promoearn: Keep cruisin'

Wednesday, March 30

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted a pandemic-era notice on cruise travel on March 30.

Title IX after 50 years. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is on the way to the Supreme Court. It's Wednesday's news.

A COVID-19 warning for cruise ships was dropped. A NASA astronaut's landing defies U.S. tensions with Russia. Bruce Willis announces his departure from acting.

👋 It's Nicole, bringing you all the news you need to know Wednesday.

But first, batten down the hatches. More than 50 million Americans are at risk of experiencing severe weather Wednesday, especially across the Deep South.

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

CDC: It's okay to set sail

After more than two years of discouraging travelers from taking cruises amid the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its COVID-19 risk assessment of cruise travel Wednesday. The removal of the COVID-19 Cruise Ship Travel Health Notice doesn't mean that sailing the seas comes without any risk. A spokesperson for the health agency said travelers should analyze the risk as they would for any other travel. The decision to lift the notice was based on the pandemic's state and decreased rates of COVID-19 on cruise ships.

•	One-stop shop: A new federal site will help Americans navigate COVID-19 information.
•	How to know whether to get a second booster shot.

Little progress for Russia-Ukraine talks

No breakthroughs were reached in talks with Ukraine to end Russia's invasion, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. None of the officials involved in the talks described them as positive, Peskov said. The Russian military suffered such heavy losses that units were forced to return to Belarus and Russia, putting pressure on Russia's overwhelmed logistics, the British Defense Ministry said in an assessment Wednesday. President Joe Biden pledged $500 million in additional support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call Wednesday.

•	Ukrainians are skeptical of Russia's pledge to scale back its military operations.
•	'Who else will do this?': One convoy's trek to rescue refugees in Ukraine.

👉More news: Wednesday's latest updates.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, left, and Ukrainian politician Davyd Arakhamia are members of the delegations in Istanbul for talks on resolving the war March 29.

What everyone's talking about

•	A COVID-19 restriction on asylum seekers at the border is likely to end in May.
•	Sandy Hook victims' families reject a settlement offer from Infowars' Alex Jones.
•	The death toll from an 80-vehicle pileup on a Pennsylvania highway rises.
•	A kidnapper in prison for decades has been approved for parole.
•	There are hundreds of undiscovered mammals you've probably seen already.

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.

Bruce Willis takes a bow

Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting because of health issues. The 67-year-old actor known for his roles in "Die Hard" and "Pulp Fiction" was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that hinders a person's ability to communicate and talk with others. According to an Instagram post by his daughter Rumer, the condition is "impacting his cognitive abilities," causing the star to step away from his celebrated career. The joint family statement described the decision as "challenging" but expressed love and appreciation for fans' support.

•	'The Sopranos' actor Paul Herman dies at 76.

Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting because of health issues, his daughter Rumer announced on social media.

USA TODAY

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on way to Supreme Court

President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee has bipartisan support for her confirmation. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Wednesday that she would vote yes on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination. Collins' vote would move the needle in the Senate, which is evenly split along party lines and needs a simple majority of 51 of the 100 senators to make the judge the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest court. Republicans pushed Jackson during confirmation hearings last week, but Collins said in a statement that although she will not agree with every one of Jackson's votes, "that alone, however, is not disqualifying."

•	Poll: Nearly half of Americans say Jackson is 'very qualified' for the Supreme Court.
•	SCOTUS, Impeachment, Jan. 6: How Collins has bucked the GOP.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 8, 2022.

Carolyn Kaster, AP

Real quick

•	A Fort Stewart soldier was killed in an incident involving Black Hawk helicopters.
•	A nurse's conviction for giving the wrong drug could cause a chilling effect.
•	Manatees are dying at record rates because of humans.
•	'It's a very lonely world': LGBTQ conservatives react to anti-gay legislation.
•	How a Black man seeks a place in the finance industry.

NASA astronaut returns to Earth in Russian capsule

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei landed on Earth Wednesday with two Russian cosmonauts after a record 355-day spaceflight at the International Space Station. The American landed in a Soyuz capsule – a Russian capsule – in Kazakhstan with Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Space Agency. The trio's return from space comes as tensions between the United States and Russia escalate over Vladimir Putin's deadly invasion of Ukraine. Vande Hei said he avoided the subject of the war with his two Russian crewmates during the flight. One of the cosmonauts remarked that during orbit, "we are one crew."

•	More than 5,000 planets lie beyond our solar system.

U.S. astronaut and Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei peers at the Earth below from inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station's window to the world on Feb. 4, 2022.

Kayla Barron/NASA via AP, File

Title IX falling short at 50

Title IX turns 50 this summer. The federal law requires schools receiving public funds to guarantee gender equity across a range of areas, but it's best known for its mandate to provide women with equal athletic opportunities. After five decades, schools still fall short of this directive. USA TODAY interviewed coaches, athletes and athletic directors to evaluate where disparities lie. Though the number of girls and women playing sports has soared, schools lag in ensuring opportunities are equitable. Spending imbalances between men's and women's teams are often hidden – another way women are told they don't matter.

•	Search data on how colleges short-change women's sports.

Title IX disparities in major college sports are too big to ignore.

Illustration: Andrea Brunty/USA TODAY Network, and Getty Images

A break from the news

•	🔥The lack of sex scenes in 'Bridgerton' Season 2.
•	🍔Would you eat a burger from a vending machine?
•	👉What people with disabilities wish fellow travelers knew.
•	💔If you don't trust your partner, here's what to do.
•	👶Baby pics: Check out these new celebrity babies.

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.