(CNN)In Washington's polarized political environment, support for Israel has been a rare area of bipartisan cooperation -- at least until now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Tuesday threatens to undermine the nearly 67-year tradition of bipartisan support that has endured since President Harry Truman became the first head of state to recognize Israel. Netanyahu is driven not only by his concerns about Iran's nuclear threat -- the topic of his address -- but also by domestic political considerations. Israel will hold its national elections just two weeks after his visit to Washington. Netanyahu is fighting for his political life as he faces a tougher than expected re-election campaign. He has been widely blamed at home for having failed to lower the high cost of living, an issue that his rivals have eagerly exploited. Netanyahu has tried to offset some of this criticism by focusing on his perennial issue: Iran. A major televised address in Washington concerning Iran's threat, interrupted only by standing ovations from American lawmakers, has the potential to be far more effective than any campaign ad in projecting gravitas, reinforcing his security credentials and reminding voters of his vast experience -- in contrast to his rivals' inexperience -- in foreign affairs. Yet Netanyahu's speech, while possibly giving him a short-term boost at home, will harm Jerusalem's relations with Washington, not Iran's nuclear program. Speaker John Boehner's late-January invitation to Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress was coordinated with neither the White House nor the State Department. It was, in essence, a political ploy aimed at undermining President Obama as he strives to reach a historic deal over Iran's nuclear program. In defiance of the Obama administration, and rejecting advice from leading figures in Israel and key supporters of Israel in the United States, Netanyahu accepted the invitation. By antagonizing the White House, Boehner and Netanyahu have put Democratic members of Congress in a bind, forcing them to choose between two unenviable options: either attend the speech out of respect for a close ally, but in so doing flout the president -- their party leader -- or demonstrate loyalty to Obama by snubbing the leader of a major U.S. ally. Two senior Senate Democrats with sterling pro-Israel credentials, Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein, tried to diffuse this latest crisis between Washington and Jerusalem by offering to meet with the Israeli premier behind closed doors but were rebuffed by Netanyahu. Feinstein had previously noted that an invitation to address Congress during the Israeli election period was "highly inappropriate." In politicizing his visit to Washington, Netanyahu has allowed his bad blood with Obama to spill over into his government's increasingly complicated relationship with the Democratic Party. Netanyahu no doubt believes that Obama is misguided about the pending deal with Iran. Indeed, there are good reasons to be skeptical of any agreement with a regime that has long engaged in deception and concealment with respect to its nuclear program. Less than two weeks ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran was continuing to evade questions about

Summary: Ziv: By injecting himself into U.S. politics, the Israeli prime minister puts at risk a 67-year relationship between two countries . Netanyahu's speech to Congress poses a problem for Democrats too, Ziv says .


(CNN)A gloved hand reaches for a scantily-clad backside. It could be an image from the hit television series "Mad Men," which documented the ribald world of advertising in 1960s America. Except this is 2015 and "Who squeezes them in Harelbeke?" is the poster strapline for the elite E3 Harelbeke competition in Belgium, accompanied by that gloved cyclist's hand poised to pinch a woman's bottom. Unlike the wind provocatively lifting up her skirt, the controversial advertisement wasn't dreamed up out of thin air. It's inspired by previous winner Slovak Peter Sagan, who pinched a podium girl's behind at the 2013 Tour de Flanders -- something he later apologized for, saying "I promise to act more respectfully in the future." A week earlier, he was also pictured on the E3 Harelbeke podium, making an ass-grabbing motion towards another flower girl. E3 Harelbeke's organizers chose to celebrate his antics in their 2015 campaign, sparking a global debate about sexism in cycling that has raced far beyond the billboard. "Old Boy's Club" "A guy grabbing a woman's ass is very much indicative of a level of sexual assault," said Kathryn Bertine, former professional cyclist and director of "Half the Road," a documentary about female racers. "This poster makes cycling look very outdated. They're relying on a 'good old boys club' tactic to help them sell a product -- and in this case that product is racing." Judging by E3 Harelebeke's provocative standards, the poster could even appear tame compared to previous years. In 2011 organizers opted for a naked woman lying in a field, while the silhouettes of miniature riders traversed her bare backside. More baffling was last year's poster featuring a woman straddling three other females curled into the shape of a bike. "Such provocative imagery may have been seen by some in the 1950s and 1960s as a basis for selling products, but marketing communications are a rather more sophisticated and progressive activity than they were 50 years ago," said Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at Coventry University. "I think E3 Harelbeke are rather out of kilter with the way that most people think today." "A playful nod" Cycling's world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has since requested the poster be removed, to which the E3 Harelbeke organisers have agreed -- not that they necessarily see it as offensive themselves. "Personally, no I don't think it's sexist," Marc Claerhout, E3 Harelebeke manager, told CNN. Could he see why others might find it offensive? "I don't know. You have a lot of publicity where you see more than some underwear," he said. "And we didn't mean it as sexist." The organization has since withdrawn the poster, releasing an official apology to "anyone who might find it intimidating, discriminatory or sexist." "The organization launched this campaign as a playful nod to the stage incident two years ago in which a rider got ready to squeeze the buttocks of a flower girl," it added. Removing the poster is one thing -- but the UCI missed an opportunity to make an example

Summary: Belgium cycling tournament scraps poster of podium girl's bum . Sparks global debate about sexism in cycling .


(CNN)A nuclear deal with international powers on Iran's nuclear program is within reach and achievable, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told reporters Saturday. Rouhani said negotiators from both sides have found new common ground in recent days, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The President believes that "clinching a general deal is easy," according to the IRNA story, but hammering out agreements on certain details "will be a very tough and complicated job." Iran has been largely isolated for years for its nuclear program, one that its leaders say the country wants for peaceful purposes. Others, like the United States, have challenged that assertion and instituted strict sanctions, fearing that Tehran actually plans to develop nuclear weapons. After years of basic stalemates, Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 have managed to reach short-term agreements as they try to strike a larger deal. The sides have been working toward that end in Lausanne, Switzerland, hoping to get a framework pact in place ahead of a March 31 deadline. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, joined these talks Monday. All sides took a break Friday, but are expected to return to the negotiating table soon. Kerry, addressing reporters Saturday in Lausanne before leaving for London, said "substantial progress" had been made toward reaching a deal but that "important gaps remain." He insisted that the international powers involved in the talks, the P5+1 -- consisting of Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain -- were united in their determination to ensure that Iran's nuclear program is purely peaceful. The stakes are high and the issues complicated, Kerry said. "Let me once again be clear: We don't want just any deal," he said. "If we had, we could have announced something a long time ago." There has been "genuine progress" over the past 16 months since a joint plan was agreed and in his conversations with Zarif of the past few days, Kerry said. The international powers won't rush the process, he said, but the negotiations are at a decisive point. "We recognize that fundamental decisions have to be made now and they don't get any easier as time goes by," he said. "It is time to make hard decisions. We want the right deal that would make the world, including the United States and our closest partners and allies, safer and more secure, and that is our test." U.S. President Barack Obama has made clear that he wants to achieve a "comprehensive and durable agreement" that is based on intensive verification of its implementation rather than trust, Kerry added. "We have not yet reached the finish line but, make no mistake, we have the opportunity to get this right," he said. While in London, Kerry met with his counterparts from the UK, Germany and France, as well as the European Union foreign policy chief, to discuss their coordinated approach. British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond spoke for the group, echoing Kerry but saying while "substantial progress has

Summary: British FM: "The time has come now for Iran ... to make some very tough decisions" U.S. secretary of state says substantial progress has been made but important gaps remain . Iranian President says getting a general deal is easy, but ironing out the details may be hard .


