promoearn: A stunning shutdown at CNN+

Thursday, April 21

9. CNN and Fox News Political polarization has been on the rise in the United States for decades and continues to grow. While the precise causes of political division are varied and complex, their consequences are evident not only in the dysfunction in Washington D.C., but also in the media landscape. Political affiliation is a strong predictor of where people get their news. The common perception is that the mainstream media outlets, such as CNN, have a left-leaning bias, while organizations like Fox News offer conservative a right-leaning bias - and data backs these assumptions. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans who identify as liberal trust CNN for political and election news, and 77% of the same group distrust Fox News. On the flip side, 75% of Americans who identify as conservative trust Fox News for political and election news, and 67% of them distrust CNN. ALSO READ: Famous Brands That Will Disappear in 2022

Three weeks after it launched, CNN's new streaming service is set to shut down. It's Thursday's news.

Disney's special status in Florida is set to be taken away. President Joe Biden unveiled an $800 million military aid plan for Ukraine. And scientists researched the best way to split an Oreo cookie.

👋 It's Julius here with Thursday's news!

But first, happy birthday, Queen Elizabeth II! See how she celebrated the occasion. 👑

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

CNN+ is shutting down a month after launching

Three weeks after its launch, CNN's new streaming service is planning to shut down . The media giant confirmed Thursday Warner Bros. Discovery will shutter CNN+ on April 30. In a statement, CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Licht said the network is part of the company's broader streaming vision and expects to combine elements of it with a planned merger of HBO Max and Discovery+. The decision to drop CNN+ marks a stunning reversal for the media giant, which had billed the fledgling service as one of its most important launches. But WarnerMedia, CNN's former parent, was acquired by Discovery on April 11, and the new owner had a different strategic vision for its streaming networks.

•	Other streaming news: Netflix loses 200,000 subscribers and it expects to lose 2 million more.
•	CNN+ is ending: Here's what put an end to the streaming news service only a month after it began

Florida lawmakers revoke Disney's special self-governing status

On Thursday, Florida House Republicans passed a redistricting bill to approve the dissolution of a special taxing district that allows the Walt Disney Co. to self-govern its theme park area. The measure now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval. Lawmakers voted 70-38 to back the measure, which dissolves Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District on June 1, 2023. The district, created by state law in 1967, exempts 38 miles of land Disney owns from most state and local regulations and allows Disney to collect taxes, follow its own building codes and provide emergency services for its six theme parks and resorts. The Senate previously approved the measure 23-16, to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

•	Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill sparked national backlash. But more legislation is brewing.

What everyone's talking about

•	'A beautiful spirit': Award-winning actor Robert Morse has died. He was 90.
•	Skipping a real estate agent? How this homebuyer got her own housing market lead.
•	College baseball pitcher faces expulsion for attacking an opponent after a home run.
•	Florida bride, her caterer arrested after unsuspecting wedding guests ate marijuana-laced food.
•	'I'm done': Ken Jeong exits 'The Masked Singer' stage following shocking Rudy Giuliani reveal.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Biden announces $800 million in military aid for Ukraine

The president announced Thursday additional military aid for Ukraine totaling about $800 million, matching the same amount designated last week as Russia concentrates withering attacks on the eastern region of Donbas. "We will never fail in our efforts to defend freedom and oppose tyranny," Biden said. The announcement came the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol, even as hundreds of Ukrainian troops hold out in and around a sprawling steel plant in the city. Biden added that not all the U.S. assistance is being advertised. "Sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large Javelin because we're sending a lot of those in as well," Biden said, taking about surface-to-air Javelin missiles and playing off a famous line from President Theodore Roosevelt.

•	Putin claims a win in Mariupol. What does that mean in a war in Ukraine that Russia is losing?
•	As Russia escalates attacks, what a new phase of war means for Ukrainians in the east.

Emergency workers clear up debris after an airstrike hit a tire shop in the western city of Lviv, Ukraine, Monday April 18, 2022.

Emergency workers clear up debris after an airstrike hit a tire shop in the western city of Lviv, Ukraine, on Monday.

Philip Crowther, AP

Supreme Court upholds Puerto Ricans' exclusion from SSI benefits program

The Supreme Court ruled Congress was within its power to exclude residents of Puerto Rico from the Supplemental Security Income program , which provides benefits to older, disabled and blind Americans. The court returned an 8-1 vote Thursday that held making Puerto Ricans ineligible for the benefits program available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia did not unconstitutionally discriminate against residents of the U.S. territory. Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, was the lone dissenter. Puerto Rico has been a territory since the Spanish American War in 1898, and its residents are U.S. citizens, but they have no vote for president or representation in Congress. They also do not pay federal income tax.

Real quick

•	Women abused by Larry Nassar file negligence claims against FBI over botched investigation.
•	Elon Musk says he has $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter.
•	Biden administration jails too many asylum seekers and keeps them locked up too long, report finds.
•	Deshaun Watson's conduct at hotel is under scrutiny in massage lawsuits.
•	Amber Heard's lawyers questioned Johnny Depp about drugs and the actor's friendship with Marilyn Manson.

How should you split an Oreo cookie? Here's what scientists say 🍪

A group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology looked into the science of Oreos by devising a device designed to split the iconic cookie with a specific amount of force. The goal was to create a perfect split every single time: one side a clean cookie, the other side with all the filling. Their peer-reviewed study was published Tuesday in the journal American Institute of Physics. Study author Crystal Owens told USA TODAY she got the inspiration for the study from using a rheometer, which measures liquid and substances' responses to force. To get all the cream to wind up on one side, researchers found the Oreo needs to be from a freshly opened pack and separated with a twisting motion, Owens said.

A break from the news

•	📺 Ads on Netflix? Here's how it could change your streaming options.
•	🎁 Looking for the best Mother's Day 2022 gifts? Here's where to shop and what to know.
•	🧂 We've long been told salt is bad for you. Is it really?

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.