Advertisement

House speaker shakeup

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·3 min read

For the first time in U.S. history, a speaker of the House has been fired. One of the most prominent Christian colleges in the country dissuaded students from reporting sexual violence, a report says. And a massive emergency alert test is soon scheduled to hit your phone.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It’s time for Tuesday’s news!

🪂 But first: A 104-year-old Chicago woman proves that you're never too old to try something new, even if that thing is jumping out of a plane.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

McCarthy out as House Speaker

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost the fight to keep his leadership post after lawmakers decided to oust the California Republican from the speakership. The rebellion, led by conservative hardliner Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has roiled the House in chaos. McCarthy had angered a handful of hard-right lawmakers by working with Democrats to avert a government shutdown. With House Republicans’ razor-thin majority, McCarthy’s fate appeared to fall in the hands of Democrats, who ultimately decided not to save him. 👉 Live coverage of the speaker fight.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., makes his way to the House chambers to vote on the motion to vacate his speaker seat on Tuesday in Washington.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., makes his way to the House chambers to vote on the motion to vacate his speaker seat on Tuesday in Washington.

Report: Sexual assault victims dissuaded from reporting violence

Liberty University, one of the most prominent Christian colleges in the country, created a culture in which members of its campus community were fearful of reporting sexual violence, according to a preliminary report from the Department of Education. Liberty has faced increasing public pressure in recent years over policies that survivors say allow sexual violence to run unchecked. The report says overlooked allegations of violence reached all the way to the top, including accusations involving a former university president and a senior administrator. 🔎 Here's what we know.

Sarah Mays says she was intimidated into retracting her report of being attacked and raped by multiple men while at Liberty University.
Sarah Mays says she was intimidated into retracting her report of being attacked and raped by multiple men while at Liberty University.

What everyone's talking about

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Is 'unwavering support' for Ukraine hanging by a thread?

As the brutal Ukraine war rages on with no end in sight, Congress is haggling over funding for the conflict and one of Kyiv's staunchest allies saw a pro-Russian political party take the top prize in recent parliamentary elections. From President Joe Biden and the State Department to the EU's Josep Borrell, pledges of "unwavering support" come from all corners of the globe. But is the unwavering support wavering? It may very well be. Experts say the true challenge will be confronted when the U.S. faces another serious national security threat. 👉 Here's a look at the situation.

Cadets light candles as they pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv Cemetery to mark Defenders Day of Ukraine in Lviv on Sunday.
Cadets light candles as they pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv Cemetery to mark Defenders Day of Ukraine in Lviv on Sunday.

🚨🚨🚨 Coming to a phone near you 🚨🚨🚨

Get ready to not freak out. On Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. EDT, every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States should blare out the distinctive, jarring electronic warning tone of an emergency alert. It's a test – only a test. Officially, it's the Nationwide Emergency Alert Test. No, it's not a national conspiracy to infect people with nanoparticles. And we can't play you the sound it will make – we could get hit with a big fine if we did. But it's an important way to make sure that if something really bad – and really big – happens, Americans can be warned quickly. 👉 Here's what to know about the test.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com.This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin McCarthy, Liberty University, FEMA alert: Tuesday’s news