded across a frozen yard. Police say Deng was repeatedly tackled during the ritual and fell unconscious. He was then carried inside a rental house in the Poconos in Pennsylvania while fraternity members — instead of taking him to the hospital — called their group's national president, changed Deng’s clothes and Googled his symptoms. Frat members eventually took him to the hospital, where he died a day later. Fast-forward to 2015: A grand jury has recommended charges for 37 people in Deng’s death. Police said Tuesday the first five suspects, including former Pi Delta Psi president Andy Meng, are charged with hazing, conspiracy and hindering apprehension. The grand jury recommended third-degree murder charges for the fraternity itself and five people. Dozens of other fraternity members are looking at less-serious charges ranging from aggravated assault to hazing. Baruch College has said it had no knowledge about the event. The college banned the fraternity, and the national fraternity revoked its affiliation with the local chapter.
We hear from the cheerleaders criticized for their 9/11 routine: Coaches told us to be 'very serious' about it
The caption on a video documenting the routine simply states: "so good it'll make you cry." A high school cheerleading team from Texas is defending a 9/11 dance routine that some say is insensitive. You've probably seen it: A video of the routine was posted on Facebook on Sept. 11, and as of Tuesday, had more than 25 million views. If you haven't watched it, the gist is this: Cheerleaders from Lumberton High School performed a 9/11 tribute to Lee Greenwood's song God Bless the USA. The audio also included sound bites from people who witnessed the terror attacks and then-president George W. Bush. The response was overwhelmingly positive, but a few called the routine "cringe-worthy" and "inappropriate." Cheerleading captain Abbie Tweedel said despite the comments, the team is staying cheerful. They are focused on inspiring others to honor those who have paid the price for freedom, she said. "Our coaches reminded us every day what it really was for and to be very serious about it," Tweedel said. The school's squad has performed the routine since 2002, but has never received this much attention, says coach Danielle Hunter.
No time to read? Have a listen instead.
If you only read one thing tonight: Cedar Point is adding a record-breaking roller coaster, so hold on to your hats!
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Today in Election 2016: Heading into Wednesday's second GOP debate, little has changed in our power rankings since last week — with the exception of the continued slide of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who falls from eighth place to ninth. Ouch. Why the slide? Supporters say they know. ... If you want to tune in Wednesday, here's how and six things you should be watching for — and, yes, Donald Trump is on there. Speaking of Trump, his haters on Twitter say they'll flee the country if he's elected. Guess which nation tops the list of destinations?
Extra Bites:
Spain's stylish royalty swept through the White House on Tuesday. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are touring the U.S., stopping in to see the Obamas after a visit to St. Augustine, Fla. Swipe through more images from their visit.
Have you seen it? A crocodile is caught on camera using its tail to launch its body out of the water and toward a piece of meat dangling in the air.
The Kardashian/Jenner clan has descended upon New York Fashion Week. Kendall’s been modeling, Kim’s been showing off her growing bump, and they’re all doing what they do best — promote, promote, promote … themselves! A recap of their #NYFW thus far is here. More photos from Fashion Week are below.
Hand sanitizer now comes in yummy "flavors" like grape and strawberry. And little kids are getting drunk off it.
Finally, a winner! After seven seasons, NBC's American Ninja Warriorcrowned its first champion: Isaac Caldiero, a 33-year-old rock climber and busboy.
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.
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, Chris Woodyard, Nathan Bomey, Jane Onyanga-Omara, Paul Singer, Donovan Slack, Cooper Allen, Jennifer Jacobs, USA TODAY; KBMT-TV, Beaumont, Texas; Keith Barry, Reviewed.com; Jamie Altman and Morgan Baskin, USA TODAY College; the Associated Press