Your weekend must reads 📰

Harmful candy Halloween myth, candy corn debate, costume ideas, spooky charcuterie and more. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Short List   Saturday, October 29 Happy Halloween, USA TODAY readers! I'm John Riley, editor of The Short List weekend edition✨. Today we're taking a break from the serious stuff and reveling in  America's annual celebration of spooky. Put on your fright mask and grab your candy bag!😱 But first, on a serious note ... No, rainbow fentanyl is not a Halloween trick On Aug. 30, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration put out a PSA warning that illicit pills of the powerful opioid fentanyl were being dyed "to look like candy to children and young people." Soon after, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said in a Fox News interview that parents were worried that rainbow fentanyl pills were going to be in Halloween baskets , according to Joel Best, a criminal justice professor at the University of Delaware, who has spent decades studying the scare of tainted Halloween treats. "This is idiotic," Best said. "Nobody's going to give it away to small children." Best said in all his years of studying, he has found no evidence of poisoned or fake candy harming children on Halloween, aside from when a Texas father poisoned his son's Halloween candy in the 1970s. If a parent has concerns, experts say, they can simply let kids have only packaged, branded candy.🍬 Enjoy these tasty Halloween reads • What's your favorite? The most popular and hated Halloween treats by state🍫 • Candy corn: The Halloween candy that divides a nation🧡 • Dressing up: Google Trends lists the most popular Halloween costumes👻 • Let's all match:  20 group costume ideas🧛 • What to watch: New movies this Halloween weekend🦇 • Horror franchise:  'Halloween Ends' review: It's a bloody shame💀 • Halloween waste: How to be more sustainable this year🌕 • Spooky foods: Halloween charcuterie boards almost too spectacular to eat🍖 • Drink up: Halloween cocktails that are both spooky and delicious🍸 There are more terrific reads below.👇 Have a great weekend and a brilliant Halloween!🎃 Democrats lost voters' trust on education, and the GOP is swooping in Democrats have long been seen as the country's "education party," but perceptions have shifted since the onset of the pandemic. Competitive midterm races give a window into what to expect for 2024 'Ashamed of the game': Astros manager on World Series' lack of Black... How feds blocked US citizen's arrest after he killed woman in Africa Jackson water crisis: Failures rooted in poverty, neglect and racism Am I wrong for refusing to attend Christmas with my husband's family? For earliest-stage breast cancer patients, how much treatment is... Coal miner at UK basketball scrimmage goes viral: 'This picture hits... A recession could arrive in 2023. Are you prepared? Man poses as dead body for 321 days. Now he's going to be on 'CSI'   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