(Travel + Leisure)Quick, imagine a castle: it probably looks a lot like Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, the turreted inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Each year, more than 1.5 million travelers are inspired to make the steep walk or catch a horse-drawn carriage to reach this castle perched on a rocky outcropping in the Bavarian countryside. "People have always been interested in celebrities and powerful people and their homes," says Cordula Mauss, PR officer for the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces. "Immediately after the death of Ludwig II in 1886, the first tourists came and wanted to see what their king had built as his private residence." While castles, palaces and châteaux naturally pique such curiosity, not all have Neuschwanstein's European fairy-tale looks. Some of the world's most-visited palaces, found across Asia, feature red exteriors, pagodas, gates and carvings. Consider Bangkok's gold-spired Grand Palace, where Thai kings lived for 150 years, and where 8 million annual visitors now traipse through ornate rooms, manicured gardens and temples, including one that houses a revered Buddha carved from a single block of jade. Travel + Leisure: See more of the world's most visited castles . Some longtime royal residences have been repurposed as museums. St. Petersburg's riverfront Winter Palace, for instance, is the sixth-most-visited castle, thanks to the appeal of masterworks by Titian and da Vinci along with lavish restored interiors, where Catherine the Great once held court. America's closest approximation is California's Hearst Castle, though it fell short of Travel + Leisure's top 20 list with only 750,000 annual visitors. And while Windsor Castle squeaked in at No. 19, Buckingham Palace didn't make the grade (567,613 annual visitors), nor did Romania's Bran Castle (542,000) or a single Irish castle. Ireland's most visited, Blarney Castle, received 365,000 in 2013. That said, there can be a downside to having too many visitors -- these are delicate, historic structures that have existed for hundreds of years, and some, like Neuschwanstein, limit daily entries. But it's hard to stem curiosity when it comes to the lives of the blue-blooded. As Mauss puts it: "Who didn't want to be a prince or a princess or at least a knight when he or she was a child?" The Methodology: To tally up the world's most-visited castles, T+L gathered the most recent data supplied by the attractions themselves or from government agencies, industry reports and reputable media outlets. In most cases, it was 2013 data. Here are the top 10: . No. 1 The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), BeijingAnnual Visitors: 15,340,000 . Each day, tens of thousands of visitors pour through the Forbidden City to see the 178-acre walled compound that once shielded the Imperial Palace from public view -- while housing Chinese emperors and their extensive entourages. (To handle the volume, the government has started requiring advance ticket sales during festivals and holidays and prohibiting annual ticket holders from visiting during peak seasons). Bright red buildings topped with golden pagodas exemplify traditional Chinese architecture, while the Palace Museum showcases art, furniture and calligraphy. Source: China National Tourist Office . No.

Summary: Each day, tens of thousands of visitors pour through Beijing's Forbidden City to see the 178-acre walled compound . The largest and most famous museum in the world got its start as a palace. Hint: It's in Paris .


(CNN)The end of "Jinx," the six-part HBO documentary about real estate heir Robert Durst, has launched a debate about whether some potentially incriminating statements Durst made while in the bathroom to a microphone may be used in his criminal prosecution. Durst, as you probably heard, is charged with murder in a killing in California 15 years ago, and he has been suspected, but never charged, in the disappearance of his first wife in New York. Whether or not the taped words of an accused person will be admissible against him involves a look at the rules of evidence and the Constitution, as well as our fast-evolving ideas about privacy. While Durst's attorneys can make a number of arguments to suppress these statements and bar their admission at trial, the bathroom confessions will likely be factored in. Let's go over three main reasons why: . 1. Is this inadmissible hearsay? Probably not. Hearsay is defined as a statement made outside of court that is offered in court for its truth. It really just means a witness can't testify at trial about someone else's version of the facts. If a sentence starts with "He told me" or "She said that," it's probably hearsay. As general proposition, hearsay is supposed to be inadmissible, but the exceptions nearly swallow the rule itself -- so much so that many commentators have suggested abolishment of the exception-riddled rule itself. Perhaps the largest and best known category of hearsay exceptions is admissions and confessions. These can be admitted against a defendant. Why? Well, the idea is that these statements are reliable. The thinking is that people don't ordinarily confess to something unless they did it. 2. Is this a violation of Durst's constitutional privilege against self-incrimination? Again, probably not. The rules of the U.S. Constitution are a different matter. The Fifth Amendment's self-incrimination clause states that "[n]o person ... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself ..." By definition then, compulsory self-incrimination requires, well, "compulsion." And not just any compulsion. The kind of compulsion targeted by the Fifth Amendment is governmental coercion. Durst may still contend that his "confession" wasn't voluntary. It's true that confessions deemed "involuntary" are often excluded at trial under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. However, a confession will only be considered involuntary if it is the product of police activity. Voluntariness is not an issue when admissions are made to a private person, such as a journalist. What of Durst's likely claim that the filmmakers were essentially acting as an arm of the police? Sometimes law enforcement exercises so much control over a civilian that his private actions become police action, constitutionally speaking. This is not an easy case for a defendant to make, though. Durst would have to establish that the HBO interviewers were direct agents of the police and that the interview was coerced by police. The police undoubtedly benefited from the work of these citizen documentarians. But the police frequently benefit from the work of good Samaritans or citizens volunteering information, photos or

Summary: Robert Durst made some potentially incriminating statements at the end of HBO's "Jinx" Danny Cevallos: Durst's attorneys will want to bar their admission at trial, but they will likely be factored in .


