Your weekend must reads 📰

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Short List   Saturday, December 24 Good morning, USA TODAY readers! I'm John Riley, and today The Short List weekend edition✨ is brimming with holiday spirit. After all, today is Christmas Eve,🎄 and Hanukkah is also rocking it this week.🕎 So here are some holiday-themed stories to help make your season bright!  🚂Model trains: The tale behind a 100-year-old holiday tradition 🚘Christmas travel: When to leave? The best and worst times to drive 😱Haunted holidays: From Krampus to Belsnickel, 7 scary stories from Christmas lore 🍪Holiday meals: Loading up on eggnog, cookies, etc. will cost you more 🧶Ugly holiday sweaters: How did the tradition get started, anyway? 📺'A Charlie Brown Christmas': How to watch the TV classic this year 🎅🏿Black Santas: Men who dress up as Black Santa Claus spread joy, diversity 🕎Hanukkah 2022: Menorahs mean more amid rising antisemitism 🎁Last-minute gifts: 19 best subscription gifts with no shipping required 🕯️Celebrating Kwanzaa: What it is and how to celebrate ►Special bulletin: Next week, my friend Nicole Fallert takes over for the year in review. There are more great reads below.👇 Happy holidays, and see you in 2023! 🍾 As Russians flee home, life abroad presents uncomfortable questions To avoid being sent to fight in Ukraine, many Russians flee their country for neighboring Georgia. But Ukrainians ask: What have you done to help us? Here's what penal colony life could have been like for Brittney Griner Why are you taking that sexy mirror selfie? How 4 Utah banks export 'predatory lending' with high-cost loans,... 'They treat women like garbage': The unheard voices of Black female... Churches left in historic numbers. Why 2022 was so dramatic for the... How Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' death highlights mental health challenges Pipes frozen? Here's how to thaw them and prevent more from freezing. Keep these 10 things in your carry-on in case your flight gets... 'Cousin Eddie' display in Kentucky leads to police response   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