The Short List

Wed Jan 24 2024

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Nikki Haley rejects Donald Trump's calls to quit the GOP race. Russia says a military jet carrying 65 POWs crashed near Ukraine. And why a new execution method is stirring up controversy.

👋 Hello, Wednesday! Laura Davis here. It's time to get you caught up on the news.

But first: Coin Flip Day just doesn't have the same charm as Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil has a questionable track record of predicting the weather. But that's not why PETA wants to replace him.

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

Does Haley still have a chance to beat Trump?

A defiant Nikki Haley resisted calls to end her campaign after suffering back-to-back losses to former President Donald Trump in her bid to capture the GOP presidential nomination. "This race is far from over," Haley told her supporters Tuesday night after Trump was declared winner of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. Haley's vow to stay in the race came two days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quit his campaign and threw his support behind Trump – the latest in a long line of endorsements the former president has collected. In New Hampshire, Haley was trailing Trump 54%-43% with nearly all of the vote counted. But Haley and her supporters insist there is still a pathway for her to capture the nomination. 🗳️ Here's a look at what's next for Haley.

•	How Joe Biden won a write-in campaign after skipping the NH primary.

Nikki Haley speaks at her New Hampshire presidential primary watch party in Concord on Tuesday night.

Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Alabama execution stirs ethical controversy

On Thursday, Alabama is set to carry out the first-ever execution by nitrogen hypoxia on death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith. The planned execution raises heated questions about the ethics of using the untried method to execute Smith, who has already been through one unsuccessful execution attempt. If the execution is carried out, nitrogen hypoxia would be the first new method used since 1982, when lethal injection was introduced.

Why is it controversial? Nitrogen hypoxia is a form of execution in which an inmate is deprived of oxygen until they breathe only nitrogen, causing asphyxiation. "But the terms of how it's going to exactly work is still unclear," said Joel Zivot, an associate professor in anesthesiology. 👉 Here's everything to know.

Real quick

•	Why some people are turning to 'death doulas' as the end approaches.
•	6-legged dog gets life-changing surgery after being abandoned at a grocery store.
•	'More than Kenough': Hillary Clinton claps back at 'Barbie' Oscars snubs.
•	Bluh. Giant blanket of smelly seaweed could ruin your spring beach trip.
•	This family's EV caught fire just 2 months after being in the shop for a fire-risk recall. Is the current fix enough?
•	Think you'll work past 65? Think again. Why most of us retire sooner.

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.

Russia: Military jet carrying 65 POWs crashes

A Russian military plane with 74 people aboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed on Wednesday in Russia's Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry said. There were no survivors, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, though Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down the plane. Russia's Defense Ministry said it was investigating the crash, which came as Ukraine was marking the 700th day since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion. 👉 What we know about the crash.

•	'It's hard, but they're holding on': On the ground in Ukraine, the war depends on US weapons.

A mixed bag of weather conditions

Heavy rainfall and the threat of flash flooding persisted Wednesday across the lower Mississippi Valley, southern Plains, Southeast and the Gulf Coast – and even more flash flooding was possible over the central Gulf Coast into the lower Mississippi Valley, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists are also warning major flash flooding is possible in Rochester, Minnesota, and the Cleveland area. In the Midwest and Great Lakes area, freezing rain and snow showers spread into the Northeast on Wednesday afternoon with light accumulations expected. Meanwhile, a warmer air trend across the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and East Coast will cause snow to melt through Friday with highs well into the 40s and 50s. 🌤️ Take a look at the forecast.

A break from the news

•	🧼 How to properly clean your kitchen sink in minutes.
•	🥤 Ben Affleck and why we're sipping iced coffee year-round.
•	🌙 Supermoons, solstices, more: Your guide to full moons for 2024.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.