(CNN)Rand Paul's goal to run for two offices in 2016 cleared a hurdle Saturday after the Kentucky GOP decided to move forward with a proposal to hold a presidential caucus rather than a primary. The plan allows the first-term U.S. senator, who's running for re-election and making a likely bid for president, to get around a Kentucky law that prohibits candidates from appearing on the same ballot twice. Rand Paul searches for green light on caucus proposal . After Paul met with the party's 54-member executive committee in Bowling Green for a two-hour session, the group voted unanimously to appoint a smaller committee that would decide the rules and regulations of how a caucus would be held. The final vote would come in August when a larger gathering of the Kentucky GOP is scheduled to meet and hear a more detailed plan from the task force. "We thank the members of RPK for their unanimous support and look forward to continuing this process," said Paul's top adviser, Doug Stafford, in a statement. Kentucky law allows the state party to determine the details of its presidential preference vote, but not the primary for other elected offices in the state. In other words, Paul's name for his Senate re-election bid would still remain on the May 2016 primary ballot, but the presidential vote would likely move up earlier in the year to March. The senator appeared at the meeting to address some concerns about a caucus, namely the increased cost, as well as the lower voter turnout typically associated with caucuses. He has pledged to raise money through his donor network to help offset the costs, and proponents of the caucus argue that the significant media attention expected and Kentucky's earlier placement in the nominating calendar would spur just as much turnout. Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Democrat, issued a scathing statement Saturday, saying a Republican caucus next year "could create potential chaos in our electoral process" and promised to "monitor the situation" in the coming months. "In the meantime, I call on the Republican Party of Kentucky to provide details on how all their voters would be able to participate and how the party intends to uphold the integrity of the process," she said.

Summary: Rand Paul wants his hat in ring for both president and Senate . Kentucky GOP moves toward creating caucus to allow that scenario . Democratic state official criticizes move .


(CNN)"Scandal" star Kerry Washington stood up for same-sex rights in a fiery speech Saturday night that brought a cheering crowd to its feet. Washington made the remarks in her acceptance speech at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, where she received the Vanguard Award for promoting equality. In addition to calling for more representation of the LGBT community in Hollywood, she also called out marginalized communities for turning against each other, encouraging them to come together. "Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people: we have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of 'other,'" she said. "As others, we are taught that to be successful, we must reject those other others, or we will never belong." She also challenged black people who don't support gay marriage to resist "messages of hate." "We can't say that we believe in each other's fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each others' existence and the truth of each other's hearts. We must be allies. And we must be allies in this business because to be represented is to be humanized. And as long as anyone, anywhere is being made to feel less human, our very definition of humanity is at stake and we are all vulnerable." Watch Washington's full speech below.

Summary: Kerry Washington calls out marginalized communities for turning against each other . "We have been pitted against each other," she says .


(CNN)Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who authorities say deliberately crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 in France, passed all his tests and medical exams and gave no voluntary indication that he was unstable or mentally ill, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told CNN Thursday. "We have at Lufthansa a reporting system where crew can report without being punished their own problems or they can report about problems of others without any kind of punishment. That hasn't been used either in this case, so all these safety nets we are so proud of here have not worked in this case," Spohr said. Lubitz had been with Germanwings since September 2013 and had completed 630 hours of flight time after training at the airline's flight center in Bremen, Germany, the company has said. Germanwings is the budget carrier for Lufthansa. The CEO said he didn't know much more than what has been released by French authorities: The captain left the cockpit, tried to regain access by knocking on the door and "the door was either kept locked or not opened in the way it was supposed to be, and that for sure is a clear indication that the remaining pilot -- the co-pilot -- didn't want the captain to return." Had the copilot suffered a medical emergency -- as some experts speculated in the initial hours after the accident -- there are safety procedures in place so that the pilot can re-access the cockpit, he said. That is, "unless the person on the inside locks it and this apparently has happened here," the CEO said. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, cockpit doors were manufactured to withstand manual force and small weapons, so there was "no way to get back to the cockpit for the captain," he said. Spohr was asked why Lubitz was allowed to be alone in the cockpit. American airlines require that any pilot leaving the flight deck be replaced by a flight attendant, so that two people remain in the cockpit at all times, but that's not the case with all airlines internationally, CNN aviation analyst David Soucie said. An 8-minute descent to death . A Lufthansa spokesman previously said that the airline complies with all German and European aviation regulations, something Spohr reiterated in his CNN interview. "Most airlines around the world follow the same procedures as Lufthansa that in flight phases with low workload, the pilot can leave the cockpit -- especially for physical need -- and then he returns to the cockpit as fast as he can. That's a global thing, most accepted procedure, which we have used at Lufthansa for many, many years," Spohr said. Asked if the airline might reconsider this policy in light of Tuesday's crash, Spohr said it was possible. "I think we look at that as well, but we should not put the whole system at stake just because of this terrible single accident," he said. The airline will be consulting with its own experts, aviation authorities and experts with other airlines to determine what, if any, of its procedures need to be bolstered to prevent

Summary: "So all these safety nets ... have not worked in this case," Lufthansa CEO tells CNN . There's clear indication co-pilot "didn't want the captain to return," Carsten Spohr says .


(CNN)Iraqi forces appear to be slowly closing in on an important tactical victory against ISIS. But as they press forward in their attempt to retake the city of Tikrit from ISIS insurgents, there is an important question that the United States and its allies should be asking: Could this victory actually undermine the only sustainable strategy for ensuring Iraq's stability? The reality is that short-term tactical victories won't be enough to defeat ISIS, especially as the reliance on Iran-backed Shiite militias is only likely to exacerbate tensions with the largely local Sunni population. Indeed, the crucial ground war component of the campaign has so far been heavily reliant on the Shiite militias, whose track record of sectarian violence is well-documented, and their involvement threatens to drive more Iraqi Sunnis into the arms of ISIS. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the involvement of these groups "will only be a problem if it results in sectarianism." But based on past experience, many locals are understandably more frightened by their designated "liberators" than they are of the vicious extremists of ISIS who have ruled their towns over the past eight months. Historically, Iraq hasn't always needed Shiite militias under Iran's command to fight Sunni extremists. Al Qaeda was expelled from northern Iraq in 2007, when its harsh rule antagonized tribal leaders that had supported the anti-U.S. insurgency, prompting them to make common cause with the Americans in what became known as the "Awakening" movement. Unfortunately, once its goal had been achieved, Baghdad rounded on the Awakening, betraying promises of integration into the national army and polity and instead arresting and killing its leaders along with trusted Sunni elected representatives. The United States looked the other way, deeming it a "domestic" political matter. That simply emboldened then-Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to deepen his purge of Sunni elected representatives, and to parlay the 2010 election result into a governing coalition despite his own list drawing fewer votes than a rival bloc that included many Sunni leaders. This undermined the work that the United States had done in persuading Iraq's Sunnis that fighting al Qaeda and voting in elections was the best way to advance their communal interests. Put simply, al-Maliki's actions made a mockery of any Sunni confidence in the electoral system or the national government. It was the resulting Sunni alienation that allowed al Qaeda's successor, ISIS, back into those communities. The growing fear among many Sunnis has been compounded by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's statement to parliament that any Iraqi choosing to stay neutral was effectively aligning themselves with ISIS -- remarks that create an atmosphere that enables violence against ordinary Sunnis, many of whom feel caught between the extremists and a Shiite-led government from which they have been systematically oppressed and alienated. And ISIS has undoubtedly capitalized on the permissive environment created by such alienation, which persists despite the Obama administration having convinced itself that al-Abadi would somehow prove to be more inclusive than his predecessors from the same Shiite Islamist party. All this suggests that the

Summary: Iraqi forces have been involved in an offensive to retake Tikrit . Rula Jebreal: Short-term tactical victories won't be enough to defeat ISIS .


