5 things you need to know Monday
Obama does his first public event as 'former president'
Barack Obama is back in the public eye Monday with a few new stamps on his passport. The former president has taken at least three vacations since watching President Trump's inauguration (Palm Springs, Calif., the Caribbean and Polynesia). Obama will hold "a conversation on civic engagement" with young leaders at the University of Chicago — where he taught constitutional law from 1992-2004.
Astronaut Peggy Whitson makes history — again
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the first woman to command the International Space Station (and the only woman to command it twice), will have spent a remarkable 535 days in space on Monday, more time than any other American astronaut — male or female. Jeffrey Williams currently holds the record. She is scheduled to speak with President Trump to mark the occasion. At 57, Whitson also is the oldest woman in space. She returns to Earth in September.
Bill O'Reilly returns with new podcast
Bill O'Reilly is coming back. The former Fox News host is set to appear Monday with a new episode of his No Spin News podcast. The news was revealed in an update to O'Reilly's personal website Saturday night. The podcast, available to premium subscribers of O'Reilly's website, would be the former cable news host's first time speaking publicly since his ouster at Fox News last week following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. O'Reilly was previously the host of The O'Reilly Factor on the network, anchoring a steady ratings winner for the network for over two decades. Fox News took The Factor off the air Friday night, with Greg Gutfeld filling in for the final broadcast.
Nintendo's NES Classic returns — but only at Best Buy stores
Looking to score one of Nintendo's now-discontinued NES Classic game systems? You'll have another shot Monday at Best Buy. The electronics giant announced on Twitter that it would have "limited quantities" of the popular, $60 retro console available for purchase. The console comes pre-loaded with 30 classic games including Pac-Man, Tecmo Bowl and Super Mario Bros. to let Nintendo fans play the old games on modern TVs . Nintendo struggled to keep the console in stock before discontinuing it earlier this month, leading to some systems going for over $200 on eBay . If interested, you're probably going to need to arrive early at your local store — Best Buy says the system will be in-store only, limited to one per customer and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Infertility an issue in your life? There's help
On Monday, National Infertility Awareness Week kicks into high gear, with podcasts and Twitter chats added to the mix of local events that will stretch from from coast to coast through this coming Saturday. With one in eight couples facing infertility, if you haven’t experienced it yourself, it’s likely you know someone who has. Research shows that women who struggle with infertility can experience anxiety and depression at the same levels of women who are HIV positive, or have cancer or heart disease. Check out USA TODAY’s special project, tied to National Infertility Awareness Week, to follow three couples on their different journeys to parenthood through adoption, IVF and surrogacy.
Bonus: Amid shutdown threat, Hill leaders look for a deal
Congress returns Monday with just five days left to keep the government from shutting down, and President Trump is adding to the pressure by demanding money for a Southwest border wall and other controversial programs that threaten a bipartisan deal. Lawmakers passed a stop-gap spending bill in December to fund federal agencies through midnight Friday. Congressional leaders are now scrambling to reach a bipartisan compromise on new legislation to keep the money flowing through fiscal 2017, which ends Sept. 30.
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