Cabinet diversity? Eh, sure

The Trump Cabinet guessing game goes on

There were no announcements from President-elect Donald Trump on his Cabinet picks Thursday, so the world keeps watching the Trump Tower elevator doors. And speculates. And gaffes. Example: South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford said he doesn't think the Cabinet needs to look like a “Benetton commercial.” Explain: 1. Benetton ads are known for their diversity. 2. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley reportedly met with Trump Thursday about the secretary of State position. Haley's Indian heritage could be a plus for that role, Sanford said. Meanwhile, we haven't heard much from Trump: "My transition team, which is working long hours and doing a fantastic job, will be seeing many great candidates today," tweeted the tweeter-(elect)-in-chief.

Also on the Trump transition

• A president who isn't serious "won't be there very long," Obama warns from Europe
• America's top spy, James Clapper, is stepping down
• Is Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, settling a score over Chris Christie?
• The Bidens gave the Pences a tour of their soon-to-be new vice presidential digs in a meeting that Joe Biden said went “very, very well.”
• A national registry of immigrants from countries with extremist activity could be back on the table
• Bernie Sanders wants Trump to take back his job offer to "racist" Stephen Bannon

You might have wanted to give Hillary a hug after watching her speech last night

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appeared somewhat somber during a speech in Washington, her first public appearance since her defeat. "Coming here tonight wasn’t the easiest thing for me," Clinton said Wednesday night. "There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book," she said, "and never leave the house again." We don't doubt her for a second. Clinton gave one of the most personal testimonials about the original inspiration for her career in public service: her mother. The speech at the Children's Defense Fund in Washington likely foreshadows Clinton's continued personal advocacy on behalf of poor children.

Attention, fellow earthlings: It's time to flee

No, it's not because of politics, although the recent election has driven legion of Facebook users to give themselves a timeout. It's because we're facing the possibly of mass extinction and need to find another planet. STAT. So says scientist Stephen Hawking, who in a speech this week detailed the history of man’s understanding of the universe and said, again, that the future of humanity is in space. “I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet.” Name the time and place and we'll come with you, Professor Hawking.

These terrorist attacks mercifully didn't happen in Kosovo

Thank goodness. Police say they arrested 19 people and thwarted simultaneous Islamic State attacks in Kosovo and neighboring Albania, including a planned assault on the Israeli national soccer team during a match. The suspects, who were planning “synchronized terror attacks,” were rounded up over the past 10 days, police said Wednesday. Most of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority are nominally Muslim but largely secular. Kosovo, backed by the West, declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Leonard Cohen actually died three days earlier than we thought

Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who died last week at age 82, passed away in his sleep after a middle-of-the-night fall at his Los Angeles home. Cohen died on Nov. 7, three days before his passing was announced to the public in a Facebook post on the singer's official page. "The death was sudden, unexpected and peaceful,"  Cohen's manager Robert B. Kory said Thursday. A memorial in Los Angeles is being planned for a later date.

Extra Bites

Texts from grandma, complete with grandma emoji. This hilarious story of a Thanksgiving invitation gone awry is what America needs right now.

You will never be able to unsee the mesmerizing hidden images in these logos.

Duck Dynasty is approaching its last (duck) call.

From a big luxury convertible to a maximum-sized Mini, the Los Angeles Auto Show isn't hurting for interesting new models. Catch up on all the cars.

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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY

Contributing: Associated Press