(CNN)Pakistan's highest court Friday ordered the release of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks, calling his detention illegal. Lakhvi, a top leader of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was not present at Friday's court proceeding. The terror attacks in India left more than 160 people dead in November 2008. In the attacks, heavily armed men stormed landmark buildings around Mumbai, including luxury hotels, the city's historic Victoria Terminus train station and a Jewish cultural center. On Friday, India summoned the Pakistan high commissioner "to convey our strong feelings about (the) Lakhvi verdict," said India's external affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin. Last year, the court granted Lakhvi bail, a decision the Pakistani government had said it would challenge. Many in India are still angry over the attacks and had criticized the bail decision. "It is very disappointing that the accused of the Mumbai attacks has been granted bail," the nation's home minister, Rajnath Singh, said in December. India executed the last surviving gunman from the attacks in 2012. Other suspects were all killed during the series of attacks, which went on for three days. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.

Summary: The terror attacks in India left more than 160 people dead . A court granted the suspect bail last year .


(CNN)New figures indicate that about 11 million people have signed up for health insurance during this latest sign-up period of Obamacare, of which about half will be from the uninsured population, based on previous estimates. Once again, the supporters of the law celebrate with proclamations that "it's working." One could say that assessment is true, if the definition of "working" means enrolling people into anything called health insurance. To be sure, the law's implementation is progressing, but there is no cause for celebration. It is indeed true that millions of Americans are now newly enrolled into health insurance, but it is disingenuous to tout this as a great success. An estimated 71% of the new insurance arises through Medicaid, using 2014 calculations based on analysis by Haislmaier and Gonshorowski of data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare. The harsh reality awaiting these low-income Americans is undeniable: according to 2013 data from a 2014 Merritt Hawkins study, 55% of doctors already refuse new Medicaid patients. According to the HSC Health Tracking Physician Survey, 2008, the percentage of doctors that refuse new Medicaid patients dwarf by about 8 to 10 times the percentage that refuses new private insurance patients. Such "insurance" from Obamacare not only fails to provide access to doctors, but research in the top medical journals such as Cancer, American Journal of Cardiology, Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation and Annals of Surgery, show that Medicaid beneficiaries suffer worse outcomes than similar patients with private insurance ... all at an added cost of another $800 billion by CBO estimates to taxpayers after the decade. It is not hyperbole to call Medicaid a disgrace at its annual cost of about $450 billion, and expanding it rather than helping poor people buy private insurance is simply inexplicable. Health care access for middle-class Americans is also significantly worsened by Obamacare's private insurance decrees. The law already forced termination of health insurance for millions of Americans estimated as 4.7 million by the Associated Press -- insurance they personally had chosen to buy. The Congressional Budget Office now projects that a stunning 10 million Americans will be forced off their chosen employer-based health insurance by 2021 -- a tenfold increase in the number that was initially projected back in 2011, at the onset of the law. Along with that forced change of coverage, many suddenly find themselves without access to their chosen doctors. Despite the assertion that the law increases insurance choices, the Obamacare exchanges do quite the opposite for those dependent on them and their government's subsidies. McKinsey reported 68% of Obamacare insurance options only cover narrow or very narrow provider networks, double that of the previous year. For cancer care, the majority of America's best hospitals in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network are not covered in most of their states' exchange plans. The "narrow network" strategy is about to hit even more Americans in 2015, as Obamacare exchanges from California to New Hampshire further restrict access to top doctors and hospitals in an attempt to quell insurance premium increases caused by the law itself,

Summary: Scott Atlas: Nearly three-quarters of those insured under Obamacare were added to Medicaid . Access to the best doctors is very limited; patients often have little choice of doctors, he says .


London (CNN)The handwritten checklist looks like something any teenaged girl might make ahead of a vacation trip: makeup, bras, underwear, boots, an epilator. But this list was apparently made by the three UK schoolgirls suspected of traveling from London to Syria to join ISIS, according to Britain's Guardian newspaper, which has seen the document. The girls' families told British lawmakers Tuesday they had no idea what the girls were planning, and said they were baffled by the teenagers' decision to leave their homes and families. The three East London classmates -- Shamima Begum, 15; Kadiza Sultana, 16; and Amira Abase, 15 -- boarded a Turkish Airlines plane from London's Gatwick Airport to Istanbul on February 17. They are thought to have crossed the Turkish border into Syria within days. Relatives also had harsh words for police, who they said failed to keep them informed after a close friend of the girls headed to Syria in December. Amira Abase's father, Hussen Abase, told lawmakers at a hearing of the Home Affairs Select Committee that he had no idea his daughter was planning to go or that she might have been radicalized. Sahima Begum, the older sister of Shamima Begum, said her sister had been into "normal teenage things," like watching "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," reading and playing games on her phone. There was nothing to indicate she was radicalized, she said. Fahmida Aziz, first cousin of Kadiza Sultana, said that if the family had spotted any signs of radicalization, "we would have been very effective in stepping in and querying" that thinking. She also said she had no idea how her cousin accessed the money needed for the trip. Committee chairman Keith Vaz said it was "every parent's nightmare that this should happen" and said he could only imagine the families' distress and anguish. Who are the missing UK girls? The families' criticism of law enforcement hinges on a February 5 letter from the police which was given to the three girls to give to their parents, rather than being sent directly to the parents. The families claim they were not told about a 15-year-old friend of the girls going to Syria weeks earlier -- and say that had they known, they might have been able to prevent their daughters from traveling too. Metropolitan Police Chief Bernard Hogan-Howe apologized for his officers' failure to get the letter directly to the parents, in his testimony before the committee. But he also pointed out the difficulties for police in conducting what was at that time a missing person inquiry for the first girl who left, with no sign that these three were planning to follow suit. Hogan-Howe said police were reviewing their procedures in light of what had happened. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley told the committee there was a "steady flow" of girls trying to travel to Syria, perhaps one or two a month. He said subsequent police investigations indicated the three girls had paid in cash for their plane tickets to Turkey at a local travel agency, using money linked to the theft

Summary: Police chief apologizes for failure to send letter to girls' parents but defends police inquiry . Relatives of the girls tell UK lawmakers they had no idea what the girls were planning . Family members criticize how police handled the case, say they were not kept informed .


