Friday, April 17, 2026

Pentagon preps for possible Cuba action

Military planning for a possible Pentagon-led operation in Cuba is quietly ramping up. What we know. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Wed Apr 15 2026

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi and happy Wednesday! We're halfway through the workweek. I'm Phaedra Trethan, amazed at this high school principal's incredible bravery.

In Wednesday's news:

The Pentagon is quietly ramping up planning in anticipation of possible action in Cuba.
Actor/director/producer Timothy Busfield is accused of sexually abusing two boys. An inside look at the investigation.
The ongoing feud between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV has some conservatives worried about political fallout.

But first: Restoration or revision? The National Park Service posted new renderings online for a historic site that tells the story of people enslaved by George Washington. Critics say it's an "attempt to distort and censor American history."

Pentagon preps for Cuba

The Pentagon is quietly ramping up plans for possible operations in Cuba in case President Donald Trump gives the go-ahead to intervene on the island nation, USA TODAY has learned. The planning is an apparent escalation of tensions with Cuba, which the U.S. has pressured to make sweeping political changes.

Trump says the war with Iran is "close to over." Is it? The latest developments.
Senate Republicans blocked a measure to end the Iran war. 👎🏽
Vice President JD Vance is making the case for Iran to skeptical young MAGA voters. 🤨

20260413_VPC_TRUMP SAYS US MAY STOP BY CUBA_THUMB_GETTY.00_00_00_00.Still003.jpg

People hold Cuban flags and a flag supporting US President Donald Trump while participating in the "Cuba Libre" demonstration in the city of Hialeah, Florida, on March 24, 2026.

GIORGIO VIERA / AFP via Getty Images

What's behind the Busfield investigation?

Earlier this year, a New Mexico grand jury indicted actor/director/producer Timothy Busfield  on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. Busfield, 68, has denied the charges that he manipulated or abused two boys who were cast in the TV series "The Cleaning Lady," which Busfield produced and directed. The case is set to go to trial in May. Writer Laura Trujillo traveled to Albuquerque, a town she knows well, to dig into the allegations against Busfield.

Untitled Artwork

Tim Busfield

Veronica Bravo/USA TODAY

Real quick

Is it a crime or a rescue? Activists plan to raid a controversial Wisconsin dog breeding facility. Why they're not making any effort to hide their plans. 🐕
Parents who lost their children in last year's devastating Texas floods are fighting a camp's plans to reopen. 💔
The Department of Justice is looking to vacate the convictions of Jan. 6, 2021 rioters.
The Trump administration's DEI crackdown is having a chilling effect on women's efforts to climb corporate ladders. 👩🏻‍💼

The Pope vs. the Prez

The Trump administration's battles with Pope Leo XIV have kicked up a firestorm among the world's over one billion Catholics (not to mention the 1 in 5 Americans who identify as Catholic). Some conservatives, both religious and secular, worry the combative approach of President Trump and VP JD Vance against the first American-born pontiff could reverberate into the 2026 midterm elections — yet another challenge to an already shaky GOP congressional majority.

Watch: A protester yelled at Vance at a Turning Point USA event.
Vance, a Catholic convert since 2019, issued a theological rebuke to Pope Leo XIV.
A Trump panel on religious liberty challenged the separation of church and state.
Trump shared another AI-generated image with religious imagery. 📱

Thank you, Jackie 🙏🏾 ⚾️

Every Major League Baseball player will wear No. 42 today. It's a tradition that pays tribute to Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers April 15, 1947. Columnist Bob Nightengale looks at the Atlanta Braves, whose roster is among the most diverse in baseball, with players from eight different countries, "a United Nations on the baseball field."

How the Dodgers continue to honor Jackie Robinson's legacy.

Dodger S Infielder

Subjects for his films include legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson.

PROVIDED BY HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

A break from the news

"It's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars?" That joke never gets old and neither will this healthy and delicious breakfast. 🍌
Watch your step! What happened to this comedian when he went for a run. 😱 🏃🏻‍♂️
Wellness editor David Oliver spent some time in a $160,000 "human recharging station." 🔌

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 what you like to eat for breakfast. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Bryson DeChambeau won his second consecutive LIV Golf event of 2026 on March 22 at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As its five-year battle with the PGA Tour drags on, the Saudi-backed golf circuit has reportedly called executives to New York for "emergency summit."

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 19: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a board meeting at the Federal Reserve on March 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. The board met to meet to discuss a proposal to loosen capital requirements for large and regional banks, scaling back stricter regulations. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
 

Trump threatens to fire Powell if he doesn't step aside as Fed chair

President Donald Trump said his administration does not plan to drop the Department of Justice's probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Young unrecognizable young caucasian man at home, sitting on sofa and taking a potato chip from a bowl placed on a sofa
 

An underexplored negative side effect of ultra-processed foods

Eating ultra-processed food is associated with negative health outcomes, but a new study is looking at an underexplored impact: muscle health.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrol Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport on March 24, 2026 in New York, New York. The travel disruptions continue as hundreds of TSA agents quit or work without pay during a partial government shutdown. U.S. President Donald Trump deployed ICE agents to U.S. airports on Monday, with border czar Tom Homan in charge of the effort.
 

ICE detains 86-year-old in US to marry long-lost love, family says

The family of Marie‑Thérèse Helene Ross said she moved to the U.S. to remarry a serviceman she met in the 1950s. She was detained by ICE on April 1.

Savannah Guthrie and Nancy Guthrie.
 

Nancy Guthrie update: Why police presence is increased around her home

Nancy Guthrie's community has seen increased police patrols in recent days. Here's why.

DeKalb County Police Department are investigating a string of shootings that left least two people dead and a man clinging to life on April 13, 2026.
 

DHS employee among 2 dead in Georgia shootings, 3rd victim critical

Two woman died and a man is in critical condition. A suspect, identified as Olaolukitan Adon Abel, is in custody.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald provide a tour of the new election office on April 15, 2026, at the Polk County Election Office.
 

Iowa GOP SOS raises 'serious concerns' with Trump's mail voting order

"The U.S. Constitution says elections are run by the states," Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, told reporters.

Females in black sportswear raising arms and doing side stretch exercise on reformer bed during workout in bright pilates studio.
 

'Pilates girls' is now a code word online. What's going on?

"Pilates," specifically the term "Pilates girl," has entered the cultural zeitgeist. "If your girl goes to Pilates, wife her up," an influencer declared.

Katy Perry attends the Breakthrough Prize ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on April 5, 2025.
 

Ruby Rose allegations against Katy Perry being investigated by police

A police investigation is underway after Ruby Rose accused Katy Perry of sexual assault.

In an aerial view, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (BELOW) and the under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center (C) are shown in Exposition Park on March 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host the LA Fan Festival during the World Cup and will host the Track and Field competitions and Opening Ceremony in the LA28 Summer Olympics.
 

Early LA Olympics ticket buyers express shock over prices, frustration

Aaron Sadler of Little Rock, Arkansas says he feels priced out amid shock and frustration during early ticket sales for the LA Olympics in 2028.

Play Your Way to a Relaxing Break

Unwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you. 

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