Can Trump and Putin rekindle the 'bromance'?

View this email in your browser Brought to you by USATODAY.com Trump and Putin meet face-to-face The stakes are high as President Trump prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Group of 20 gathering of world leaders in Hamburg, Germany. Russia blocked a United Nations Security Council statement Thursday calling for "further significant measures" in response to North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile said to be capable of reaching Alaska. Trump warned he is considering "some pretty severe" responses against North Korea. Putin and Trump said nice things about each other in the past, but the North Korea divide might end a "bromance" already strained by tensions over Syria, sanctions, and allegations of Russian election meddling. Trump still hasn't condemned Moscow for any interference in last year's campaign and he said Thursday in Warsaw that "nobody really knows for sure" what happened in the 2016 election. So, maybe "bromance" isn't dead.  Andrew Garfield, our latest controversy Actor Andrew Garfield (known by some as Peter Parker) is getting berated for saying he's a gay man who doesn't have sex with gay men. Let's explain. Garfield is starring onstage as a gay man with AIDS in a London production of "Angels in America." During a panel discussion about how he prepped for the role, Garfield said he would have friends over and they watched RuPaul's "Drag Race." "That is my life outside of this play," he said. "I am a gay man right now just without the physical act — that's all." Sexual identity is, of course, complicated. But the backlash against Garfield is for his insensitive remark while starring in an epic work about the struggles of gay people. Twitter users wondered how watching RuPaul makes one gay. Garfield has a history of supporting the LGBTQ community, but in this case, many thought his attempt at being an ally fell flat. ​ ​​​​​​Microsoft has its head in the cloud It's a common theme among computer companies: Sales of hardware sink, while cloud computing services rake in cash. That's why Microsoft announced Thursday it would lay off thousands of workers to bolster its place in the cloud. A big reason for Microsoft's decline in PC sales is its struggling Surface line, dipping 26% last quarter. Meanwhile, sales tied to cloud services nearly doubled. More than a dozen states sue Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Eighteen states plus the District of Columbia are suing the Education Department and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for rescinding a "borrower defense" rule that would have allowed student loan borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness if they were defrauded by for-profit schools. The Obama-era rule was finalized in November and was scheduled to take effect July 1. "Since day one, Secretary DeVos has sided with for-profit school executives against students and families drowning in unaffordable student loans," said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who led the lawsuit.    At least the kid didn't get dragged off the plane  Oh, United. The airline suffered another public relations disaster after double-booking a seat purchased for 2-year-old boy traveling with his mother. The airline sold the seat to a standby passenger, forcing the child's mom to spend the three-hour flight with her son on her lap. United claimed the seat-reselling error occurred after agents inaccurately scanned the toddler's boarding pass. This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY. Invite others to enjoy The Short List newsletter. Thank you for subscribing to the The Short List. Got some feedback, a tip or just want to say hello? Email us at newsletters@e.usatoday.com. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Unsubscribe from the The Short List Why did I get this? Update my subscription preferences USA TODAY 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22102

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