Your weekend must reads

When Kamala Harris made her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, she gave a shoutout to someone who wasn't in the audience: her late mother. More college students are battling a campus housing crunch. And we got to hang out with R&B legend Usher.

👋Good morning, Short List nation! I'm John Riley, here again with Paste BN's best stories of the week. And there's more good news: College football is back. Check out the "Week 0" matchups.

But first: State fair foods! 🍩 After you enjoy the rides and see the animals, scarf down some pickle pizza and deep-fried Twinkies.

Kamala Harris is her mother's daughter

In the story of Kamala Harris’ life, her mother steals the show. “Mommy, you are the star of this book because you are the reason for everything,” Harris wrote in her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold.” Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher who died in 2009, didn't live to see her daughter accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president on Thursday. By all accounts, Harris' mother, though tiny in stature, was a giant intellectually and through sheer force of will. Read her story👩🏽‍👧🏽

Dorm room or hotel suite? Inside the college housing crunch

As a crisis of affordable housing in the U.S. persists, the number of young college attendees has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. This double-whammy is forcing some schools to adopt unusual – and in some cases, controversial –approaches to addressing limited dorm space on campus. The scramble for space has left some students wrestling with new questions about what they hope to get out of their college experience. Read more🛌

48 hours with Usher: What's next for the R&B icon?

No one can say Usher has been short on drive during his 30-year career in music. "Sure I had skill, sure I had a hit record, sure I had a record company to stand behind me and pay money to promote and market and build my brand. But I always felt like I had to prove myself and earn my keep." As Usher launches his Past Present Future tour, he gave Paste BN readers an intimate look at who he is and what he yearns to accomplish. Read more🎤

Keep scrolling: There are more great stories below.👇 Have a great weekend!