Your weekend must reads 📰

Celebrate fall with some tasty journalism. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Short List   Saturday, September 24 Good morning, readers of The Short List. This week marked the autumnal equinox, which means ... we've reached the first weekend of fall!🍂 I'm John Riley, and to mark the change of seasons I've brought some of the best reads of the week from the USA TODAY Network. Grab something pumpkin spice-flavored🎃 and dive in. Puerto Rico in peril again 🔵Puerto Rico is reeling from a devastating hurricane – for the second time in five years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria killed roughly 3,000 people and destroyed the electrical system. Signs of that disaster remain everywhere: Blue tarps are draped over thousands of homes, structures in need of repair still dot the island, and power outages remain persistent. Then last week came Hurricane Fiona, which caused widespread flooding and landslides. In the town of Comeria, residents are battling a shortage of food and water and a lack of electricity as they assess the damage. "We are not OK," said Maria de Jesus Medina. "It's difficult to keep it together, to try and get back up again." The power of memes 🔵A well-crafted meme works like a virus; it tricks participants into passing it on. Most are funny. Others are edgy and complex — an inside joke among members of a certain community. But because memes are so effective, they are also ideal for spreading misinformation, disinformation, hatred and calls for violence. Experts USA TODAY interviewed said these online images, videos, hashtags and slogans have become weaponized to polarize the population. What to do about democracy? 🔵Democracy now feels imperiled in the U.S., with elections questioned, institutions undermined, and norms challenged. USA TODAY interviewed experts about the situation, how bad it is, and how to address it.  Rebekah Tromble, director of the Institute for Data, Democracy at George Washington University, cited "democratic backsliding" as a cause for concern. "We're seeing a lot of the same cues, a lot of the same signals that we've witnessed in other democracies that backslid now coming to the foreground in the United States as well." There are more great reads below.👇 See you next week! Hurricane Fiona puts Puerto Rico's government status front and center Power failures and a lack of running water in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona put a new spotlight on the U.S. territory's government status. What is Antifa? This criminal trial could redefine the movement Adam Levine scandal: Why are we blaming Sumner Stroh? Bonds, once crushed by low rates and inflation, are back. Here's why. My twin died by suicide. I've been too ashamed to talk about it. OPINION Running for president, fighting in court: Is Trump's 2024 plan in... Telltale signs your smartphone has been hacked We asked Americans how inflation affects them. Here's what they said. American Airlines says goodbye to first class, hello suites See Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wisconsin listed for less than $1...   Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2022 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102