Why is everybody talking about baseballs?

Wednesday, April 27

Pete Alonso was hit in the head by a pitch from Cardinals reliever Kody Whitley on Tuesday.

Why is everybody so mad about baseballs? And a history-making Black woman astronaut is headed to the International Space Station. It's Wednesday's news.

World leaders, friends and family of Madeleine Albright came together to celebrate the life of the nation's first woman secretary of state. A history-making Black woman astronaut is headed to the International Space Station. And a city in Texas is embracing bitcoin with a mine of its very own.

👋 Laura here, it's Wednesday, here's all the news you need to know.

But first, later, gator? 🐊 Say it ain't so. According to a new study, one-fifth of all reptile species are under threat of extinction.

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

The MLB's major baseball problem

Why is everybody furious about MLB's baseballs? There's only one thing certain about the baseballs trotted out through nearly one month of Major League Baseball games this season. Everybody hates them. Hitters hate them: With offense once again reaching historic lows, sluggers insist the MLB is still using two balls and overcorrecting for the juiced-ball season of 2019. Pitchers hate them: With "sticky substances" banned and frigid weather from coast to coast, gripping the newer, slicker ball has proven challenging and at times dangerous. Just ask the New York Mets: All-Stars Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso were struck in the face by pitches two games into the season (their protective flaps preventing serious injury) and Alonso was hit again, up and in, on Tuesday night, leading pitcher Chris Bassitt to rail against the inconsistencies and unreliabilities of MLB's most essential product. More about what to make of it all.

•	Is MLB using two different baseballs? Players want transparency.
•	Pitch clock is coming to MLB. Minor leaguers using it have mixed feelings.

'Her story was America's story'

On Wednesday, the nation's most powerful Democrats for the past quarter-century, world leaders, friends and family of Albright celebrated the life of the nation's first woman secretary of state, who arrived in the U.S. as a young girl from war-torn Czechoslovakia before becoming a trailblazing diplomat and icon. "In the 20th and 21st century, freedom had no greater champion than Madeleine Korbel Albright," said President Joe Biden, eulogizing Albright at her funeral at Washington National Cathedral. "Madeline understood her story was America's story," Biden said. More than 1,400 people, each wearing face masks at the request of the Albright family, packed the cathedral. Biden sat in the front row next to Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Al Gore. Albright died on March 23 at 84 years old after a fight with cancer, leaving a legacy as a defender of democracy, human rights and peace.

•	Photo gallery: Albright's life honored at funeral services in Washington.
•	Woman of the Century: Albright talks about how she became secretary of state, speaking up as a woman and the importance of calling out wrongs.

President Joe Biden speaks at the funeral service of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the Washington National Cathedral.

SAUL LOEB, AFP via Getty Images

What everyone's talking about

•	Depp, Heard trial: Officer recalls responding to fight in 2016.
•	'Out of the pandemic phase' of COVID-19? Here's why Dr. Anthony Fauci says that.
•	State senate candidate delivers speech while in labor, gives birth hours later.
•	Farmer uncovered a 4,500-year-old goddess of love and war statue.
•	Investigation following George Floyd killing revealed a pattern of race discrimination by Minneapolis police.

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.

Silenced by Putin

During Russian President Vladimir Putin's rise to power and fortune, he and his associates are suspected of silencing some of those who raised questions about the source of his apparent wealth. Potentially dozens of people have been killed or survived poisonings and other assassination attempts or have had their investigations blocked or shut down, according to USA TODAY interviews and a review of documents and reports. Untold numbers of others have long looked the other way for fear of similar retribution. Read more here.

👉 News from Ukraine: Russia imposed sanctions on 287 British lawmakers, claiming they "demonize" Russia. Moscow cuts off gas to Poland, Bulgaria. Wednesday's latest updates.

•	Why Putin's wealth will be difficult to sanction.
•	Russia releases U.S. Marine vet Trevor Reed as part of prisoner exchange.

April 26, 2022: Relatives of Mykola Moroz, 47, gather during a funeral service at his home in the Ozera village, near Bucha, Ukraine. Mykola was captured by the Russian army from his house in the Ozera village on March 13, taken for several weeks in an unknown location, and finally found killed by gunshots about 15 kilometers from his house.

Relatives of Mykola Moroz, 47, gather during a funeral service at his home in the Ozera village, near Bucha, Ukraine, on Tuesday. Mykola was captured by the Russian army from his house in the Ozera village on March 13, taken for several weeks to an unknown location, and finally found killed by gunshots about 9 miles from his house.

Emilio Morenatti, AP

NASA crew headed to space station with a history-maker aboard

Jessica Watkins made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Black woman launched into space for an extended mission on the International Space Station. Watkins, 33, and three other astronauts rocketed into space from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. The assignment meant she would be the first Black woman to join an space station crew for scientific research, station maintenance, training and more over a six-month period. Wednesday's flight sent NASA's Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren and the European Space Agency's Samantha Cristoforetti to orbit, and they're expected to dock at the space station by Wednesday evening if schedules hold.

•	Photos: SpaceX Crew-4 mission lights up the sky in early-morning launch.
•	What lies beyond our solar system? Over 5,000 planets including 'super-Earths,' NASA says.

NASA "Crew4" mission astronauts, from left, mission specialist, Jessica Watkins, mission specialist, European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, of Italy, pilot Bob Hines and commander, Kjell Lindgren arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on April 18.

John Raoux, AP

Real quick

•	California drought forces millions to cut water use to once a week.
•	'Something needs to change': As STD rates rise, doctors sound the alarm.
•	Teen held on $1 million bail after 10-year-old Lily Peters was found dead.
•	Nearly 5,000 pounds of beef jerky recalled after being sent out uninspected.
•	Deputies surround Parkland school shooter in court after threat from potential juror.

Fort Worth becomes first city to mine crypto

In a project Mayor Mattie Parker hopes will catch on across the nation, Fort Worth, Texas, will become the first city government in the United States to mine bitcoin. The small-scale pilot project, which was approved unanimously by a city council vote, will be primarily experimental while determining whether to dedicate significant funding. Bitcoin operates on a proof-of-work mining model, with miners around the world running high-powered computers to create new bitcoin and validate transactions. Fort Worth will have a small but mighty three-rig mine that will require professional-grade equipment, technical savviness and electricity. Bitcoin mining has major potential in the U.S., with a worldwide void after the Chinese government banned cryptocurrency mining in June 2021.

•	Bitcoin in 401(k)? Despite warnings, it's becoming reality for more workers.

Bitcoins on top of a smartphone.

Getty Images

A break from the news

•	💝 Feeling trapped in your relationship? You may have commitment issues.
•	🛳 Get hitched on a cruise? It's less wedding planning by sea than by land, for starters.
•	🛍 Steals and deals: Shop Wayfair for epic deals on all kinds of great stuff for Way Day 2022.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.