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AT&T says service is restored after a massive cellular outage. The U.S. shot down six Houthi drones as the militant group attempts to ban ships from the Red Sea. And talk show host Wendy Williams was diagnosed with dementia and aphasia.
👋Hey, Thursday! Laura Davis here. Busted cellphone connections can’t stop the news. Let’s get you caught up on what’s been going on.
But first: Is barefoot best? 👣 Some people are slicing the bottoms off their shoes to secretly walk barefoot in public. What's going on?
Communication breakdown
Well, that was rough. Tens of thousands of AT&T customer just going about their morning on Thursday were faced with a scenario of post-apocalyptic proportions: No cellphone service.
A major disconnect: As of this afternoon, AT&T says it has restored service to all customers but has not offered any information on why the outage happened. So if your phone still isn't working, make sure you paid your bill.
What happened? It's unclear now, but the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are working with the tech industry to help investigate the cause of the outage.
Disaster prep: There's a long list of potential emergency scenarios when cellphones could become unreliable – some more dire than others. Here's what to know.
📱 How you can make calls using Wi-Fi if your service goes out.
US destroys 6 drones as Houthi ship attacks continue
The battle for control of the Red Sea heated up Thursday as U.S. aircraft and a coalition warship shot down six Houthi drones and a cargo ship was damaged by a missile fired by the Yemen-based militant group. U.S. Central Command said that the drones were an "imminent threat" to U.S. and coalition warships. Hours later, the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from southern Yemen into the Gulf of Aden, damaging a U.K.-owned cargo ship. The State Department has condemned the "reckless and indiscriminate attacks" on civilian cargo ships, saying they are driving up prices and causing delivery delays in critical humanitarian items, such as food and medicine.
Earlier Thursday, the militant group announced a "ban" on ships owned or flagged by Israel, the U.S. and Britain transiting through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The Houthis, claiming support for the Palestinians in Gaza, have been attacking ships flagged by those and other countries since November. 👉 Follow our live updates.
Real quick
A judge invoked 'the wrath of a holy God' about IVF. Is that allowed?
Review: 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is a failure in every way.
The Kari Lake-Meghan McCain feud is escalating quickly.
Photos show Ukraine before and after 2 years at war with Russia.
What's going on with Adrian Peterson? NFL MVP faces property seizures.
Of course, Taylor Swift isn’t part of a government conspiracy. But a lot of people think she is, and we need to talk about it.
Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.
Wendy Williams diagnosed with dementia and aphasia
Daytime talk show legend Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with the same form of dementia that actor Bruce Willis has, a statement released Thursday on behalf of her caretakers says. The statement said the 59-year-old’s diagnoses of primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia “have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy’s life." On Wednesday, a cover story in People magazine quoted Williams’ family about the nature of her struggles, ahead of a Lifetime documentary set to air Saturday. "The people who love her cannot see her," Williams’ sister Wanda said in the People article. Williams rose to fame in part due to her no-boundaries approach to her life, which included sharing personal details about her health, plastic surgery and cocaine addiction. In 2022, her daytime talk show “The Wendy Williams Show,” ended because of her ongoing health issues. 👉 Everything we know about her diagnosis.
Bruce Willis also has frontotemporal dementia. What is it?
Williams says she has 'no money' in documentary trailer.
Back to the lunar frontier
If all goes to plan, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus spacecraft will attempt a lunar landing Thursday afternoon, returning America to the moon's surface for the first time in 52 years. When I started writing this newsletter, I thought I was gonna be able to tell y'all about this historic landing, but flight controllers decided to have the lander do another lap around the moon, delaying the landing attempt, which was originally planned for 5:30 p.m. and is now expected to happen at 6:24 p.m. EST. Flight controllers said Wednesday that the lander "continues to be in excellent health" ahead of its attempt to park on the moon.
Moon plans: The spacecraft will attempt a landing near the moon's south polar region, an area long intriguing to scientists due to the suspected presence of water ice thought to be abundant within its craters. 🌕 Follow our updates here.
💡Did you know? The Odysseus lander was named for the hero of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey."
A break from the news
🗺️ Is it too late to book your spring break trip?
🗣️ 7 things you should never ask voice assistants like Siri or Alexa.
👔 Who knew papaw would be the style icon of the year?
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cell service outages, Wendy Williams, Odysseus moon landing: Thursday's news
