promoearn: Bye-bye, Brady

Tuesday, February 1

Tom Brady played his only game as a visitor to Gillette Stadium during the 2021 regular season.

The GOAT is headed out. It's Tuesday's news.

Tesla hit the brakes on a faulty stopping feature affecting thousands of cars. And Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of ignoring demands over Ukraine.

👋 It's Laura. It's Tuesday. That must mean this is Tuesday's news!

But first, this is a real pickle! 🐚 A "sea pickle," that is. It's a weirdo sea creature that can grow up to 60 feet long, and it's washing up on the beaches in Oregon.

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The GOAT has left the building

Will he retire or won't he? It's now official: He will. A day after saying he was evaluating his options concerning his future, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady officially retired from the NFL after 22 seasons, he announced via social media on Tuesday. Brady, 44, led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns this season and his final game was the NFC Divisional loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams. Brady's retirement brings an end to a storied career with seven Super Bowl titles, three MVP and five Super Bowl MVP awards and 15 Pro Bowl selections. If there is one blemish on his record, it came during the 2015 AFC championship when the Colts accused Brady of using a deflated football. "I am so proud of what we have achieved," Brady wrote in an announcement on social media. "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

•	Brady's accomplishments: 12 of TB12's most memorable moments and records.

February is Black History Month

Tuesday marks the start of Black History Month, a federally recognized celebration of the contributions African Americans have made to the U.S. and a time to reflect on the continued struggle for racial justice. The commemorative month aims to recognize and understand major moments and figures in African American history, as well as those continuing to pioneer the way. Throughout Black History Month, USA TODAY reporters will tell the stories of those who pushed for and brought about lasting change in Black communities. We begin with the 1972 National Black Political Convention that united 10,000 people to discuss the future of political involvement for Black people.

•	Sun, sand and civil rights: Uncovering Black history at the beach and beyond.
•	Slavery was abolished in Washington in 1862. Here's the story behind it.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, executive director of Operation PUSH, speaks from the floor of the National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana in March 1972. "If we do nothing else today, we ill have made a revolutionary step toward a black political nation in this country and in the world," he said. î (AP Photo/Jim Wells) ORG XMIT: APHS353022 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, executive director of Operation PUSH, speaks from the floor of the National Black Political Convention in Gary, Ind., in March 1972.

Jim Wells, ASSOCIATED PRESS

What everyone's talking about

•	Here's a tip: Domino's will give you $3 to order your pizza online and pick it up yourself.
•	Florida 17-year-old wins appeal to get an abortion without parental consent.
•	An 8-year-old made a comic book, hid it in a library. Now there's a waitlist to read it.
•	Two male penguins at New York zoo, Elmer and Lima, become foster parents to hatchling. 🥰

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.

Want ✨ exclusive ✨ Winter Olympics access? Sign up for USA TODAY's Olympics texts to get the latest updates and behind-the-scenes coverage from Beijing.

Pfizer gets ready to offer its vaccine for younger kids

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are expected to request FDA emergency-use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, according to reports. It could happen as soon as Tuesday – and the authorization could come by the end of February, people familiar with the discussions said. In tests, a lower dose of the vaccine – 3 micrograms – given to kids ages 6 months to 2 years produced as much immune protection as shots given to other age groups. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, coronavirus cases among children have spiked severely in 2022 with the omicron variant, recording over 3.5 million child cases in January – triple the peak level of delta's wave in 2021.

•	This household item may help you 'retrain your sense of smell and taste after COVID-19.

Pedestrians walk past a wall mural depicting Mexican painter Frida Kahlo wearing a face mask to spread awareness about the Covid-19 coronavirus in Mumbai on January 29, 2022.

Pedestrians walk past a wall mural depicting Mexican painter Frida Kahlo wearing a face mask to spread awareness about the COVID-19 in Mumbai on Saturday.

PUNIT PARANJPE, AFP via Getty Images

Putin says US, NATO have 'ignored' Russia's demands on Ukraine

In his first comments on the crisis in over a month,Putin said the Kremlin's "fundamental concerns have been ignored" in its demands over Ukraine. On Tuesday, Putin said that Moscow hadn't seen "adequate consideration" from the U.S. and NATO, then demanded that NATO retract the military alliance back to a "1997 status quo," indicating that at least 14 countries, including the Baltic states, Poland and Romania, would need to withdraw from the bloc to meet the Kremlin's demands. Putin's comments came after high-level talks between the U.S. and Russia broke little new ground as the threat of the war looms over Ukraine amid a significant Russian buildup of troops on its border.

•	Will Russia invade Ukraine? Talks, timing, desire for a long fight factor into strategy.

Pigeons take off in front of the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow on Jan. 26, 2022. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands. Those answers are expected this week — even though the U.S. and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.

Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP

Real quick

•	FBI called to 'aggressively' investigate bomb threats made to several HBCUs over 2 days.
•	85 million people, 19 states are in sprawling path of icy winter storm.
•	Rent prices are actually dropping in these major U.S. cities. Where's it happening – and why?
•	'Everybody loved Max': California firefighter fatally shot while responding to fire.
•	'Do we even know they're Nazis?' The controversy over Gov. Ron DeSantis aide's tweet explained.

Tesla recalls vehicles over software that runs stop signs

Not only is it dangerous, but it sounds like a good way to get a traffic ticket. Tesla is recalling nearly 54,000 cars and SUVs because their "Full Self-Driving" software lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt. Documents posted Tuesday by U.S. safety regulators say that Tesla will disable the feature with an over-the-internet software update. The "rolling stop" feature allows vehicles to go through intersections with all-way stop signs at up to 5.6 miles per hour. Tesla said that it knows of no crashes or injuries caused by the feature. The recall covers Model S sedans and X SUVs from 2016 through 2022, as well as 2017 to 2022 Model 3 sedans and 2020 through 2022 Model Y SUVs.

Model S, X, 3, and Y.

Tesla

A break from the news

•	📣 Tongue-tied? Here's how to overcome your fear of public speaking.
•	🌄 Over 50 and love to travel? These tour companies can show you the world.
•	🟩 Heads up, word nerds! Check out these 4 games that are like Wordle with a twist.

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.