promoearn: History-making hearing

Monday, March 21

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn-in during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Judge Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden to replace Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who plans to retire at the end of the term. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court.

A plane crashed in China with 132 aboard. And US-Russia relations are wearing thin. It's Monday's news.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history. Ukraine refuses to surrender Mariupol to Russian forces. And rescuers are searching for survivors after a plane crashed in China with 132 aboard.

👋 It's Laura. It's Monday. There's a lot of news, so let's get to it!

But first, want fries with that? 😋 Surprise! McDonald's is bringing back Szechuan Sauce.

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Making history, first Black female SCOTUS nominee faces senators

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's nominee to the Supreme Court, made history Monday as she faced senators on the first day of a marathon process to potentially be confirmed as the nation's first Black woman on the Supreme Court. While the real fireworks are likely to be on display Tuesday and Wednesday, when senators will question the judge directly, opening statements showed that lines of support and objection are already being drawn. If confirmed, Jackson would be the 116th justice, and the first Black woman seated on the nation's highest court in its 233-year-history.

👉 Full coverage: Durbin defends Jackson on crime, Blackburn promises "tough questions," Jackson pledges to be an "independent" and "neutral" judge. Updates from Monday's confirmation hearing.

•	How Jackson's confirmation process will unfold in the Senate.
•	Who is she? Supreme Court pick Ketanji Brown Jackson in her own words.
•	It's exhausting to be a Black woman. Just ask Ketanji Brown Jackson. \| Opinion

Plane crashes with 132 people aboard

A Chinese airplane with 132 people on board a domestic flight crashed Monday in the southern province of Guangxi, officials said. There was no immediate word on the number of dead or injured. On board were 123 passengers and nine crew members of the China Eastern airline, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Earlier reports said 133 people were on board. The crash occurred near the city of Wuzhou in Teng county as the airplane, a China Eastern Boeing 737-800, traveled from Kunming in the western province of Yunnan, to Guangzhou in the coastal province of Guangdong, aviation officials said. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an "all-out effort" in the rescue operations and for any potential safety hazards to be investigated.

•	China plane crash: No mayday call, Boeing 737-800 debris found.

Debris from China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 was recovered from a mountain in China's Guangxi region on March 21.

What everyone's talking about

•	Kid Rock in Tucker Carlson interview: 'You can't cancel me, I love it when they try.'
•	Bella Hadid regrets getting a nose job at 14. How young is too young for plastic surgery?
•	On the Outer Banks, structures rise and fall as climate change looms.
•	Europe dominated the happiest countries in the world list. What about the United States?
•	Weather warning: Millions at risk as South braces for severe storms, possible tornadoes.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Relations 'on the verge of rupture'

Warning that hostile actions taken against Russia would be met with a "decisive and firm rebuff," on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan to warn that President Joe Biden's remarks have put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture. Last week, Biden described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal" as Russia's missile attacks on Ukraine cities intensified. The Foreign Ministry said the statement and other references to Putin and the Russian invasion were "unworthy of a statesman of such high rank."

Also Monday:

•

Mariupol will not surrender: Ukraine firmly rejected a Russian offer to open two safe corridors out of Mariupol in exchange for the city's surrender as the relentless missile strikes on the battered seaport city stretched deeper into a fourth week.

•

Russian forces, facing stiff resistance against their invasion of Ukraine, have sought to gain control of cities but can claim few successes thus far. The Kremlin says its "special operation" is going as planned. But a senior Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, said Putin has not achieved his goals and is relying on bombardment of cities in a "near-desperate" effort to gain momentum.

👉 More news: President Biden to travel to Poland on Friday, Russian reliance on 'dumb bombs' puts civilians at greater risk. Read Monday's updates here.

•	Names on a list: Fleeing Mariupol, one checkpoint at a time.
•	$120 million and counting: How the 'first crypto-war' is unfolding in Ukraine.
•	David Beckham hands over Instagram with 71.6 million followers to Ukrainian doctor.

March 21, 2022: Irina Zubchenko walks with her dog Max amid the destruction caused after shelling of a shopping center, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Rodrigo Abd, AP

Real quick

•	New report sheds more light on Urban Meyer's disastrous tenure in Jacksonville.
•	Daddy Yankee shocks fans by announcing retirement, farewell tour and album.
•	Adjunct professors, the 'backbone' of higher education, push for better wages and benefits.
•	Memorabilia among items stolen from home of late NFL receiver Demaryius Thomas.
•	How will climate change impact American companies? The SEC thinks you have a right to know.

🧴 Lotion check!

Kao USA is asking for customers to check their bottles of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer as a part of a voluntary recall after a possible bacteria contamination. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 3-ounce and 10-ounce products may contain Pluralibacter gergoviae, a bacterium that poses minimal health risk to healthy people but can cause infections in people who have weakened immune systems. Bottles manufactured between Oct. 1-18, 2021, could be affected. The product is being removed from warehouses, and the company is working with retailers to have it pulled from shelves, the FDA said in a statement.

Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer recalled for possible bacteria.

Courtesy of the FDA

A break from the news

•	📱 The Discover Samsung sales event is here. Shop our favorite deals on smartphones, tablets and sound bars.
•	🏝 Retiring in your 50s sounds great! But it could come with 3 big problems.
•	👀 My boyfriend won't stop looking at other women on Instagram. Am I overreacting?

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