The Short List

Mon Aug 12 2024

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Jordan Chiles won't get her bronze medal in gymnastics back. The Farmer's Almanac forecast is in. And a look at Ukraine's stunning advance into Russia.

👋Hey, there! Laura Davis here. Hope you had a nice weekend! Let's get you caught up on Monday's news.

But first: Eyes to the sky – it's peak Perseid season! 💫 The best meteor shower of the year showed out over the weekend. See the amazing photos here.

📲 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

No bronze for Chiles, after all

There's been another major twist in the Olympic gymnastics drama involving Jordan Chiles' bronze medal. USA Gymnastics said Monday that, despite new video evidence, its effort to restore Chiles' bronze from the 2024 Paris Olympics was turned down.

What's been going on? In the women's floor exercise final, Chiles claimed bronze after leapfrogging Ana Barbosu of Romania at the very end of the competition following an appeal to the judges that increased her score. But later, Chiles' score was knocked back down when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her appeal was submitted four seconds too late.

What's in the video? USA Gymnastics said the new time-stamped video evidence shows Chiles' coach submitting the inquiry into her score before the one-minute deadline. But the CAS said the rules don't allow for reconsideration, in this case. 🎞️ What we know about the dispute.

•	Paris Olympics were exactly what the world needed. \| Opinion
•	Looking ahead to 2028: Why Los Angeles won't try to 'out-Paris Paris'

Jordan Chiles competes in the floor exercise during the women's team final.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports

📸 Team USA in Paris: See every Olympic medal America won.

The farmer's forecast

Bust out those raincoats, y'all. After what was the warmest winter on record, the upcoming winter should be wet and milder for most of the U.S., according to the Farmers' Almanac.

"More wet than white": The 208th edition of the Farmers' Almanac, out now, foresees a "Wet Winter Whirlwind," for the upcoming 2024-2025 winter season. Average or above normal temperatures are forecast for New England, the Northeast, the Southern Plains, the Southeast and the Atlantic Coast regions.

And as for the holidays? Yep, also rainy. But by the end of January, much of the nation will be under a red flag warning for a strong and cold storm. 🔮 See all the predictions here.

•	Damage Debby left behind: Flooded neighborhoods, devastated homes.

Real quick

•	Why aren't people feeling better about the economy?
•	Discontinued rides: See which cars won't make it to 2025.
•	Will bird flu be the next pandemic? Vaccines are prepped, just in case.
•	Sticky fingers: Shoplifting might be more common than you think.
•	Solid state batteries for EVs: 600 miles of range in 9 minutes?
•	Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are the first married couple to top box office in 34 years.

Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Mapping Ukraine's stunning move into Russia

Over the last few weeks, a shock incursion by Ukraine across the Russian border took President Vladimir Putin's troops by surprise. Now, as Russian troops are taken prisoner and supply lines are threatened, Ukraine's massive advance may force important strategic decisions on Moscow.

What to know: Putin may have incorrectly assessed that Ukraine did not have the capacity for such an attack, and made a strategic error in treating the international border as a dormant front line. 🗺️ Here's a look at the situation.

Ukrainian aims to destabilize Russian with Kursk incursion.

BingMaps/USA TODAY

Trump to chat with Elon Musk

As Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tries to figure out how to run against surging Vice President Kamala Harris, he turns Monday to a unique venue: An interview on X with prominent supporter Elon Musk. Trump and Musk have had a complicated relationship. The former president has long solicited Musk's support and money, but the billionaire held off on a formal endorsement until July, after previously expressing support for Ron DeSantis during the GOP primary. 🎤 Everything we know about the interview.

•	Trump's Agenda47 plan for education includes a group to 'certify' teachers' patriotism.
•	Harris leans into her dual heritage to energize voters.
•	Trump makes false claims about Harris' campaign crowd sizes.

A break from the news

•	🛳️ Big vs. small cruise ships: Which is right for you?
•	🔎 Trace your origins with an AncestryDNA membership.
•	🐻 Watch: Bold bear raids a classroom for snacks.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.