5 things you need to know Tuesday

After a series of scandals, new era of Alabama politics begins

Alabama's second female governor in its history will get her first full day in the chief executive chair Tuesday after Robert Bentley resigned from the post amid a criminal probe into claims of misuse of state resources. Kay Ivey was sworn into office hours following Bentley's guilty plea to two misdemeanor campaign finance charges stemming from allegations that he covered up an affair with a former staffer. By giving up his right to seek public again, Bentley, 74, was sentenced to a 30-day suspended sentence, 100 hours of community service and ordered to surrender almost $37,000 in unused campaign money.

Environmental group points finger at most 'endangered' rivers

The Lower Colorado is the USA's most "endangered" river, says the environmental group American Rivers, which released its annual list Tuesday. The Colorado provides drinking water for 30 million Americans in cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix, and also helps grow 90% of the nation’s winter vegetables. But it is now at "the breaking point" due to overtapping and proposed rollbacks of environmental rules, the group says. Other rivers in the top 10 include the Bear River in California; the South Fork Skykomish River in Washington; and the Mobile Bay rivers of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

Bathroom bills could cause devastating harm to transgender students, study says

Singling out transgender students to use certain restrooms sends a signal that they aren’t valued in the public education system — and could cause devastating physical and psychological harm — a report out Tuesday says. “It’s a rejection of who they are in the most core way,” said Naomi Goldberg, policy director for the Movement Advancement Project and co-author of the report, which lands amid a contentious debate over LGBT rights and bathroom bills. Some of the report's findings:  75% of transgender students feel unsafe at school and were more likely to experience verbal and physical harassment and assault than their peers;  70%  said they avoided bathrooms because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. A host of issues can ensue, the report finds, from kidney infections to depression to poor grades.

No end to the daily grind? 

Here’s how many Americans plan to spend their retirement: working. About a third of 45- to 65-year-olds say they’ll work part-time in their golden years and 4% aim to have a full-time job, changing the very meaning of retirement, according to an Ipsos/USA TODAY survey out Tuesday. That, of course, is once they get there. Many are delaying retirement or never plan to retire at all. Bouts of unemployment, the housing crash, aid provided to distressed family members and mountains of student debt are some of the factors that respondents say are making it tough to save enough for retirement.

Need a new lunch spot? Try Starbucks

Starbucks will roll out new lunch offerings at more than 100 Chicago locations Tuesday. The grab-and-go choices are part of a new menu called “Mercato” that the Seattle-based coffee shop hopes to expand nationally in the future. While the chain already serves food, the menu adds to a push to expand offerings beyond coffee drinks. While you’re waiting for Mercato at a Starbucks near you, try out ordering these secret menu items at other fast-food restaurants.

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