Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Devastation in the Caribbean

After pummeling Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa continued to wreak havoc in the Caribbean. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Wed Oct 29 2025

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hello! I'm Phaedra Trethan, your intrepid national correspondent with bugs on the brain. 🪲 🪰 🪳

In Wednesday's news:

Hurricane Melissa has moved into Cuba.
Violence is again escalating between Israel and Hamas.
Lab monkeys went on the lam in Mississippi. 🐒

But first: Your kid's favorite phrase has been named Dictionary.com's Word of the Year.

Melissa barrels into Cuba

⛈️ After hammering Jamaica with high winds and torrential rains, Hurricane Melissa, downgraded on Wednesday to a Category 2 storm (from a Cat 5), barreled into Cuba.

The deadly storm made landfall in Cuba overnight and churned out to sea as officials in Jamaica began to assess the extensive damage on the island. In Haiti, the rains caused a river to burst its banks, killing at least 25 people. The latest on the storm, including where it's headed next.

Storm Melissa

A woman looks out from inside a house after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, in Alligator Pond, Jamaica, October 29, 2025.

Octavio Jones, REUTERS

Israel and Hamas again on the brink

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 100 people, Gaza health officials said. Israeli military leaders on Wednesday said they would abide by a ceasefire agreement even as the two groups traded blame for violating it.

Photos: The view on the ground in Gaza.
Watch: President Trump reacts.

Israel Palestinians Gaza

A Palestinian boy inspects the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a house, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Oct. 29, 2025.

Mahmoud Issa, REUTERS

Real quick

A former Illinois sheriff's deputy was found guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who'd called for help.
The Fed met Wednesday. What it means for you. 💵
MacKenzie Scott made a huge donation to an HBCU. 💰
Could a TikTok sale be imminent? 🤔

Lab monkey on the lam

A truck carrying monkeys from Tulane University overturned Tuesday afternoon, and the primates made a break for it. One is apparently still on the loose.

It's not exactly a barrel of fun, though: Authorities say the rhesus monkeys are "aggressive" to humans and should be approached with caution and protective gear. Tulane officials said the monkeys "belong to another entity and are not infectious," and the university is cooperating with authorities.

Dr. Seusses newses

Look! Look! A new Dr. Seuss book!

This book's about the U-S-A

Read about it in USA TODAY!

A new work by Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was recently discovered in the archives of UC San Diego's Geisel Library. What it's about and when it's coming out.

Finished Int #2_TM & © Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. 2026. All Rights Reserved.png

An interior page of "Sing the 50 United States!" out next June from Random House Children's Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Courtesy of Dr. Seuss Enterprises

A break from the news

Our USA TODAY colleagues quit soda. How it went. 🥤
Boo-ritos, candy doughnuts and boo-go deals for Halloween. 🌯 🍩 🍔
A humanoid robot that can do chores? Paging Rosie and the Jetsons! 🤖

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and your favorite Dr. Seuss book (hers is "Oh, The Places You'll Go!"). Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) calls on reporters with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L), Tim Scott (R-SC) and James Lankford (R-OK) following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon on the 28th day of the federal government shutdown.

The government shutdown is only becoming harder for Americans to bear. But Republicans and Democrats still have yet to strike a funding deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump is presented with the "Grand Order of Mugunghwa" (not pictured) and a replica gold crown during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, October 29, 2025.
 

What is Trump's approval rating? Polls on No Kings, government shutdown

President Donald Trump is abroad, but the government has been shut down for four weeks. His approval rating remains low and steady. See latest polls.

Posing as a 13-year-old, I told my Character.AI companion "Damon" about my new crush. He offered to give me a coaching session on kissing.
 

After scary incidents involving kids, Character.AI announces a big change

On the heels of multiple lawsuits and reports, Character.AI bans children from under 18 from talking to its chatbots

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
 

What to expect during Trump's high-stakes meeting with China's Xi

President Trump heads into a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping seeking to finalize a trade deal that eases tensions globally.

Anti-Trump demonstrators march near the U.S. Capitol, protesting against issues including the Jeffrey Epstein case and the increased presence of military and federal law enforcement in the D.C area ordered by U.S President Donald Trump, in Washington, D.C., U.S. September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
 

American, British protesters tie Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein

From Los Angeles to Scotland, protesters call for the release of FBI files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

One of five homes that collapsed within 45 minutes on Sept. 30, 2025, as rough seas from two hurricanes pounded away at beaches along portions of North Carolina's Outer Banks.
 

Beaches close after 5 coastal homes collapse

Twenty seven houses have collapsed along North Carolina's Outer Banks in a little more than five years.

Debi Ingaro, a senior biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory, examines the skin of a preserved great white shark. The nine foot-long, female shark was caught by fishermen off California and donated to Mote for public education.
 

Man attacked by shark in Florida. Here's where it took place

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said crews responded to a call involving an animal bite in the ocean. The man was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 12: Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 12, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
 

NFL trade deadline team needs: What should all 32 teams do?

Plenty of teams have holes to fill as the NFL trade deadline approaches. But what exactly should each franchise do ahead of the cutoff?

A watch tower stands in the distance of an American Airlines aircraft wing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Oct. 8, 2025.
 

Air traffic controllers working unpaid as flight delays grow

The Department of Transportation and TSA are assuring travelers that safety remains their top priority as the government shutdown continues.

From left to right, Devo members Bob Mothersbaugh, Mark Mothersbaugh, Josh Hager and Gerald Casale and actor and comedian Fred Armisen attend SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 14, 2025 in New York City.
 

Devo livestreaming Colorado concert on Nov. 13. How fans can watch.

Can't attend a show in person? Devo is hosting a livestream of its Colorado concert on Nov. 13 through the livestream platform VEEPS.

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