What a year. We laughed, we cried, we socially distanced and we held our loved ones close. And ... we read the news. A lot of it.<\/p>\n
As part of our look back at 2021, we've pulled together a collection of some of the stories that USA TODAY readers spent the most time with this year.<\/p>\n
The selections includea profile of the New Jersey man who became the world's first successful face and double-hand transplant recipient, the journey of a little girl with a rare disease who was given hope through a medical miracle and thestory of onefamily's drug ring that was linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and deaths in three states.<\/p>\n
There are also stories of redemption, remembrance and faith, including a woman's tale of escaping Afghanistan and the story of a young boy who lost his mom on 9\/11 and the young man he's become.<\/p>\n
All of these pieces were available to USA TODAY subscribers this year and we're making them free this holiday season.<\/p>\n
If you want unlimited access tounique, straightforwardreporting from around the nation that takes you beyond the headlines, please consider a subscription to USA TODAY.<\/p>\n
Stories of the Year: A look back at the biggest moments of 2021<\/p>\n
Photos of the Year: See a photo from every day in a life-changing year<\/p>\n
Those We Lost: Hank Aaron, Bob Dole, Cicely Tyson: Remembering notables who died in 2021<\/p>\n
Feel-good stories: From daring rescues to medical breakthroughs, here are 12 of the happiest stories of 2021<\/p>\n
A Sinaloa Cartel supplied drug ring is tied to multiple deaths in Michigan, Kentucky and Mississippi, a USA TODAY Network investigation finds.<\/p>\n
After a car accident destroyed his face and arms, Joseph DiMeo determined to recover his independence. Now, after complex transplant surgery, he has.<\/p>\n
For decades, two lovestruck teenagers made good on a promise to their parents to never talk again. But one day, 51 years later, everything changed.<\/p>\n
Five years after then-coach Tyler Summitt was caught having an affair with his point guard at Louisiana Tech, the couple are married and have a son.<\/p>\n
When NCAA men's basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed during the Gonzaga-USC game, some thought he had died. Turns out, that fall saved his life.<\/p>\n
A scientific vision for decades, gene therapy is finally becoming more common in the U.S., fueling optimism for the treatment of rare diseases.<\/p>\n
In 2001, Tionda and Diamond Bradley left a note and disappeared from their Chicago home. For two decades, their family has fought for answers.<\/p>\n
The boy in the yellow raincoat made for one of 9\/11's most moving images. Two decades after the attacks, Kevin Villa reflects on his mom's sacrifice.<\/p>\n
It seems impossible that civilization can regress decades, that your life can collapse before lunch. But it can, and it did as the Taliban took Kabul.<\/p>\n
Bishop Sycamore gained national attention when it lost an ESPN-televised football game 58-0 and questions were asked about the school and coaches.<\/p>\n
Published1:01 pm UTC Dec. 25, 2021Updated2:17 pm UTC Dec. 25, 2021<\/p>\n
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Long reads: The USA TODAY stories readers spent the most time with in 2021 - USA TODAY<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What a year. We laughed, we cried, we socially distanced and we held our loved ones close. And ... Continue reading