Queen Elizabeth laid to rest

Millions of people around the world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was honored in a majestic state funeral service. Hurricane Fiona left catastrophic damage behind in Puerto Rico. And schools have banned thousands of books since 2021.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's Monday! Let's get to the news.

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Millions in London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

The eyes of the world were on London on Monday as Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest. Millions were drawn to the streets of London – and likely billions more to their TVs and computer screens around the world – to pay their respects to the monarch, who was celebrated at a funeral at Westminster Abbey and brought to her final place of rest, St George's Chapel. More than 10,000 police officers were on patrol as members of the royal family and hundreds of foreign dignitaries and heads of state descended on Westminster Abbey.

• Committal service: The queen headed to her final resting place in Windsor Castle, where a committal service took place before she was lowered into the Royal Vault. Later, the queen will  be laid to rest with her husband, Prince Philip, during a private service for the family.

• During the service: The crown, scepter and orb were removed from the top of the coffin and placed on an altar at St. George’s Chapel, marking the final separation of the late queen from her crown.

• King Charles III: The new king stood by quietly during the moments of farewell and appeared somber and a bit teary-eyed before his mother’s coffin was lowered into the vault.

📸 Photo gallery: See King Charles III, Prince Harry, all royals who attended Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

• Princesses Catherine, Charlotte honor the queen with sweet details in funeral attire.

• From emotional royals to funeral wreath: Poignant moments at Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

• Photo gallery: Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

• Royal bling to handmade: 70 years of iconic gifts US presidents exchanged with the queen.

The most famous piece of dropped paper in the world

As billions of people tuned in, the spotlight shined on royal family members and dignitaries mourning Queen Elizabeth, their longest-reigning monarch, in a solemn, well-rehearsed ceremony. The spotlight also shined on a small piece of paper that fell from a bishop's hand and floated near the queen's coffin. Enter #papergate. It sparked a viral flood of responses as social media users investigated what the piece of paper could be and who dropped it. Of course, there's already a Twitter account, slow-motion footage of the "drop" and even a fake Netflix series. And in a jarring moment that also gained attention online, a police officer collapsed and was carried out on a stretcher during the funeral.

What everyone's talking about

• Mariah Carey recorded a secret grunge album and now she wants fans to hear it.

• President Biden said the pandemic 'is over.' What does that mean?

• 'Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts': Kanye West says he's never read 'any' book.

• Countries consider breaking from British crown now that Elizabeth's reign is over.

• Biologists plan to poison invasive bass to save native Grand Canyon fish.

• As Trump speaks at Ohio rally, crowd responds with arms raised, fingers pointed in the air.

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Flooding, mudslides, massive power loss in Puerto Rico

Hurricane Fiona smashed through Puerto Rico early Monday with pounding rain and winds that triggered mudslides, "catastrophic" flooding and a power outage that swept across the island of 3.2 million people. More than 1,000 water rescues were performed and more were underway, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said. Parts of Puerto Rico are still healing from the battering wrought by Hurricane Maria five years ago — more than 3,000 homes still have blue tarps for a roof. Now, residents could see up to 30 inches of rain before Hurricane Fiona rolls out of the area late Monday, AccuWeather reported. Where will Fiona go next? A look at the damage and forecast.

Thousands of books banned since 2021

Over the past year or so, there were at least 2,500 book bans in more than 130 school districts across 30-plus states, according to PEN America, a free speech and literary organization. While large majorities of Americans oppose book bans, PEN attributes the movement largely to the dozens of groups – many self-described as “parents’ rights” organizations – that have disseminated lists of books they argue aren’t appropriate for school children. The common denominators across the bulk of these books are well-documented: Books that are by authors of color, deal with racism and/or feature LGBTQ+ relationships are overrepresented on the lists. Many are graphic novels. Read more about the book bans here.

• Banned Book Week is here. How to read or listen to challenged books.

• Preserving the freedom to read: As book-ban efforts mount, librarians craft a plan to fight back.

Real quick

• Boater arrested after shooting Coast Guard helicopter responding to distress call.

• Biden says abducted American will be home soon after Taliban swap.

• 200,000 Nissan pickups recalled over risk of rolling away while in 'park.'

• Asylum seeker dies by suicide in New York shelter, Mayor Eric Allen says.

• Sherri Papini, California woman who faked her kidnapping, sentenced to prison.

• 5 biggest overreactions: Texas A&M, Penn State lead college football's Week 3 list.

• Check your Family Dollar products: Pregnancy tests, other items recalled for improper storage.

Adnan Syed, at center of hit podcast 'Serial,' to be released from prison

More than two decades after Adnan Syed was sentenced to a lifetime in prison and eight years after the shaky case against him became the center of the hit podcast "Serial," a judge on Monday vacated Syed's conviction. Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered that Syed’s conviction be vacated after prosecutors said they no longer have faith in their original case. The podcast, which looked into who killed Hae Min Lee, Syed's ex-girlfriend, captured national attention as it examined glaring problems with both Syed's defense and the prosecution's case. Syed was sentenced to a lifetime in prison, plus 30 years, after he was convicted of the 1999 murder. He has maintained his innocence since age 17. Would his conviction have been overturned without "Serial"? Keep reading.

A break from the news

• 👻 Halloween inflatables: Can they withstand the elements – and kids? We tested them.

• 💌 Advice needed: "Do I have to invite a frenemy to my wedding to keep the peace?"

• 📲 Apple Pay Later: Buy now, pay later option coming soon to iOS 16. What you should know.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Queen Elizabeth funeral, Hurricane Fiona, Adnan Syed, book bans. Monday's news.