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The Short List: Memorial Day; Comcast's potential new rival; NFL's latest domestic violence problem

Compiled by Alia E. Dastagir
USA TODAY
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On Memorial Day, don't forget to give thanks

Memorial Day isn't about a three-day weekend. It isn't about the beach, the beers or the BBQ. The holiday is about saying "thank you." Thank you to the heroes who gave their lives for our country. Thank you to the soldiers who served for their sacrifice. So yes, it's OK to enjoy the cold brews and the hot dogs (#Merica!), but don't forget what the most important part of the holiday is all about. Need a little refresher? Here are 10 facts about Memorial Day. For some inspiring stories, we've got an 88-year-old WWII veteran who never thought he'd see the National World War II Memorial (spoiler: his friend took him, and it was awesome) and a small Dutch village that loves and honors our fallen soldiers. It also wouldn't be a national holiday without some controversy, and we have PacSun to thank for that.

Comcast could have a new rival

Nothing like a do-over. Charter Communications is nearing an agreement to acquire Time Warner Cable in a deal valued at $55.1 billion. This isn't the first time Charter has made moves to buy Time Warner Cable. It tried to acquire the company in a series of escalating bids during 2013-14, but Time Warner Cable's board rejected Charter's offer. Then Comcast entered the bidding. Comcast and Time Warner Cable agreed on a deal but ultimately scrapped their planned tie-up in April, bowing to stiff opposition from consumers and a likely anti-trust veto from federal regulators. Now Charter's back, and the possible combination of the nation's fourth- and second-largest cable companies could create a newly-strengthened rival for Comcast, the industry's largest firm. The new transaction, the latest in the rapidly consolidating pay-TV industry, could be announced as early as tomorrow.

Charter initially sought to buy Time Warner in a series of escalating bids in 2013-14.

NFL has another domestic violence incident on its hands

Plenty of people saw this one coming. The Chicago Bears cut defensive end Ray McDonald after he was arrested today on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment. This is McDonald's second domestic violence arrest in the past year. He was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence after an incident with his fiancée last August, while he was with the San Francisco 49ers. No charges were filed after the alleged victim refused to cooperate. The Niners stood by McDonald through most of the season, but then cut him loose after he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. He was never arrested in that case, but it remains open. That didn't stop the Bears, though. USA TODAY Sports' Nancy Armour thinks the team should be punished. She writes: "It's not simply enough to punish the players who inflict the abuse on women and children. If the NFL wants the good work it's done over the last year to combat domestic violence to actually mean something, it has to go after the owners and GMs who have long enabled them."

The Chicago Bears cut Ray McDonald on Tuesday.

Anonymous phone threats make it a scary day for some fliers

Anonymous telephone threats against commercial airliners, possibly from the same source, caused a scare today involving four international flights at airports in New York and New Jersey. The threats didn't appear to be credible. Searches were done on three of the jets. 1. U.S. military jets escorted an Air France flight into New York City after someone claimed a chemical weapon was aboard the aircraft. 2. A Saudi Arabian Airlines flight arriving at Kennedy also was being checked out because of another threat. 3. A threat was made against an American Airlines jet flying from Birmingham, England, to Kennedy, but the threat wasn't credible and the plane was cleared to go to the terminal. 4. And at Newark Liberty International Airport, passengers were removed from a United Airlines flight after it arrived from Madrid. The plane was being inspected today at a spot away from the terminal.

Severe weather devastates parts of the U.S. and Mexico

Record rain. Flash floods. Violent twisters. A line of powerful storms wreaked havoc over the past few days from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Today, a tornado raged through Ciudad Acuna, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border, destroying homes, flinging cars like matchsticks and ripping an infant from its mother's arms. At least 13 people were killed. In Texas, 12 people were reported missing in flash flooding from powerful storms, which displaced more than 2,000 residents throughout the state. Gov. Greg Abbott has declared 37 counties disaster areas.

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Extra Bites:

The pools are officially open. Swipe through more great shots from the Day in Pictures.

Markell Harrison, 10, flips off the diving board at the Jim Barnett Park outdoor pool on Sunday, May 24, 2015 in Winchester, Va.. Area public pools opened for the season during this Memorial Day weekend.

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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.

Contributing: Kevin McCoy, Roger Yu, Aamer Madhani, Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY; Lindsay H. Jones, Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports; Allison Sylte, KSDK-TV, St. Louis, Mo.; Kristen Jordan Shamus, The Detroit Free Press; Newser; Associated Press

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