London (CNN)A British mother is standing by her decision to let her son, 11, wear a "Fifty Shades of Grey" costume to his school's World Book Day celebration. "Fifty Shades of Grey" tells the tale of a naive college graduate's energetic trysts with a billionaire -- Christian Grey -- who has a penchant for bondage. The Manchester Evening News reported that Liam Scholes arrived at Sale High School in northwest England dressed as Grey, complete with cable ties and an eyemask on Thursday. The school contacted Liam's mother and told her the costume was inappropriate. Nicola Scholes told the newspaper she and her son had thought the idea was funny. "We were walking home from school and he had the idea of going as Christian Grey," she said. "At first we laughed it off but then we discussed it with a few friends and saw the funny side and decided it was quite a good costume idea." The school called her to say the costume was not appropriate and that Liam would not take part in the book day event or appear in any photographs, Scholes told the paper. A teacher from the school had dressed as the fictional serial killer Dexter, Scholes said: "I don't see why sex is more offensive than murder." Scholes told BBC News that her son had not read the book or watched the movie spin-off but had been aware of the media around the tale. "He understood what the cable ties were supposed to represent, as did other children of his age." Scholes told the BBC the costume was light-hearted: "It was a laugh, it was tongue in cheek and there was no offense." On Friday Scholes tweeted an image of Liam with the caption: "Liam's offensive book day costume, it was that inappropriate that they told him to change his character and wouldn't include him on any photos. It also required a phone call home regarding the matter. "Yet it was appropriate for a teacher to dress up as a serial killer and other students to come in with 'guns.' I thought Christian Grey was the most talked about book character for the past few years. #nosenseofhumour." Sale High School issued a statement saying its actions reflected its "high standards in terms of student behavior, welfare and safeguarding." "The student was not excluded from taking part in any of the activities as has been wrongly reported, his costume was modified and he was then able to fully participate and enjoy the day with his peers," headteacher Lynn Nicholls said. "The aim of our world book day events was to celebrate and encourage reading and we are disappointed that what was a fantastic day for our students, has been marred by this issue," the statement concluded.

Summary: A UK boy, 11, dressed as "Fifty Shades" character Christian Grey for World Book Day . Liam Scholes' school said that the costume was inappropriate and insisted it be modified . Scholes' mother told British media the costume was meant to be light-hearted .


(CNN)With majorities in both chambers of Congress, it is time for Republicans to begin rolling back six years of failed Obama administration policies. Our highest priority during the ongoing budget debate should be undoing the damage caused by defense sequestration and the hundreds of billions of dollars of defense cuts made by the Obama administration. Regrettably, military strength is seen in many quarters as the cause of military adventurism. A strong, robust defense is seen not to deter aggression, but to provoke it. For years, we have systematically underfunded our military, marrying a philosophy of retreat with a misplaced understanding of our larger budgetary burdens and the real drivers of the debt: our entitlement programs. As expected, almost four years after the passage of the Budget Control Act, virtually nothing has been done to address the unsustainable growth of our entitlement programs, while essential defense programs have been sacrificed. Political leaders in Washington need to be reminded that our defense is the single most important responsibility of the federal government. Instead of starting the process by setting arbitrary defense spending levels and then forcing our military to cut vital programs in order to meet these levels, the budgeting process should start by taking into account all the threats against us, listing the programs and capabilities we'll need to protect our people and interests around the world, and then funding those efforts. Even though we've been able to keep the homeland safe for more than a decade, the threats to Americans at home and abroad are growing. From the rise of the Islamic State and the spread of Islamic terrorism, to Russia's aggression in Europe, to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, the threats to American security are growing. Yet, even as the world outside our borders is filled with more doubt and uncertainty, the United States has been steadily reducing our spending on defense. Even before sequestration, President Obama made defense cuts of $487 billion over 10 years and redirected the savings to already bloated domestic programs. This was followed by tens of billions more in defense cuts each year because of sequestration, which, when combined with Obama's prior cuts, will total $1 trillion over the coming decade. All of these reductions were enacted despite the warnings of four secretaries of defense and our entire military leadership. The results of these cuts have been disastrous for our military and for our ability to project power and deter our enemies. The slight increase in President Obama's proposed 2016 budget won't significantly change that. At the end of this process, our military will be significantly smaller, dramatically less capable and dangerously unready to deploy if these budget cuts remain in place. The Army is on the path to be reduced to pre-World War II levels. The Navy is at pre-WWI levels. And our Air Force has the smallest and oldest combat force in its history. Our force reductions have been felt throughout the world -- by our friends and our enemies. They have presented not just a crisis of readiness for America, but

Summary: Senators Rubio, Cotton: As threats have grown, U.S. defense budget has faced cuts . They say spending to strengthen U.S. forces is a necessity .


(CNN)In his first interview since Islamic State militants burned alive a Jordanian pilot, the King of Jordan spoke to CNN's Fareed Zakaria about why and how the country is going after the terror group. Last December, ISIS captured Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh after his plane went down during airstrikes that were part of the United States-led coalition to defeat the group. For more than a month, al-Kasasbeh's family, hailing from a high-ranking tribe considered especially loyal to Jordan's royal family, implored ISIS to let him go. Hope that he could be spared ended in early February when a video emerged showing the 29-year-old pilot in a cage, being burned alive. King Abdullah II, an instrumental supporter of the global coalition, then said Jordan would be relentless in retaliating against ISIS. The country unleashed airstrikes. To Zakaria, Abdullah reiterated his commitment to stop ISIS. He called its fighters "outlaws" who twist Islam and use "intimidation" as their biggest weapon. The King told Zakaria that he didn't watch the video of the pilot's slaying. "I -- many of us refused to see what I think is propaganda," Abdullah said. He felt "disgust, sadness for the family" and his "heart went out to the father, the mother, the brothers, the sisters," the King continued. "His wife, they'd only been married for five months. (I felt) anger as the son of the Arab army, Jordanian armed forces. God bless his soul. He's a brother in arms. "All soldiers past and present were disgusted by the brutality of what Moath was put through," Abdullah said. During his interview with Zakaria, the King repeatedly referred to ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, as Daesh. That's an acronym for al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham. Many in the Middle East prefer to use Daesh because, to them, the acronym ISIS suggests the terror group is a legitimate state. They refuse to give the militants that much credit. "I think if ISIS, or Daesh as we call them, try to intimidate Jordanians ... just (has) the reverse effect," Abdullah said. "If you look at our history, we're a country that's used to being outgunned and outnumbered. We've always punched way above our weight. I think, if anything, Daesh has us as a tiger by the tail." The pilot's killing "just motivated Jordanians to rally around the flag," he said. "The gloves have come off." ISIS is "always trying to intimidate, scare, put fear in people's hearts," the King told Zakaria. "They are trying to invent falsely a linkage to a caliphate, link to our history in Islam that has no truth or bearing to our history." ISIS is recruiting "deluded young men and women" who "think this is an Islamic nation." U.S. President Barack Obama has caught flak for saying he didn't want to refer to ISIS members as Islamic extremists because their actions are not Islamic. "I think he is right," Abdullah said. "This is something that has to be understood on a much larger platform. (ISIS) is looking for legitimacy (that) they have inside of

