The Boy Scouts make a major change. The search is still on for two missing teens. And an NFL team makes history with a new coach.
It’s Tuesday, and here are five things to know for your New Day.
BOY SCOUTS
Bye, bye ban: We knew it was coming for weeks, but it’s still a big moment. The Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban yesterday on gay adults as Scout leaders. Not everyone is thrilled with the decision, however. LGBT advocacy groups say the change doesn’t go far enough, since it leaves an exemption for troops sponsored by religious organizations. Religious groups say the decision goes too far, and the Mormon church said it was “re-evaluating” its relationship with the Scouts.
MISSING FLORIDA TEENS
Still searching: Family, friends and the Coast Coast still hold out hope that Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos will be found. A Coast Guard captain said yesterday people can survive in warm water for as long as four to five days. The boys have been missing since Friday; their capsized boat was found Sunday. The search is focused on an area about 60 miles off Jacksonville, and the boys’ families are offering a $100,000 reward for their rescue.
ESCALATOR DEATH
Unbelievable: It’s mystifying that someone could die this way. A young mother at a mall in China died over the weekend when a panel on the escalator she was on collapsed under her feet. She fell into the gap, but not before pushing her young son to safety. Her body was found inside the escalator several hours later. Officials blamed the mall, saying employees found the panel to be loose and protruding five minutes before the accident, but didn’t do anything about it (like stopping the escalator).
TURKEY
On the offensive: Turkey has gotten off the sidelines in a big way. After allowing its bases and airspace to be used in the coalition fight against ISIS, Turkey started bombing the Islamist militants itself and as well as taking on Kurdistan Workers Party rebels. Now the country has called for an emergency NATO meeting to discuss the situation in Iraq and Syria.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Ladies first: The NFL won’t be just about the guys this season, as the Arizona Cardinals hire the league’s first female coach. Jen Welter was added to the Cardinals’ staff yesterday as a training camp and preseason coaching intern. Welter has played football professionally for more than a decade and most recently was an assistant coach in the Indoor Football League. But she won’t be the only woman in the spotlight: Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s first full-time female referee, suits up next season as well.