Trump separated from month-old family separation policy

Trump issues executive order to stop his own policy

Just as outrage over the administration's immigration policy was reaching full boil, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that he said ends family separations at the border. Trump — who previously claimed his hands were tied in the matter — said he "didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated." But the president intends to continue his controversial "zero tolerance" policy, which includes arresting parents who cross the border illegally. Since current law says the children can't be kept in jail, the order calls for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a request asking the court to tweak the law. It's unclear what the administration will do if the court refuses. The administration is also pushing Congress for a legislative fix. Critics accused the White House of flip-flopping on the issue. As recently as Tuesday, Sessions defended the family separations in an op-ed for USA TODAY, arguing that "aliens" were using their children to exploit a "loophole" in America's immigration system to avoid detention.

So where does the United States stand on human rights?

The U.S. announced Tuesday it was pulling out of the United Nations' Human Rights Council, issuing a blistering critique of the group. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley called the council a "cesspool of political bias," especially against U.S. ally Israel and accused the council of sticking up for countries that abuse their citizens without repercussions. Some said the withdrawal is another sign that President Donald Trump does not consider human rights a priority. Similar remarks were made after Trump waved away concerns about North Korea's human rights record last week, describing leader Kim Jong Un as a "smart guy" and a "great negotiator." (A 2014 Human Rights Council report listed North Korea for widespread use of murder, torture and rape under Kim.) Leaving the council comes after Trump also withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord.

Canada becomes second nation to legalize weed

Canada should think about changing its flag from a red maple leaf to a green marijuana one. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that marijuana will be legal nationwide starting Oct. 17. Canadian lawmakers passed the Cannabis Act on Tuesday after years of study. Our northern neighbor will become only the second country after Uruguay to legalize pot, although several countries (such as the Netherlands) have decriminalized it.

Hyundai pulls ahead of the competition 

South Korean cars took the top three spots in the J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study, one of the auto industry's most closely watched lists for car quality. Hyundai, Kia and the luxury brand Genesis nabbed those coveted spots, with Porsche and Ford coming in fourth and fifth, respectively. The worst three brands in the survey were Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

It's a fight for 'The Simpsons' and 'Avatar'

Walt Disney Co. and Comcast are in a bidding war for assets being sold by Twenty-First Century Fox, including "Titanic," "Alien" and "Empire." Disney raised its bid Wednesday to $70.4 billion, topping its original $52.4 billion offer after Comcast bid $65 billion last week. A federal judge last week approved AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, which raised the curtain on other mega-mergers among entertainment companies. It could likely kick off a new wave of video-streaming services to battle Netflix.

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.

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