Summary: The King of Jordan gives his first interview since the slaying of a Jordanian pilot . Abdullah: The pilot's death has "motivated" Jordanians and "the gloves have come off" in fight against ISIS .


(CNN)A Russian property developer, a Chinese outfit operating shell companies and Venezuelan officials ripping off the state-owned oil companies -- all of them are accused of coming to a bank in the European principality of Andorra to "wash" their money. Now the U.S. Treasury is casting a spotlight on the alleged misdeeds of senior managers at the Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA), several of whom have been arrested in the past few days. The Treasury Department has alleged that "high-level managers [at BPA] accepted payments and other benefits from their criminal clients." The Andorran authorities took over the running of the bank after the Treasury revelations, and the director general of the Banca Privada, Joan Pau Miquel Prats, was arrested late Friday. Two more bank officials were arrested Sunday. Tiny Andorra, nestled in the rugged Pyrenees mountains, has two big neighbors. One is France. And the scandal has spread to its other neighbor, Spain, where corruption among public officials is a hot-button political issue. Prats had driven BPA's expansion into Spain, through its acquisition of Banco Madrid, in 2011. Banco Madrid caters to wealthy private clients and came under investigation by Spanish financial authorities last year. Since the BPA scandal broke, the commission that investigates illicit financial activity, Sepblac, has raised questions about accounts held by influential Spanish political and business figures at the Banco Madrid. They have not been named. The Central Bank has taken control of Banco Madrid and sent in two inspectors to examine accounts there. The bank's board, which included Prats and a former high-ranking official of the Central Bank, resigned on Thursday. Spanish officials say some 20 suspect operations at the bank are being examined. Spanish authorities are separately investigating substantial assets held at the Banca Privada d'Andorra by members of the Pujol family, who have long been prominent in the politics of Catalonia, a region of Spain that includes Barcelona. The director of the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Jennifer Shasky Calvery, said that "BPA's corrupt high-level managers and weak antimoney laundering controls have made BPA an easy vehicle for third-party money launderers to funnel proceeds of organized crime, corruption and human trafficking through the U.S. financial system." BPA has correspondent accounts with four banks -- HSBC, Citigroup, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank -- through which hundreds of millions of dollars passed. Senior managers at BPA tailored services to their clients to disguise the origin of funds, the Treasury said. One manager provided "substantial assistance" to a Russian client, Andrei Petrov, described by the Treasury as a "third-party money launderer working for Russian criminal organizations." Petrov had also received a line of credit from Banco Madrid and is alleged to have bribed local officials in the resort where he set up a property development company. He was arrested in Spain two years ago and is accused of helping launder some 56 million euros ($59 million) in proceeds from Russian criminal organizations. Petrov is yet to go on trial. According to the U.S. Treasury, Petrov has links with one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, Simeon

Summary: The U.S. Treasury is casting a spotlight on the alleged misdeeds of senior managers at the Banca Privada d'Andorra . The Andorran authorities took over the running of the bank after the Treasury revelations .


(CNN)Team Cookie or Team Boo Boo Kitty? If you're a fan of the hit TV show "Empire," you will totally get that reference to one of the main rivalries on the series. If you aren't a fan, you may soon be in the minority. The show has become something of an industry phenomenon, with ratings growing every week. According to Variety, two weeks before the season finale, which is set to air on March 18, ratings were up 53% from its January 7 premiere in the coveted 18-49 demo and total viewership had risen 45%, from 9.9 million to 14.3 million. Eight straight weeks of growth is almost unheard-of these days in broadcast TV, which has faced fierce competition from cable and streaming services. But Fox's "Empire" is doing the damn thing. The show revolves around the character of record label owner Lucious Lyon (played by Terence Howard) and his family, which includes three sons vying to take over his company and an ex-wife who took the fall for him and returns from prison intent on getting what's hers. "You're so beautiful," Empire, and here are some of the reasons why: . Taraji P. Henson . Henson has been in the industry for a minute, and despite critically acclaimed roles in films like "Hustle & Flow" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (the latter of which earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination), her career hadn't really taken off. Not so now. Henson has sunk her teeth into the role of Lyon family matriarch Cookie. The character is hard-core and street smart and loves her family fiercely, even as she is also motivated by making money. The show's co-creator, Danny Strong, told Entertainment Weekly that fans can thank Henson for the now infamous "Boo Boo Kitty" nickname that viewers have come to love. When Cookie sneeringly calls her ex-husband Lucious' new lady love, Anika Calhoun (played by Grace Gealey), "Boo Boo Kitty," you want to yell at the screen, "Get her, Cookie!" "So, basically Taraji is a genius," Strong said. "She's a comic genius, but she's also an incredibly powerful dramatic actress, and we're utilizing all that in Cookie." Watch for Henson to snag nominations next award season. It's old school soapy . Think "Dynasty" and "Dallas" for the 21st century. It has all the things that make prime-time soaps so delicious: sex, scores to settle, family tensions, violence and did we mention sex? Set in the world of the music industry, there is plenty of glitz and glamor that is balanced with some seedy, dark underworld shenanigans to keep the plot moving at a pace that has viewers eagerly awaiting the next episode. That's a feat given how so many audiences have gotten used to being able to binge watch to scratch that "and then what?" itch. It's new-school hip . "Empire" has fully embraced everything that makes a modern drama modern. One of the primary story lines has been about homophobia, as Lucious Lyon and his son Jamal (Jussie Smollett) battle over Jamal revealing he's gay. It comes

Summary: "Empire" has seen its ratings grow every week . Taraji P. Henson's character is a favorite . The music is a big part of the show .


