Ryan Lochte got it much worse than Michael Phelps did

Editors, USA TODAY3:36 p.m. EDT September 8, 2016

(Photo: Lee Jin-man, AP)

Lochte’s harsh punishment didn’t fit crime, especially when compared to Phelps

Ryan Lochte is banned from swimming through next June and will forfeit $100,000 in bonus money that went with his gold medal from the Rio Olympics, part of the penalty for his drunken encounter at a

gas station in Brazil during last month's Games. USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour says the punishment is way too harsh, pointing out that Lochte’s behavior, boorish as it most certainly was, was deemed worse than Michael Phelps' drunken driving offense (remember that?), a misdeed that endangered actual lives. For a *second* DUI, Phelps got a six-month suspension. The chaos around the Rio incident became one of the most embarrassing stretches in recent memory for any U.S. Olympic team. The other three swimmers with Lochte that night — Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — will be suspended from domestic and international USA Swimming national team competitions for four months.

'Star Trek' boldly went where no show had gone before. Happy b-day, Enterprise crew!

It's the big 5-0 for Star Trek. Can you believe it? With a cast that was startlingly diverse for its time and pie-in-the-sky technology that actually became real, the voyages of the Starship Enterprise left an indelible mark on our culture, inspiring many young scientists and powerful Trekkie fan culture. (We do still really want that medical tricorder tho, OK?) To paraphrase Leonard Nimoy’s inimitable first officer, Mr. Spock, Star Trek has indeed lived long and prospered. It has had a near-continuous small-screen presence for almost all those 50 years. Here's a look at its history,show-by-show. We can't tell you how hard we want to end this item with a Spock hand emoji.

Certain Hispanic women more likely to die of breast cancer than others

If you are Mexican or Puerto Rican, you are more likely to die from breast cancer than other Hispanic women in the U.S., according to a study released Thursday that could have significant implications for the treatment and care of Latino women. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women, according to the American Cancer Society. Read more here.

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas, right?

Definitely not if you're a retailer. Toys 'R' Us tells us what's going to be hot this holiday season. (Walmart did the same last week.) We're feeling warm and fuzzy thinking about those days of yore, eagerly circling everything in that big catalog for Santa to see. Do kids even do that anymore? Probably not. Because of course one of those hot toys is a kit that lets kids cobble together their own computers. Sheesh. A puppy with a disco ball-like tummy, Power Wheels that twirl 360 degrees and, of course, Pokemon are all on the list, too. Shopkins ... can someone explain what they are? Anyway, Merry Christmas.