Centuries of history – in flames

Ashley Shaffer
Updated
Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral.

It's been a rough Monday, Short Listers. Let's just dive right in.

But first, don’t microwave that: This video dishes on the five foods chefs say they never nuke. Hint: Put that pizza back.

'Everything is burning': History ablaze at Notre Dame

The famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames Monday as shocked crowds gathered in the streets to watch one of the globe's most iconic churches burn. Smoke flowed from the 850-year-old structure before the cathedral's spire tumbled over, engulfed by flames. The fire burned basically unabated for hours despite hundreds of firefighters' efforts. It continued to glow when darkness fell. French President Emmanuel Macron summed up the emotions: "I am sad tonight to see this part of all of us burn."

Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told Le Figaro newspaper, "Everything is burning."

But perhaps not everything: City officials said late Monday that they are optimistic the church's iconic main towers can be saved.

Here's why Notre Dame is so important:

  • Its world-renowned architecture: The cathedral dates back almost 1,000 years. Construction began in 1163 and took almost 200 years to complete. The building is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world.

  • It's home to relics associated with Jesus: The cathedral's "most precious and most revered object" is the Crown of Thorns, said to have been placed upon Jesus before his crucifixion. Other relics include a fragment believed to be part of Jesus' cross and a nail believed to have been used in the crucifixion. Salvage efforts were underway to recover precious artifacts.

See photos: Fire engulfs Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

More Mueller report drops Thursday

Attorney General William Barr plans to release the final 400-page report of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation Thursday. The report, anticipated since last month after Barr offered only a scant summary of its major conclusions, will head to Congress and go public at about the same time. Parts of the report will stay secret, Barr said. Democrats demanded for weeks that Barr make the full, unredacted report available while President Donald Trump seized on its conclusions to declare “complete vindication.” The report could detail connections between the Russia and Trump's campaign that did not produce criminal charges.

Special counsel Robert Mueller arrives at his office in Washington, Monday, April 15, 2019.
Special counsel Robert Mueller arrives at his office in Washington, Monday, April 15, 2019.

Lori Loughlin won't stand down

Lori Loughlin plans to fight charges against her in the college admissions cheating case. The "Full House" actress and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, filed federal documents Monday pleading not guilty and waiving their right to appear in court for an arraignment. Last week, Loughlin, Giannulli and other parents charged in the cheating scheme were indicted on an additional felony count of money laundering, on top of other fraud counts they were charged with last month. Other indicted parents entered not guilty pleas, indicating they plan to challenge the government's case against them at trial.

Real quick

Noted golf fan Donald Trump will honor Tiger Woods

President Trump announced he would award Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the wake of Woods’ Masters victory Sunday. Woods’ one-shot victory at Augusta National capped off an amazing and lengthy comeback from personal setbacks and physical ailments, earning his fifth green jacket and 15th major championship. Before Woods, golfers Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus received Medals of Freedom, and President Barack Obama presented another to pioneering black golfer Charlie Sifford in 2014.

Tiger Woods celebrates with the green jacket and trophy after winning the Masters.
Tiger Woods celebrates with the green jacket and trophy after winning the Masters.

A college 'rite of passage' killed her

A Fordham University senior climbing up the campus' bell tower fell to her death in a tragic accident Sunday. Sydney Monfries, 22, fell through an opening in a stairway landing, plummeting about 30 feet, school officials said. Fordham University's student newspaper reported that climbing the tower is a kind of "rite of passage" before graduation. The tower on the Bronx, New York, campus is off-limits to students and locked at night. It was locked before Monfries entered the building, according to the university.

Sydney Monfries, a senior at Fordham University died Sunday after falling from the campus clock tower.
Sydney Monfries, a senior at Fordham University died Sunday after falling from the campus clock tower.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Centuries of history – in flames