The Short List

Mon Nov 27 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

The cease-fire in Gaza will last at least a couple more days. Jill Biden unveiled the White House's holiday decorations. And Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is coming to a streaming service near you.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. Hope you had a nice holiday weekend! Now, let's get caught up on Monday's news.

But first: Let's keep it real. 📖 In a year where artificial intelligence, celebrity culture, identity and social media were buzzy topics of conversation, it's only fitting that Merriam-Webster's word of the year is ...

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Israeli-Hamas truce extended 2 days

Eleven more hostages were released by Hamas on Monday, according to the Israeli military, and the truce that gained their freedom was extended by two days, bringing relative calm to the war-devastated Gaza Strip. The truce had been scheduled to end Monday, but Israeli and Palestinian leaders had expressed support for extending it and freeing more militant-held hostages and Israeli-held prisoners.

•	*Plans for hostages:* Egyptian officials said plans call for freeing 10 Israeli hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners Tuesday and again Wednesday. Almost 60 women and children hostages have been released since Friday, along with scores of women and teen Palestinians from Israeli prisons. 👉 *Live coverage:* The latest developments.
•	Complete darkness, little food: What captivity was like for hostages held by Hamas.
•	Police make arrest in possible 'hate-motivated' shooting of Palestinian students in Vermont.
•	Is any U.S. aid to Gaza ending up in the hands of Hamas?

Omar Atshan, 17, is hugged by his mother after being resealed from an Israeli prison in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Sunday.

Nasser Nasser, AP

Memorial services begin for Rosalynn Carter

The life and legacy of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, will be celebrated over three days this week in a series of memorial services across Georgia, from Atlanta to her hometown of Plains. The events started Monday with a wreath-laying ceremony at her alma mater, Georgia Southwestern State University. In the evening, Rosalynn Carter will lie in repose for several hours at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. After a funeral on Wednesday, the former first lady will be buried in a private ceremony at the home she's shared with her husband since they had it built in the 1960s. 👉 All the memorial plans for Rosalynn Carter.

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Members of the Armed Forces Body Bearer Team carry the casket of former first lady Rosalynn Carter into the Carter Presidential Center on Monday in Atlanta.

Richard Burkhart, USA TODAY Network

Real quick

•	Former child star Natalie Portman doesn't support kids working in the industry.
•	This dad wanted a stress-free Christmas tradition. So he invented one.
•	Over 300,000 students get college acceptances – before they applied.
•	Streaker at Disney lays bare (literally) why theme parks have rules.
•	Kim Kardashian released a nipple bra. It sold out for a reason.
•	When seeing isn't believing: How deepfake images are used to deceive us.

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White House decked out for the holidays

Ninety-eight Christmas trees, more than 142,000 twinkling lights and nearly 34,000 ornaments deck the halls of the White House in ways that first lady Jill Biden hopes will inspire visitors to embrace their inner child and experience the "magic, wonder and joy" of the season. It's her theme for the holiday décor. The first lady held a reception Monday to formally unveil the décor and thank hundreds of designers and decorators who volunteered to spend last week transforming the executive mansion. Throughout are numerous nods to the 200th anniversary of the publication in 1823 of the poem and book "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." 🎄🎁 Take a peek at the White House's holiday decor.

Holiday decorations adorn the Cross Hall of the White House for the 2023 theme "Magic, Wonder, and Joy," Monday in Washington.

Evan Vucci, AP

Streaming soon: Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour'

For her birthday, Taylor Swift has a gift for her fans. The "Eras Tour" movie is coming to a TV, phone, or tablet near you and will be available to rent next month. "Very happy to be able to tell you that the extended version of the film, including 'Wildest Dreams,' 'The Archer' and 'Long Live' will be available to rent on demand in the US, Canada & additional countries to be announced soon starting on … you guessed it, December 13," Swift posted on Instagram Monday. 🍿 Here's how to stream the 'Era's Tour' movie.

"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" concert movie premieres on Oct. 11 in Los Angeles.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

A break from the news

•	🛍️ Cyber Monday 2023: Amazon's best deals of the day.
•	👂 How should you get rid of earwax? Don't.
•	❤️ Try not to giggle as these twins reunite for the first time.

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.