Are Swifties ... ready for it?

USA Today

3 days ago

Swifties, rejoice for a new album! Trump teases a change in federal drug policy. And a new parents' right issue on education is emerging.
👋 Hi! Rebecca Morin here. It's time for Tuesday's news!
But first: A bird? A plane? A fireball! ☄️ A meteorite "crash landed" on a home in Georgia, and experts say it's older than Earth itself.
The start of a new era
The color is orange. The era is: "The Life of a Showgirl." Taylor Swift confirmed her new album at 12:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday on a teaser for the "New Heights" podcast, a podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce. The singer pulled out a blurred-out album cover for her new project, which would be her 12th album. Fans can preorder the album on taylorswift.com, but no release date has been shared yet. The announcement was teased on Monday by Taylor Nation, the pop superstar's in-house marketing team. In an Instagram post, the account posted: "Thinking about when she said 'See you next era…' ❤️‍🔥" with a carousel of 12 photos. 🎵 The easter eggs hinting at TS12.
A storm in the Atlantic
Tropical Storm Erin is expected to pick up strength over the next couple of days, becoming a full-fledged hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said. In a Tuesday morning advisory, the hurricane center said Erin was located about 690 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. Forecasters said Erin is moving west at 22 mph, and this motion is expected to continue for the next several days. But where will it hit? Truth is, it's too early to know what impact Erin could have on the Caribbean or the eastern United States. 🌧️ See the likely path the storm could take.
Real quick
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Is a marijuana policy shift on the schedule?
In the coming weeks, marijuana could be considered a less dangerous drug, at least as far as the federal government is concerned. President Donald Trump on Monday said the government is considering reclassifying marijuana, which would remove it from the list of the most dangerous and addictive substances. Moves to reschedule the drug − which would not make it legal under federal law − began during the Biden administration. Experts say the change could be good for research and medicine, but could also be perceived as a 'safety endorsement" at a time when rates of heavy cannabis use are climbing. 👉 What to know about the proposed change.
The next education issue
Summer is coming to an end, and it's back-to-school time for many families. But for Jennifer Lilintahl, who decided to delay her daughter's entry into kindergarten last year, it's been a challenge. When Lilintahl tried to enroll her 6-year-old daughter in kindergarten, DC Public Schools officials said she'd have to enter first grade due to her age. Delaying kindergarten for one year, a process known as 'redshirting,' is one of the latest issues for the growing parents' rights movement, which has been dominated by public school parents who want more control over what their children learn and where they go to school. Some argue their kids need an additional year in prekindergarten. But others say it creates an unfair advantage over those who don't have the resources to delay schooling. 👉 See where 'redshirting' is allowed.
A break from the news
Rebecca Morin is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY. Got thoughts or feedback? Reach out to her at [e-mail].