(CNN)The campaign to retake the city of Tikrit from ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, involves a curious mixture of Iraqi forces -- the army and air force, federal police, powerful Shia militia as well as Sunni tribal fighters. It's a cast of about 30,000 fighters with an opaque command structure. And that makes it tough to be precise about numbers -- but by several estimates only one-third of those fighters are from the regular army. A CNN team that's seen the offensive at close quarters noted that Iraqi army commanders appeared to be taking a subordinate role to leaders of the Shia militia, notably Hadi al Ameri, leader of the Badr Organization. Iranian military advisers are on hand, and highly influential on the battlefield. As ISIS fighters in the area probably number in the low thousands, it might seem odd that the Iraqi army is unable to take them on alone. After all, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) received $20 billion of U.S. money between 2005 and 2012 -- for equipment, bases and training. So just why are the ISF incapable of reclaiming territory seized by ISIS? And how long will it be before they can stand on their own feet? The answers go back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003; Iraq's military is starting over -- for the second or third time in a decade. One of the most controversial acts of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq following the ouster of Saddam Hussein, was to disband the Iraqi army. The decision, taken in May 2003, "immediately created a large pool of unemployed and armed men who felt humiliated and hostile to the U.S. occupiers," as James P. Pfiffner put it in 2010. President George W. Bush told his biographer Robert Draper in 2006: "The policy had been to keep the [Iraqi] army intact; didn't happen." The reasons have been disputed ever since. In some places there were riots among demobilized soldiers; at the same time training of Iraqi police was a desperately slow process because of the rapidly growing insurgency. In 2004, as in 2014, the security forces buckled as a Sunni insurgency spread through northern and western Iraq. Billions of dollars were spent creating a new Iraqi army from scratch. But it took two years to build a force of just 40,000 men in three light infantry divisions, so unofficial sectarian militia filled the vacuum -- militia that never quite went away. Over a seven-year period, more than $4 billion was spent on renovating and building Iraqi bases. Logistical and maintenance support: $2.6 billion. Supply of equipment: $3.4 billion (in addition to what the Iraqis bought themselves.) Training and staffing the Iraqi police: a cool $9.4 billion. With U.S. assistance and the "Sons of Iraq" program to coax Sunni tribes into fighting al Qaeda in Iraq, violence did diminish in 2009 and 2010. But once U.S. forces left at the end of 2011, and with them intelligence-gathering and training programs, things began to unravel. By then, the Iraqi security forces in their many

Summary: Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) received $20 billion of U.S. money between 2005 and 2012 . Iraq's military is starting over -- for the second or third time in a decade .


(CNN)Robots serve you drinks, you can skydive on deck and a mechanical arm hoists you 300 feet into the air to view the ship. You could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported into the future on board the new $1 billion cruise ship Quantum of the Seas. As its name suggests, it is very much a quantum leap in boat building. The latest brainchild of Royal Caribbean, which has branded the newest member of its fleet the "smartest cruise ship in history," it is basically a fun palace on the high seas. Everything, it seems, is a first: the first bumper cars, skydive simulator and bionic bar on a ship. And among the 19 restaurants on board, there is something for everyone. Those of a literary slant can even dine at Wonderland, with waitresses dressed up in characters from the novel by Lewis Carroll. Such are the maverick creations on board from bow to stern, it is a vessel befitting of the Mad Hatter. "This is the smartest cruise ship," says Harri Kulovaara, executive vice-president of maritime at Royal Caribbean and head of the design process behind the project. "This is probably going to be a big change for the industry and the future." And this is not just Royal Caribbean's prediction. "It's unique and unusual, and we just had fun -- pure and simple," is the assessment of Carolyn Spencer Brown, the editor of Cruise Critic, after spending eight days on Quantum. "Royal Caribbean are always raising the bar when it comes to putting stuff on board you'd never thought you'd see on a cruise ship. "They just do things well before anyone else and their ships are traditionally the ones you get most excited about," adds Spencer Brown, who estimates she has been on 300 cruises as part of her job. "You keep on thinking when they come up with something crazy they've hit the wall and there can't be anything new, but there always is. They keep doing things no-one else has thought of." There are bigger cruise ships out there: Allure and Oasis -- both part of the Royal Caribbean fleet -- although not quite with the same box of tricks. Kulovaara likes to think Quantum has something for everyone -- it even has its own "godmother," American actress Kristin Chenoweth. But what exactly does a price tag of nearly $1 billion buy you? The vessel is 16 stories high, has room for 4,500 passengers and a 1,500-strong crew. It also boasts 18 decks, 2,090 state rooms, is the length of 41 London buses and weighs 167,800 tonnes. Built in Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, its first voyage at the end of last year was from Southampton to New York, and an eight-day Caribbean cruise on board starts from $1,333. The project was first discussed in 2009 and the build took three and a half years. Finland-born Kulovaara, now based in Miami, takes great pride in the fact the vessel was delivered just two minutes late. Kulovaara, who has been with the company since 1995,

Summary: Quantum of the Seas cost nearly $1 billion to build and is billed the world's smartest cruise ship . Robots make your drinks, you can take out a surfboard on deck and surf the web at speed . The company behind it, Royal Caribbean, believe it is "winning cruise wars"


Moscow (CNN)Four days after he was gunned down by an unknown assailant in the heart of Moscow, former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and outspoken Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was laid to rest Tuesday in a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners. His coffin was lowered into the ground at the Troyekurovskoe Cemetery before family, friends and dignitaries, after being carried in procession through Moscow. Mourners laid wreaths, some with ribbons in the colors of the Russian flag, reflecting tributes to a man whom supporters called a true Russian patriot. Earlier, a stream of people took part in a somber memorial service at the Sakharov Center in Moscow. Some held flowers as they filed past the open casket of the prominent Kremlin critic and paid respects to his mother, Dina Eydman, and his children Anton and Zhanna. Hundreds more lined up in the cold outside. Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister under President Vladimir Putin who is now a leading opposition figure and worked closely with Nemtsov, was among the mourners to speak at the service. He said he believed Nemtsov, known for his outspoken views, was killed out of revenge for his politics. He also said he thought the killers would be brought to justice, under the next government of Russia if not the current one. The assassination has spawned a flood of conspiracy theories. Though politically marginalized in recent years, Nemtsov was one of Putin's most vocal critics, and many suspect the Kremlin of either direct or indirect involvement. Putin has vowed to bring those responsible to justice. No one has yet been arrested and authorities have put forward a number of theories, including that the murder was an act of "provocation" intended to destabilize Russia, that it was connected to the conflict in Ukraine, that Islamist extremists were involved or that it was linked to Nemtsov's international business affairs. The Moscow Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website Tuesday that "all scenarios" are being considered and that it is taking all necessary steps. "Eyewitness are being questioned, CCTV footage is already being analyzed. Evidence has been collected. A number of tests were carried out -- among them are ballistic, medical examination and trace evidence," it said. The memorial service was hosted by Pavel Sheremet, a Russian journalist known for leaving a Russian state TV channel in protest at the Kremlin's current policies on Ukraine. Other prominent Russian figures at the service included Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova, and former Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin. Russian economist Yevgeny Yasin, who served as economy minister between 1994 and 1997 and is now an academic, said: "Nemtsov always said everything that others were afraid to say." Evgeniya Albats, editor-in-chief of The New Times magazine, described Nemtsov in a speech as an amazing friend and a fearless politician. She added, "This murder is impossible to forgive. It's on Putin's conscience." Foreign dignitaries included U.S. ambassador to Russia John Tefft, who said Nemtsov would be remembered as a Russian patriot, and former UK Prime Minister John Major.

