Editors

USA TODAY

The art of the health care deal

President Trump ran largely on his ability to negotiate, and he might need to wheel and deal to pass an Obamacare replacement. Many Republican lawmakers and conservative think tanks oppose the health care plan unveiled by House Republican leaders, even though Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that it's their best shot. Trump called for a “full-court press” to bring around those dissenters. He invited to the White House representatives from groups like the Club for Growth, the Heritage Foundation and FreedomWorks. He sent Vice President Pence to Kentucky, home of Sen. Rand Paul who called the new legislation “Obamacare lite.” Trump even had Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and his family to the White House for dinner, despite a nasty GOP primary that included Trump insulting Cruz's wife and Cruz calling Trump a "pathological liar." Negotiations can go only so far, though. Even an offer of free Waffle House wasn’t enough to sway House Democrats from introducing amendments to the legislation. The Democrats will oppose the Republican repeal-and-replace plan pretty much whichever way it’s diced (or covered, or smothered or chunked).

All’s fair in love and war — at least for this general

Two-star Gen. John Custer had an inappropriate relationship with a woman, lied to investigators about it, made his staff buy sexy clothing for her and subjected his underlings to racist and sexist emails according to the Army inspector general. But that didn’t cost him his job. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who went on to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Obama, intervened on Custer’s behalf and struck the inappropriate relationship from the record. The matter came to light only after a whistle-blower complained to USA TODAY, which obtained the report through a Freedom of Information Act request.

RadioShack just can't seem to find the signal

Electronics retailer RadioShack, which had 4,300 stores as recently as 2013, has filed for its second bankruptcy in two years and will close about 200 of its remaining 1,500 stores. Founded in 1921, RadioShack eventually rose to become a go-to destination for audio gear and also sold the first mass-marketed, fully assembled PC, the TRS-80, for which Bill Gates wrote an operating system. But the future of the brand is in serious doubt. Think about it: When was the last time you went shopping for a "radio"? Yeah.

J-Lo and A-Rod are dating, because of course

Is it just us, or does it seem inevitable that Alex Rodriguez, 41, and Jennifer Lopez, 47, are dating? (Do we call them J-Rod or A-Lo?) Multiple reports Thursday say the newly retired fallen baseball hero and the pop music diva have been spotted backstage at Lopez's Vegas show and have been dating for four months. And why not? If you're them, who are you going to find who is more gorgeous, rich, famous ... it's as if some kind of Super Tinder made their match. Which would have seemed silly just days ago. But Wednesday, TechCrunch reported that Tinder is now operating Tinder Select, an elite, invite-only version of the dating app geared toward CEOs, models and other absolutely fabulous types.

If you are addicted to cheese, these are the ones to eat

Ah, cheese. It adds magic to just about any food imaginable. It also provides the body much-needed calcium, protein and vitamins. But it has an obvious health blemish: high amounts of saturated fats and calories. (It's also addictive and acts like heroin on the brain, but you knew that already.) Anyway, if you are powerless to stop eating cheese, at least eat the healthiest kinds. Dietitian Sara Haas suggests strong-flavored varieties so you'll eat less, and pre-portion the cheese so you don't over do it. "It's all about balance," she says.