The Short List

Thu May 9 2024

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Thousands flee Rafah as Israeli tanks gather on the edge of the city. At least three people were killed when severe storms ripped through the Southeast. And Stormy Daniels wrapped up her testimony.

👋Hey, Thursday! Laura Davis here. It's time to get caught up on the news!

But first: A pricy pineapple! 🍍 A limited number of these rare Rubyglow pineapples will be sold this year – and you can snag one for yourself for just $400.

'Nowhere is safe': Dire warnings for people in Rafah

Thousands flee Rafah as invasion nears

About 80,000 people have fled the southern Gaza city of Rafah this week as Israeli tanks gather on the edge of the city and humanitarian aid is choked off by border closures, U.N. agencies said Thursday. "The toll on these families is unbearable," the U.N. Relief and Works Agency said. "Nowhere is safe."

What's going on with the cease-fire? Talks in Cairo were paused Thursday as hopes dimmed for a cease-fire agreement. No aid has entered through southern border crossings in two days because of the increasing intensity of Israel's military operations, which have also severed access to fuel, threatening hospitals, water wells and sewage pumps, which could run out of fuel within days, if not hours. 📍 Here's a look at the latest.

Displaced Palestinians gather their belongings before fleeing to a safer area in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday.

-, AFP via Getty Images

Storms tear through Southeast, leaving 3 people dead

A slew of hulking storms again began unleashing severe weather conditions across the Southeast on Thursday after storm systems inflicted widespread damage and left three people dead.

Widespread damage: Strong wind gusts toppled trees and snapped utility poles throughout Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, the National Weather Service said. More than 120,000 were without power on Thursday in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Advisories left and right: In Tennessee, where nearly 8 inches of rain fell since Wednesday, flood advisories were in effect, and tornado advisories were active across southeastern Alabama, southern Georgia, parts of South Carolina and northern Florida. ⛈️ Here's the latest forecast.

•	Bad news for hurricane season: La Niña looking more likely.

Debris surrounds a tornado-damaged home Thursday in Columbia, Tenn.

Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean

📸 See photos + video: Destruction after tornadoes, severe storms.

Real quick

•	Zombie colleges? Universities are rising from the dead online.
•	Why do these generations worry they could become homeless.
•	Dead whale found caught on the bow of a cruise ship.
•	Aldi is lowering prices on over 250 items this summer.
•	People with disabilities scramble after losing Medicaid benefits.
•	They found new relatives on 23andMe. Then, the nightmare began.

Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Testimony concludes for Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels finished hours of combative cross-examination by Donald Trump's lawyer Thursday in the former president's New York hush money trial.

What happened today? Trump attorney Susan Necheles raised minor inconsistencies in how Daniels has told the story of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump over the years and pressed Daniels on the ways she has profited from telling her story. Daniels' story of that 2006 evening formed the basis for a $130,000 hush money payment she got from Trump lawyer Michael Cohen less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors allege the payment violated federal campaign finance laws and that Trump falsified records to cover it up. 👉 More from the courtroom.

•	Tiny cell in a 'rabbit warren:' What Trump faces if jailed.
•	Barron Trump makes political debut as GOP convention delegate.

In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump watches as Stormy Daniels is questioned by defense attorney Susan Necheles in New York City on Thursday.

Jane Rosenberg, REUTERS

🍎📚 Saluting our teachers!

Call me a teacher's pet. I'll take it. Whether they were my own incredible teachers (even those who fought tooth and nail to try and teach me math), those I've met over the years, or even my closest friends (shout out to Ms. Gill and Mrs. Hart!), I've always been a huge fan of educators. We wouldn't be anywhere without these incredible, caring, smarty-pants humans! We asked you to shout out your favorites for Teacher Appreciation Week this week. Here's what you said:

•	Joyce H., Kansas: Margaret Callen, a business teacher in the '70s, always took the time to "encourage students to pursue their dreams."
•	Rebecca S., Florida: Mrs. Erwin, a fifth grade teacher in W.V., nurtured a love of reading by sharing her massive book collection. "Needless to say, in my 70s, I'm still an avid reader."
•	Haley W., Indiana: Mrs. Flynn, an eighth grade math teacher and basketball coach, spent her entire career putting her students first to make learning enjoyable and help them succeed. "To this day, she is a close mentor and friend in my life."
•	Everybody at USA TODAY: Spencer Elliott, Short List editor and adjunct journalism professor. Don't you dare edit this out! The true brains behind The Short List. From helping me with math to jazzing up subject lines, he's the one who keeps this ship sailing smoothly. I learn something from Spencer every single day!

Hailey Beville Whitehead, teacher of the year at Robert Anderson Middle School in Anderson, South Carolina, leads a discussion on pronouns with her class on April 24, 2024.

Ken Ruinard, Greenville News/USA TODAY Network

A break from the news

•	💐 Make Mother's Day brunch extra special.
•	👀 Beware of creeps! How to spot hidden cameras.
•	🛳️ Lose the crowds: Hop on a European river cruise.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.