The Short List

Tue Dec 5 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

A Republican senator's one-man blockade of military promotions comes to an end. How one couple's investment could reshape taxes in the United States. And a proposal that could mean big changes for college sports.

👋Hey there. It's your old pal Laura Davis! It's time for Tuesday's news.

But first: A motherhood miracle. 🍼 A 70-year-old woman in Uganda gave birth to twins after undergoing IVF, becoming one of the world's oldest mothers.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Tuberville relinquishes hold on military appointments

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville's monthslong blockade on military promotions has come to an end. The Alabama lawmaker, who has been protesting a Pentagon policy on abortion since February, said Tuesday he will be lifting holds on military promotions for nominees three stars and below. The blockade has prevented more than 400 military jobs from being filled. Depending on the case, the Pentagon can give service members time off and pay for travel to have an abortion. The policy was put into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. 🔎 Here's a closer look.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C.

Alex Wong, Getty Images

Israeli forces sweep into major Gaza city

In what the Israeli military described as some of the most intense fighting of the war, Israeli troops on Tuesday rolled into Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip's second-largest city. The Israeli military said its forces intended to continue attacking with land and air forces deeper into southern Gaza, where ground forces began their push in earnest a day earlier after weeks of pounding through northern Gaza. The Biden administration has been leaning heavily on Israel to minimize civilian deaths as it begins the southern Gaza part of its military campaign and to avoid the large loss of lives and displacement that resulted from attacks in the enclave's north. The death toll in Gaza is already approaching 16,000 Palestinians and most of the 2.3 million population has been displaced. 👉 Here's the latest from the war.

•	What it's like to flee Gaza: Rubble, death and help from strangers.

Palestinians fleeing the Israeli ground offensive arrive in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Hatem Ali, AP

Real quick

•	Can office vacancies give way to more housing?
•	Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes officially reveal relationship (and a podcast).
•	CVS is switching up how it pays for prescriptions. Will you save money?
•	Sharon Osbourne lost too much weight on Ozempic. Why it's a problem.
•	Where'd all the veterinarians go? How this state's shortage affects you.
•	Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore on hot dogs, 'May December' and movies they can't rewatch.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

SCOTUS case over $15,000 could cost the government trillions

It started as a fight over $14,729 in taxes that the government said Charles and Kathleen Moore owed on an investment they made in a company in India. But their lawsuit, which the Supreme Court heard Tuesday, could wind up costing the government billions, prompting follow-on lawsuits challenging a wide swath of federal taxes and upending proposals some Democrats have floated for years to tax the ultra-rich. The legal question in the case involves how to define income for tax purposes. But the Supreme Court's decision could have sweeping implications for how much the government can dip into the earnings of wealthy Americans who can shield those holdings from taxes. 👉 Here's what to know.

•	Supreme Court dismisses case dealing with disability 'testers.'

A new proposal for college athletes' pay

NCAA President Charlie Baker unveiled a proposal Tuesday that could alter the landscape of college sports. In a letter to Division I schools, Baker outlined a proposed shift that would effectively enable big-money athletic departments to pay athletes directly, by allowing each to create an "enhanced educational trust fund" that could funnel money to them. The proposal would also allow those same universities, likely the upper echelon of top-tier football schools, to branch off and make their own rules around roster size and name, image and likeness (NIL), among other issues. 🏀🏈⚽️ Here's what it could mean for the future of college sports.

A break from the news

•	💰 Can skipping student loan payments hurt your credit score?
•	👩‍💻 App froze up? Here's how to force quit on your Mac or iPhone.
•	🎄 Ugly has never looked so cute: The best ugly Christmas sweaters.

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.