Tuesday, October 14, 2025

SCOTUS says no to Alex Jones

The high court rejected a bid by Alex Jones to throw out a $1.4 billion judgment: It's Tuesday's news ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Tue Oct 14 2025

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hello! I'm Phaedra Trethan, thinking back to high school and when I read George Orwell's "1984." 📖

In Tuesday's news:

The U.S. Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones' appeal.
The fallout from the government shutdown continues.
A man pleaded guilty in connection with an arson at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion.

But first: It's pumpkin season! But carving is messy. Here's another way to decorate the gourds. 🎃

⚖️ SCOTUS says no to Alex Jones

The nation's highest court declined to hear an appeal from Alex Jones , the conservative media personality and conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed in 2012 that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which 20 young children and six educators were killed, was a hoax.

Jones was hoping to have a $1.4 billion judgment against him overturned. In 2022, a Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay family members of the victims and an FBI agent as part of a defamation suit. Jones' falsehoods and rhetoric, the jury found, had caused the families tremendous pain and lasting harm.

Sandy Hook Defamation Trial

Alex Jones listens as attorney Robert Barnes speaks after Jones' Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Oct. 4, 2022.

MIKE SEGAR, REUTERS

More shutdown fallout

Fourteen days into the federal government shutdown, the Trump Administration is warning more layoffs are on the way.

The Office of Management of Budget posted on X that the White House is "making every preparation to batten down the hatches," and blaming Democrats for the standoff. "Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait," added the OMB, which is led by Director Russell Vought.

What you need to know about the shutdown, including what Democrats are saying.
How layoffs in the Education Department may impact vulnerable students.
What's open and what isn't.

Real quick

R.I.P.: R&B star D'Angelo has died after a battle with cancer.
One person has died and thousands of others are displaced after flooding in Alaska.
What the collapse of coral reefs tells us about climate change. 🌏
Mourning Miss Major, a transgender pioneer who fought for LGBTQ rights.

Guilty plea in Pennsylvania

Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson and terrorism charges Tuesday in connection with an April 13 blaze at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion.

Balmer said he climbed a fence, broke a window and threw a firebomb inside the home where Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping, hours after celebrating Passover. No one was hurt in the early morning blaze but damage to the home was extensive.

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Extensive fire damage to the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion and Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence is seen during a press conference on April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Matthew Hatcher, Getty Images

Michael J. Fox looks back — and ahead

Michael J. Fox is looking back on his life and career in a new book, "Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey through the Space-Time Continuum."

The beloved actor and activist, now 64, said his longtime battle with Parkinson's has left him physically unable to write. But his co-author, Nelle Fortenberry, said he is "able to dictate these gorgeous sentences and tell these really wonderful stories with such rich detail."

"I just put one foot in front of the other," Fox told USA TODAY's Erin Jensen in a revealing and heartfelt interview.

Michael J. Fox Back to the Future Southampton 2025

Michael J. Fox attended a "Back to the Future" IMAX screening and Q&A at the Southampton Playhouse on Aug. 10, 2025, in Southampton, New York

Courtesy of Sonia Moskowitz Gordon

See photos from the new Eddie Murphy documentary.

A break from the news

Macabre museums to visit this Halloween season — or whenever the spirit strikes. 💀
This was a weird double play. ⚾️ 😮
Breaking down the Taylor trailer. 🎵

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List and story ideas from across the nation, and whether there were any books you had to read in high school but loved anyway. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigns in Cleveland in 2016.

President Donald Trump appeared on the cover of Time magazine. But he did not like how the picture came out, taking to Truth Social to criticize it.

Thirteen years after a serious stroke, Tim Curry is telling his life story and dishing on his stage and screen roles in his book "Vagabond: A Memoir."
 

Tim Curry spills on costars from Tom Cruise to Trump in memoir

Tim Curry's new memoir "Vagabond" chronicles a colorful life on and off screen. Here are the best revelations, from "Rocky Horror" to Donald Trump.

Lay's has unveiled what it is calling the "largest brand redesign" in company history, including a redesigned look. Here's a look at the old chip bags versus the new ones.
 

Lay's unveils 'largest brand redesign' in company history

Lay's announced the rebranding on Oct. 9. Here's what to know.

Residents comfort each other after attending a candlelight vigil at the Maple Valley Baptist Church for the victims in the explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Nunnelly, Tenn.
 

What we know about the 16 who died in Tennessee plant explosion

The 16 victims who died in the blast at an explosives plant in Tennessee spanned generations. Here's what we know so far.

Dallin H. Oaks, then of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, waves to the crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. Oaks was named president of the church on Oct. 14, 2025, succeeding influential leader Russell M. Nelson.
 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints names new president

The new president has a formidable legacy to live up to, succeeding influential church leader Russell M. Nelson, who died Sept. 27 at age 101.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff watches his team from the bench during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center.
 

Sabres are doomed and other NHL overreactions after one week

One week is too small a sample size to judge an entire season. Here are some overreactions from early in the 2025-26 NHL season.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes speaks at a news conference announcing that her office is taking action against vape stores in the Valley for selling tobacco products to underage consumers on July 8, 2025, in Phoenix.
 

Arizona AG demands Mike Johnson swear in Adelita Grijalva

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes threatened House Speaker Mike Johnson with legal action if he didn't swear in Dem Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.

Nationwide "No Kings" protests are set for October 18 as organizers push back on shutdown blame.
 

'No Kings' protests planned nationwide

Nationwide "No Kings" protests are set for October 18 as organizers push back on shutdown blame.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference, following the issuance of the Federal Open Market Committee's statement on interest rate policy, in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
 

Powell says Fed has no 'risk-free' path for policy at October meeting

Despite gaps in federal data caused by the government shutdown, Powell said the employment and inflation outlooks don't appear to have changed much.

The heart of the Mustang Dark Horse interior is its all-new anodized blue, lightweight titanium manual shift knob.     Preproduction computer-generated images shown.
 

These are the American cars that still offer stick shifts in 2025

Stick shifts are very rare these days and most companies have stopped making them. Since most drivers prefer automatics, they're an acquired taste.

Time for a break!

Brighten your day with one of our games.

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