promoearn: 'The freedom to be'

Thursday, March 31

"Jeopardy!" champion Amy Schneider speaks with members of the press at the White House on Thursday to participate in Transgender Day of Visibility.

It's Transgender Day of Visibility. A wildfire rages in Tennessee. McDonald's Szechuan sauce is back. It's Thursday's news.

What the White House is doing about gas prices, a debate about the war on drugs and the pandemic's impact on teen mental health.

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

But first, let me get you a tissue. 🤧 Allergy season is here, and the severity of your sniffles may have to do with where you live.

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

'X' gender marker for passports

U.S. citizens will be able to select "X" as the gender marker on their passport application beginning April 11, The White House and State Department said Thursday. "Every American deserves the freedom to be themselves," the White House said in its announcement on Transgender Day of Visibility. The marker means that travelers will no longer have to provide medical certification if their gender identity does not align with the marker on their birth certificate or other documents.

•	Gender-neutral screening will be implemented by the TSA.
•	Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law is at the center of a new lawsuit.
•	Banned from competition, a transgender cyclist shares her story.
•	Opinion: Why more GOP lawmakers need to stand up to anti-trans legislation.
•	Gallery: 9 famous transgender rights activists and allies

180 million barrels of oil

In an effort to drive down gas prices, President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will release 1 million barrels of oil per day for the next six months from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The move is the largest release in the reserve's nearly 50-year history and is a direct response to skyrocketing gas prices triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The reserve is a stockpile of about 605 million barrels of petroleum designed to preserve oil access in the case of an emergency and is maintained by the Energy Department.

•	Expect 'even more suffering': NATO secretary General's words of warning.
•	Australia receives call to increase sanctions against Russia.

👉More news: Thursday's latest updates.

President Joe Biden is trying to keep gas prices under control.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

What everyone's talking about

•	'Dehaired possum' washed ashore: An Australian man's 'alien' discovery.
•	Your toilet could be partially to blame for a new threat to U.S. waterways.
•	Are TikTok 'tics' a thing?
•	Hello, Mickey Mouse: Disney guests can meet characters up close in April.
•	After 72 years, 1950 U.S. census data will be released to the public.

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.

Wildfire sparks evacuations

Firefighters battled to contain a wildfire Thursday near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Officials hoped overnight rainfall would abate the blaze, but gusty winds sustained the fire, which spread to nearly 4,000 acres by Thursday morning. Only 5% of the fire was contained by Thursday, officials said, as hundreds of people and 70 agencies worked to break down the wildfire. Throughout the day, 11,000 homes were evacuated. One resident described watching the "surreal" scene: "That's coming from where I live."

•	At least two people died in Florida early Thursday as severe storms tore across several states.

People watch as structures burn from a wildfire Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Caitie McMekin, AP

'A cry for help'

More than a third of high school students reported in 2021 their mental health suffered during the pandemic, according to a study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using data from the health agency's first national survey of public and private high school students, the CDC found more than half of students reported experiencing emotional abuse at home, and nearly 30% reported a parent or another adult in their home lost a job. Poor mental health, emotional abuse and attempted suicide was reported among LGBTQ youth more than other groups. The study found some solutions, concluding that students who felt connected to adults and peers at school were far less likely to report feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

•	Air quality in schools is a big issue more than ever.

Students say they feel the pressures of the pandemic.

Getty Images

Real quick

•	If you got the J&J vaccine, maybe you should consider a second COVID-19 booster.
•	A corpse kept in a kitchen for nearly four years.
•	Sleep on the floors: GM takes extreme measures to keep production going.
•	The body of a missing teen kidnapped from a Walmart parking lot was found.

A new debate over war on drugs

A soaring number of deaths related to illicit fentanyl use have stirred a debate about the future of the war on drugs. Some argue the priority should be focusing on criminal activity while others want more harm-reduction programs that emphasize clean needles and education to users. After 2021 marked the most overdose deaths recorded in the USA – 100,000 – the search for an answer is increasingly urgent. Critics of enforcement tactics say this approach punishes people with substance use disorders and does not make them quit. Opponents say government dollars shouldn't be spent on allowing people to use drugs.

•	Opioid seekers were allegedly courted by a Tennessee pharmacy.

"Fentanyl is making its way everywhere and into everything," said Nick Stavros, CEO of Community Medical Services. Today, the state of Arizona averages 4.5 drug overdoses a day, which is one of the highest overdose rates in the United States. "It is becoming a huge problem in the state of Arizona," said Stavros.

Harrison Hill

A break from the news

•	🎤 Another awards show already? The Grammys are this weekend.
•	😂 Gotcha! The history of April Fools Day.
•	🍟 'Rick and Morty' fans: McDonald's Szechuan sauce is back for a limited time.
•	💄 NuFace, Frownies and face tape: Our obsession with at home Botox.
•	📚 Here are the books making waves this week.

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.