The Short List

Thu Nov 16 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Israeli forces said the body of a woman abducted during Hamas' brutal rampage was discovered in Gaza. A House ethics report found "substantial evidence" that Rep. George Santos committed federal crimes. And another batch of eye drops is getting pulled off the shelves.

👋 Hi! It's your old pal Laura Davis. Got any plans this weekend? I think I'm going to go get my tires rotated! Now, here's Thursday's news, so I can get the party started. 🥳

But first: A long journey. 📜 In 1997, a boy in Massachusetts tossed a message in a bottle into the Atlantic Ocean. It washed up across the ocean – 26 years later.

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Israel says body of hostage found in Gaza

As Israeli forces combed through Gaza City's Al Shifa Hospital for traces of Hamas for another day, the body of one of the approximately 240 people kidnapped in Israel during the Oct. 7 Hamas rampage was recovered in a building nearby, the Israeli military said Thursday. Newborns and hundreds of other patients have suffered for days without electricity and other basic necessities in the hospital. Now, Israel is under pressure to prove its claim that Hamas had turned the hospital into a command center that launched its brutal attack that killed about 1,200 people and provoked Israel's reprisal seeking to dislodge the militant group from Gaza. 👉 Follow our live coverage.

Palestinians donate blood at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip on Thursday.

Mohammed Dahman, AP

📬 Sign up for USA TODAY's Israel and Hamas war newsletter to receive weekday updates on the escalating conflict.

Ethics report: 'Substantial evidence' Santos committed crimes

The House Ethics Committee released its long-awaited report on embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., concluding there is "substantial evidence that Representative Santos violated federal criminal laws." The committee said it would be referring its findings to the Department of Justice as it pursues a criminal case against Santos on charges including money laundering, wire fraud and lying to Congress. Santos blasted the report, which contained over 170,000 pages of documents, testimony from witnesses and financial statements, calling it "biased" and an effort to smear him and his legal team. He also said he will not be seeking reelection in 2024 for a second term. 🔎 Here's what else was in the report.

•	Previous coverage: Santos accused of making unauthorized charges on donor credit cards.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., walks back to his office after debate on the House floor on a resolution to expel him from Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Nov. 1 in Washington.

Drew Angerer, Getty Images

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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.

A quiet year for wildfires in the West

It's been a quiet wildfire season in the West. Thanks in part to a wet winter in California, this year's wildfire season across the mainland U.S. is turning out to be the quietest in 25 years. So far in 2023, wildfires have scorched 2.5 million acres across the U.S. – and while that may seem like a lot, it's the fewest acres burned as of this date since 1998, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. It's also only about one-third of the average, despite the horrific Maui wildfires and the smoky air this past summer. So what's behind the lower numbers in the Lower 48? 👉 Here's what we found.

•	Medical experts are worried about climate change too. Here's how it can harm your health.

Wildfires have scorched 2.5 million acres across the U.S. this year so far. It's the fewest acres burned as of this date since 1998.

Matthew Thayer, AP

😒 Side-eyeing even more eye drops

Just weeks after it warned consumers about over two dozen eye drop products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled another batch of eye drops. The FDA announced Wednesday that 27 products from brands including CVS Health, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart were being recalled due to potential safety concerns. People who use these eyedrops, which are meant to be sterile, had a potential risk of eye infections, the FDA said, but none had been reported. 👉 Here's what to know.

•	👀 The list: See the dozens of eye care products recalled in 2023.

A break from the news

•	😓 Anxiety is everywhere. This solution might surprise you.
•	🥓 Is processed meat like hot dogs, deli meat bad for you?
•	🛍️ Need holiday shopping help? Google wants you to use AI.

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.