The Short List: AirAsia flight found; convictions set off Moscow protests; Bush 41 released

This is why we found the AirAsia plane and not MH370

They found it. Officials have confirmed that debris and bodies in Indonesian waters is from AirAsia Flight 8501 that vanished on Sunday with 162 people on board. Parallels have been drawn between the AirAsia flight and the still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Why did we find one and not the other? There are several reasons: 1) The debris field of 8501 is in relatively shallow water. It was found in the Karimata Strait in water that is about 150 feet deep. The search for MH370 spanned out into the Indian Ocean, parts of which go as deep as 4 miles. 2) The AirAsia flight's weather difficulties gave us valuable information. Before it lost contact with air-traffic control, AirAsia Flight 8501 asked for permission to climb to a higher altitude to avoid tropical storm clouds. Before MH370 disappeared, all seemed smooth on the horizon, keeping its downfall a mystery. 3) Tracking was working. AirAsia did not deviate from its flight plan, and communications were working correctly until contact was lost. With MH370, leading theories are that hijacking could be the cause for the disappearance because the jet's transponder had been turned off.

Bush 41 and John Dingell released after hospital stays

We like it when we can bring you good news, so here you go: Former president George H.W. Bush was released from a Houston hospital today. We're also pleased to report that Rep. John Dingell is done with his hospital stay, too. Bush, 90, was hospitalized last week for shortness of breath. He's the oldest living former president and suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease that requires him to use a wheelchair or scooter to get around. Michigan's Dingell, 88, is the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history. He cast his last vote a day before his Dec. 12 hospitalization. (His wife, Debbie Dingell, was elected to take over his seat.) Here's wishing them both a happy and healthy 2015.

Meet the man setting off protests in Moscow today

Alexei Navalny is Russian President Vladimir Putin's biggest critic. The country's opposition leader was convicted of fraud today and given a suspended sentence. His brother Oleg was also convicted and sentenced to the same prison term, but his wasn't suspended. Navalny wasn't having it. Hours after his conviction, he was detained for evading house arrest to join supporters at an unsanctioned protest near the Kremlin. Several thousand people showed up to protest the convictions of the Navalny brothers. Navalny, a lawyer and popular blogger, rose to prominence with his investigations of official corruption and played a leading role in organizing massive anti-Putin demonstrations in Moscow in 2011 and 2012.

Reports of unusual activity in the skies in the '50s? It was us, CIA says

Maybe it was a bird. Maybe it was a plane. But it was probably not a UFO. The Central Intelligence Agency had some fun today tweeting out its most popular stories of the year. No. 1? "Reports of unusual activity in the skies in the '50s? It was us." That's right — a CIA report from 1998 was the most-read story from 2014. It's titled, innocuously enough, "The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974." It has a whole section about UFOs. It tracks the creation of the U-2 (the spy plane, not the band) and how it was often mistaken for a UFO. Oh, and in case you forgot, 2014 was the year the CIA joined Twitter with perhaps the greatest tweet of all time (see below.)

Year in review: 50 stories from 50 states

When the year ends, we reflect. We look back at the stories that changed the national conversation, the people who inspired us, the painful events we bore witness to, and the shifts in public opinion that showed us how America is evolving on issues both big and small. As 2014 comes to a close, USA TODAY revisits one story from each state — the big news, the best investigations and the moments we still can't stop talking about. (And after you're done reading all 50, here are the seven stories from 2014 that matter most.)

Extra Bites

Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.

Have you seen it? It's a homemade "Slip 'N Slide." We know you want on.

Because she doesn't have enough problems. Lindsay Lohan is battling Chikungunya virus.

This is why a House GOP leader said he spoke to a white supremacist group in 2002.

The 4% rule of retirement has been around for a while. Find out if it's still relevant.

An 86-year-old Detroit man is missing after winning the lotto.

ICYMI: N.Y. Rep. Grimm says he will resign after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

Short on time? Listen to today's top stories:

Stories you're clicking on today:

Minimum wage to rise in 21 states this week

Daughters face eviction after their mom is killed

Giada De Laurentiis announces divorce

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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.

Contributing: Doug Stanglin, Catalina Camia, USA TODAY;Thomas Maresca and Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY; Lindsay Deutsch, USA TODAY Network