Thursday, December 4, 2025

The deadliest sport for kids

A USA TODAY investigation found motocross is deadly for teens and children. How it could be made safer. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Thu Dec 4 2025

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hello! I'm Phaedra Trethan, hoping to see Fernando Valenzuela make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame (admittedly for sentimental reasons). ⚾️ 💙 ⚾️

In Thursday's news:

A USA TODAY investigation finds the deadliest sport for kids — and how some deaths could be prevented.
A 17-year-old girl was killed in a 2017 fire at her Colorado home. But investigators think there's much more to the story.
The two words we've dreaded all year are here: Polar vortex. 🥶 🥶 🥶

But first: Up and down or back and forth? How do you decorate your Christmas tree? 🎄

The deadliest sport for kids

More than six kids per year — at least 158 since 2000 — have been killed on dirt bikes and at motocross tracks, a USA TODAY investigation found. Nineteen deaths were kids who were 10 years old or younger. That makes motocross the deadliest sport for young people, far more dangerous than tackle football.

While the sport is inherently dangerous, USA TODAY found some dangers might be mitigated. Instead, safety measures, staffing and medical training were all lacking.

Motorcross

Photo illustration by

Veronica Bravo/USA TODAY

A Rocky Mountain mystery

Maggie Long was a bright, bubbly 17-year-old living with her family in Colorado. But on a December day in 2017, she left school and stopped home where, investigators believe, she may have interrupted a burglary. The house was set on fire, and Maggie never made it out.

Her horrifying death has never been fully explained, and each year brings fresh pain for her parents and three siblings. The family criticized how the case was initially handled. But investigators say they've never given up trying to find answers.

maggie long.jpg

Maggie Long is pictured.

FBI

Real quick

A suspect has been arrested for placing pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican party headquarters in Washington, D.C. just before the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro has some thoughts about former VP Kamala Harris' memoir.
The American Cancer Society has updated its guidance on cervical cancer screenings. What to know.
Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted for her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring, wants out of prison.

Chilly? Get used to it. 🥶

Cue the Counting Crows: It's going to be a long December, at least for those of us (🙋🏻‍♀️) who don't like the cold. Frigid temps are going to drop into the central and eastern U.S. over the next few weeks, with three (three? really?!) polar vortex systems making for Artic surges, rounds of flurries and snow squalls expected.

usat-graphic-Polar-vortex.png

A polar vortex is expected to cause extremely cold temperatures to U.S. through mid-December.

Windy.com/Photo illustration USA TODAY

What did you Google in 2025? 💻 👀

What do Zohran Mamdani, Erika Kirk and KPop Demon Hunters have in common? 🤔

They were among the top searches in 2025, according to Google Trends, that online eyeball into our curiosities, questions and conundrums. See what else was on the list.

A break from the news

"Best" lists are fun, but we think "Worst" lists are the best. And we agree with this one! 🚫 ❌ 🎶 🎵
Pantone reveals its 2026 Color of the Year.
Take a look at the Team USA 2026 Winter Olympics ceremony uniforms. 🏅

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 the holiday songs you love... and hate. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Viral fundraiser gives 88-year-old veteran another chance at retirement thumb

Ed Bambas, 88, works 40-hour weeks at his local Meijer in Detroit. After a video about him went viral, generous strangers stepped in to help.

The East Wing of the White House is being demolished for the construction of U.S. President Donald Trump' s proposed ballroom at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 1, 2025.
 

White House set to submit plans for Trump's controversial ballroom

The White House plans to submit design plans for President Trump's controversial ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission in December.

Nala Ray
 

She made $14M doing porn on OnlyFans. She says it nearly ruined her life.

Nala Ray was one of OnlyFans' top creators, making $14 million over five years. Now, she's an anti-porn advocate. This is her story.

The Pentagon is in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC.
 

New York Times sues Pentagon over new press policy

The lawsuit says the Pentagon's policy is "exactly the type of speech- and press-restrictive scheme" courts have ruled violates the First Amendment.

Gabrielle Gunter, right, unveils the fall 2025 edition of Alice Magazine on Nov. 6, 2025.
 

Closure of student magazines over DEI latest in press freedom fight

The University of Alabama said its decision to shutter two student-led magazines was based on a Trump administration memo on antidiscrimination laws.

An artistic visualization of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending towards asteroid Bennu to collect a sample.
 

Bennu asteroid sample contains 'space gum,' sugars needed for life

Scientists studying samples from the Bennu asteroid located not too far from Earth continue to find clues as to how life began in our solar system.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (L) speaks before signing three new SNAP food choice waivers in her office at the USDA Building on June 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
 

Trump admin could withhold some SNAP funds from these blue states. Here's why.

Trump's agriculture secretary said the government will withhold SNAP management funds from certain "blue states" that refuse to share sensitive recipient data.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies Jan. 29 at his Senate hearing on his nomination to be the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
 

RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel eyes scrutiny of this life-saving vaccine

Public health experts warn any delay to the newborn dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could threaten decades of progress.

Silhouette of retired man looking through window with transparent curtain standing at home rear view. Loneliness and old human care concept.
 

Some Americans are increasingly lonely, survey shows. Find out why.

A newly released survey from over 3,000 Americans indicates that people 45 years old and over are becoming increasingly lonely.

Goldie Hawn attends The Hollywood Reporter's Annual Women in Entertainment Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Dec. 3, 2025.
 

Goldie Hawn, Sarah Paulson offer heartfelt Diane Keaton tribute

Diane Keaton received a star-studded tribute from Goldie Hawn and Sarah Paulson at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Gala.

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