promoearn: Stay warm with these Saturday stories

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Stay warm with these Saturday stories

Saturday, December 15

Stories you may have missed during the week, including a potential earthquake in the Midwest and a list of must-reads from 2018.

Welcome to Saturday's The Short List*, like the other sends of The Short List only more chill. (And by that we mean we've left the politics out, just for today.) Here are a few of our favorite conversation starters from the week. These links pair best with Mary Berry's fruit scones — and perhaps a Saturday binge-watch of The Great British Baking Show. Yum.

*We're temporarily testing out this added day of The Short List. Like it? Hate it? Give us your feedback here — it will help us make this newsletter the best possible.

In the world of "Baby, it's cold outside..." (and no, we're not talking the controversial song)

•	How likely is an earthquake in the Midwest, South? The Big One could be coming. "The question is not if a massive earthquake will hit more than a half dozen states that border the Mississippi River, but rather when it will happen." We're not not concerned. Here's the lowdown, and how you can prep your home for the, apparently, inevitable.
•	The oldest, thickest ice in the Arctic Ocean is gone due to climate change. In a bit of scary yet unsurprising news, the Arctic is enduring "its most unprecedented transition in human history." Want to keep up with climate news? Subscribe to Climate Point, USA TODAY's weekly newsletter on climate and environmental science.
•	Winter is coming. Here's the coldest town in every state. Does your town have bragging rights? We've compiled the coldest towns in the USA. My favorite is Kula, Hawaii. 10/10, would take one for the team and move there.

In the world of "staying warm and indoors in our relocated home in Kula, Hawaii"

•	Why decluttering is a win-win for America. Ditch your storage unit, live a happier life. Well, it's likely not that simple, but financial columnist Peter Dunn does make quite the argument here about the power of tidying up, a perfect indoor activity.
•	10 books we loved reading in 2018. These non-fiction and fiction reads won't let you down, and they also pair well with scones. The list includes Becoming by Michelle Obama, Calypso by David Sedaris, and my very favorite of the year, the gripping, heartbreaking An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Get the full list here.
•	The strangest of Postmates deliveries in 2018. True confession: I paid $18 to have a computer charger Postmates'd to my apartment this year (#desperatetimes). Which really makes me wonder what weird things people needed to have delivered to them immediately in 2018. Thankfully, we've got a list. It includes sex toys and Taco Bell.
•	And ….. This is what's new on Netflix in January. No explanation necessary. Binge-watch away.

In the world of "this is why we can't have nice things"

•	California is considering a tax on text messaging. The proposed law is sweet vindication for anyone who's tried to tell a story only to have their friend look up from their phone to say "wait, what?"
•	What happens with stolen packages? Porch pirates out in force over the holidays. Surprising no one, Americans are doing more and more of their holiday shopping online. That means more and more Americans are doing their holiday shopping by swiping delivered packages off of people's front stoops.
•	The 10 most shocking celebrity scandals of 2018. This is the Saturday Short List, where we've decided it's okay to talk about Kylie Jenner's hidden pregnancy. Sorry not sorry.