Your weekend long reads 🗞

The Oscars, a mysterious plane crash in China, our special investigation into charter school loans and more long reads from USA TODAY. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Short List   Saturday, March 26 A mysterious plane crash. A billion-dollar windfall. A family's emotion at an historic moment. Good morning, friends of The Short List! It's John, and these were some of the best reads of the week from the USA TODAY NETWORK. 🎥But first: The Oscars are Sunday. To get you in the spirit, check out Brian Truitt's highly contentious (but always entertaining) ranking of all 93 Best Picture winners. And now, your weekend long reads: ✈️How it happened: USA TODAY's Graphics team takes an in-depth look at the crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 near the city of Wuzhou. None of the 132 aboard survived. 🏫Gaming the system? America's charter schools got an unneeded $1 billion windfall during the pandemic, a USA TODAY investigation found.  • More than 1,100 charter schools had those loans forgiven, but 93% of them may not have needed the money • The KIPP Foundation made $27 million during COVID, but taxpayers covered nearly same amount in PPP forgiven loans • 'The ethical thing to do': Why this small San Diego charter school opted not to take the loans ⚖️Pride and pain: Political posturing dominated the weeklong Senate confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court. But there was one genuine exception. USA TODAY's Alia Dastagir explores the teary moment when Jackson thanked her husband and daughter: "Her family's emotion and her nods to their support and sacrifice shine light on the historically overlooked achievements of Black women, the challenges of working mothers, and the value of men who champion them," she wrote. 👏If you've made it this far, keep going! There are more compelling reads below.👇 See you next week. How retirees and pre-retirees can prepare for a financial shock When financial catastrophes happen in retirement, it's harder to recover without a payday. Here's how to get yourself prepared. Millions of kids fall into poverty as COVID relief expires Meet Ukraine's volunteer army fighting Russian trolls on Facebook The US bungled hiring, leaving hospitals calling for help that wasn't... My boyfriend won't stop looking at other women on Instagram. What... EPA questioned its ability to regulate flea, tick products like... Deshaun Watson gets to build his legacy. What about ours in Cleveland? OPINION Bella Hadid's nose job highlights a problem with teen girls and... These apps can help people with disabilities during travel Southwest Airlines wants you to pay up for a new ticket with perks Exclusive e-Edition: Read today's newspaper online, and access hundreds of newspapers across the USA Today Network.   FOLLOW US 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