promoearn: Mansions burn as wildfires rage

Thursday, May 12

A firefighter works to put out a structure burning during a wildfire May 11 in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Rich Strike needs a little more rest after his Kentucky Derby win. And see the first picture of the Milky Way's very own supermassive black hole. It's Thursday's news.

It's another warm, dry and windy day – the type of weather a wildfire likes. President Joe Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19. And Rich Strike needs a little more rest after his Kentucky Derby win.

👋 It's Laura. It's Thursday. Like the supermassive black hole in the center of our galaxy, Thursday's news is out of this world!

But first, more news from out of this world. 🌝 Scientists grew plants using soil from the moon – for the first time. Here's how it turned out.

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

Hot, dry weather has officials on high alert as wildfires rage

Another warm, dry and windy day fanned the flames of the nation's largest wildfire in New Mexico on Thursday as authorities warned residents in nearby towns to be ready for evacuations. The fire in northern New Mexico along the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo range "is going to keep growing," U.S. Forest Service officials said Thursday. Weather forecasters said conditions were ripe for more destruction. A wildfire that erupted Wednesday afternoon in Southern California raced through coastal bluffs of multimillion-dollar mansions, burning at least 20 homes, fire officials said. The flames were fanned by gusty ocean winds, but they were dying down Wednesday night. No injuries were reported, but several streets were ordered evacuated.

•	Photos: Laguna Niguel wildfire burns homes in S. California coastal community.
•	Find out what the weather's doing in your neck of the woods with a local forecast.

Nearing '1 million empty chairs'

President Joe Biden on Thursday marked the "tragic milestone" of 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19, calling each death an "irreplaceable loss." "One million empty chairs around the dinner table," Biden said in a statement. "Each leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic." Biden directed flags on government buildings to be flown at half-staff for five days. Though COVID-19 counts vary, data the White House uses showed deaths approaching the 1 million mark Thursday morning. The president urged Congress to approve additional funding he requested to fight the pandemic. Without more money, the administration says the United States will lose its place in line for new COVID-19 treatments and vaccines for the fall when a new variant could hit.

•	1 million deaths: A pandemic legacy of grief, anger and frustration.
•	North Korea confirms first COVID-19 outbreak, Kim orders lockdown.
•	'It wears on your spirit': Georgia county hit hard by COVID-19 reckons with loss.

People pray during a celebration of life held on March 12, 2022, for Kimberly "Money" Barnes who passed away from COVID 19.

Rita Harper, for USA TODAY

What everyone's talking about

•	Ashley Judd revealed her mother Naomi Judd's cause of death.
•	Baby formula shortages: How to keep your baby healthy and fed.
•	Abortion rights groups set to rally Saturday – from DC to Los Angeles.
•	Flying Southwest? Things are about to change. Here's what's coming.
•	'We can never go back': Black women mobilize around abortion rights.
•	Patti LuPone tells Broadway theatergoer to wear a mask or 'get out.'
•	Video: Strangers team up to save unconscious woman as her car drifted through an intersection.

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No Triple Crown winner this year

Rich Strike, the improbable winner of last week's Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course, ensuring that there will be no Triple Crown winner this year. Rick Dawson, Rich Strike's owner, said Thursday they will instead look toward the Belmont Stakes on June 11 to get more rest and recovery time. Having just two weeks of prep time before the second leg of the Triple Crown, Dawson and trainer Eric Reed decided to set their sights on the later date. The 80-1 long shot stunned the horse racing world last weekend, breezing past favorites Epicenter and Zandon to win the Kentucky Derby.

•	Filly Secret Oath will take on the boys at this year's Preakness.
•	Jockey Sonny Leon serves suspension after Kentucky Derby win. It's not the first time.

Sonny Leon aboard Rich Strike wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

Hospital stays led to harm for 1 in 4 Medicare patients

One in 4 older Americans covered by Medicare had some type of temporary or lasting harm during hospital stays before the COVID-19 pandemic, government investigators said in an oversight report published Thursday. The report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generalsaid 12% of patients had "adverse events" that mainly led to longer hospital stays but also permanent harm or death, or they required lifesaving intervention. Thirteen percent had temporary issues that could have caused further complications had hospital staff not acted. Though inspector general investigators noted improvements in certain safety measures, officials said the 25% harm rate is concerning and deserves renewed attention.

Real quick

•	Was the search of a team bus justified? Georgia attorneys questioned the actions of sheriff's deputies in Liberty County, some speculating that they violated the civil rights of student-athletes from a Delaware HBCU when they searched the lacrosse players' motorcoach.
•	Jan. 6 committee: U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs and Mo Brooks were issued subpoenas to testify after they failed to voluntarily cooperate with the panel's investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
•	Ukraine news: Finland's leaders announced support Thursday for expedited NATO membership despite dire warnings of "retaliatory steps" from Russia. Thursday's latest updates.

A 'hole' new world

If you ever wondered what the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy looks like, you're in luck. The world got a first look Thursday at the wild but fuzzy image of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. Sagittarius A* is 4 million times more massive than our sun and is near the border of the Sagittarius and Scorpius constellations – about 27,000 light-years from Earth. Astronomers say nearly all galaxies have giant black holes at their center, where light and matter cannot escape, making it extremely hard to get images of them. Light gets chaotically bent and twisted around by gravity as it gets sucked into the abyss along with superheated gas and dust. The colorized image unveiled Thursday is from the international consortium behind the Event Horizon Telescope, a collection of eight synchronized radio telescopes around the world. Previous efforts had found the black hole in the center of our galaxy too jumpy to get a good picture.

•	Why is the black hole image blurry? Here's how they pulled it off.
•	Looking at space: Stunning images you have to see.

Astronomers have unveiled the first wild but fuzzy image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. (May 12)

A break from the news

•	💌 Some people with autism finally feel seen. Here's why.
•	🙀 Zillow listing with 'Halloween' villain photos scares up viral views.
•	🩹 Scars are common. Here's how to prevent them – and what to avoid.
•	📱 Too many notifications? 5 major tech annoyances and how to fix them.

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