Summary: Boris Nemtsov is buried in a Moscow cemetery following a somber memorial service . Nemtsov "always said everything that others were afraid to say," says one mourner . Moscow Investigative Committee says "all scenarios" are being considered in Nemtsov slaying .


(CNN)Well-off North Koreans really love baguettes -- and the country is dispatching citizens outside its borders to learn how to make them, says a report by a pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan. According to the Choson Sinbo, a North Korean factory sent its staff abroad in an attempt to improve its food products -- which include baguettes and sweet potato cakes. No word yet on whether they've succeeded. But it's not the first time North Korea has sent its citizens into the world to seeking culinary skills. Last April, officials from the reclusive authoritarian state traveled to the National Dairy Industry College in Franche-Comte, eastern France, in an attempt to master the art of cheese making. But they were turned away at the door. "There is no basis to go further with North Korea because such a partnership does not fit into our priorities and strategy," its director Veronique Drouet told AFP. North Korea's Kumkop food plant isn't just focused on French food, though. In January, North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Jong Un toured the factory and asked it to produce chewing gum. Food security remains poor for most North Koreans. The World Food Programme reported a "severe" food availability situation in the country last September, with rations dipping to their lowest level in three years.

Summary: A North Korean food plant has sent staff abroad to try to learn how to make baguettes . Last year, North Korean officials went to France to look for cheese recipes .


(CNN)The march toward publication of another book by the reclusive "To Kill a Mockingbird" author continues forward. Many people who know her have raised questions about 88-year-old Harper Lee's ability to consent to publish another book, while others have said she knows what she's doing, according to a New York Times report. Alabama officials have found Lee wants to publish the book. Since Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1960, she had steadfastly refused to publish another book. Lee now lives in an assisted living facility in Monroeville, Alabama, and some friends say her forgetfulness makes her unable to knowingly consent to publishing the book, "Go Set a Watchman." After receiving an anonymous complaint of elder abuse about Lee, the state of Alabama sent investigators from the Alabama Securities Commission to talk to her and others around her. "It was clear to our investigators that she fully understood the questions that were being asked, that she indicated she certainly wanted her book published, and she had her opinions that were voiced during the interview," Joseph Borg, the agency's director, told CNN. "And at that point we decided that she certainly knew what was going on." Lee wrote "Go Set a Watchman" before "To Kill a Mockingbird," and it features some of the same characters. Lee lawyer Tonja B. Carter found the "Go Set a Watchman" draft in the author's belongings in August and negotiated a publishing deal with HarperCollins. For now, "Go Set a Watchman" is still scheduled to be released by HarperCollins in July. The Securities Commission investigation is closed. "Should something come up a later date that shows something was wrong, which we have no indication of, we could take another look," Borg said. "But since we had no complaint from the person who in the middle of it all, so there was no reason to maintain the case open."

Summary: Elder abuse claim filed about elderly "To Kill a Mockingbird" author . Her second book is out in July but people question her consent to publish .


(CNN)When American writer Avijit Roy was hacked to death on a Dhaka, Bangladesh, street in full view of horrified onlookers, blogger Washiqur Rahman doubled down. Fundamentalists were choking free thought in his secular nation, he wrote. But they couldn't silence it. His friends warned him to be careful, to watch what he posted online. But Rahman dismissed those concerns, saying his Facebook profile page didn't even bear his picture. They don't even know what I look like, he told them. On Monday, the 27-year-old Rahman fell victim to the same brazen act that killed Roy, hacked to death by two men with knives and meat cleavers just outside his house as he headed to work at a travel agency. He was so maimed -- with wounds to his head, face and neck -- that police identified him through the voter identification card he was carrying. His death was the second time in five weeks that someone was killed in Dhaka for online posts critical of Islam -- but they are hardly the only two who've paid a steep price. In the last two years, several bloggers have died, either murdered or under mysterious circumstances. "The despicable murder of Avijit Roy last month should have led authorities to step up protection measures for bloggers and others at risk. The killing of Washiqur Rahman today is another clear example of the Bangladeshi government's utter failure to ensure the safety of those at risk," said Abbas Faiz of Amnesty International. "How many more bloggers will have to be attacked before action is taken?" As shocking as Rahman's death was, the reaction from some quarters was equally disturbing. On his Facebook page (for which he picked a custom URL that translates to "unbeliever"), Rahman had posted a picture with the hashtag #IamAvijit. After his death, someone left a comment, "Now you are." Another wrote, "I felt sorry when I first learned of your death. But then I saw what you wrote and I am not." On his page, Rahman reposted a cartoon depicting Prophet Mohammed from the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. He wished a happy birthday to author Taslima Nasreen, who was forced to flee Bangladesh due to death threats from fundamentalists. And he "liked" a picture of sausages wrapped in crescent rolls that someone had captioned, "Pigs in burqas." Posts threatening him were numerous. "Get ready for the afterlife," one person commented on one of his posts. "See you in hell," said another. He used to write under the pseudonym "Stupid Man" on a blog but switched to posting on Facebook after 2011. On Facebook, he is credited for a series, "Jaw-crushing answers to insulting comments of atheists." There, he posted questions that critics of Islam often raised and then answered them. But he paired the answers in such a way that they highlighted the contradiction within Islam. For example, one question asked what proof was there that the Quran was the word of God. The answer, "Mohammed said in his own words that the Quran is the word of God. Since Mohammed is

Summary: The 27-year-old Rahman falls victim to the same brazen act that killed Avijit Roy . The deaths have emboldened the movement, an activist says .


(CNN)A swarm of insects tends to startle us -- chaotic yet organized, fascinating and beautiful. Take it one step further. Instead of bees hovering around a tree, imagine cheese balls. Solo cups in the place of birds, glow sticks as locusts. What seems like a figment of a wild imagination becomes reality in Thomas Jackson's "Emergent Behavior" series. Jackson grew up in Rhode Island and worked in publishing in New York for 13 years, ultimately landing his dream gig as an editor with Forbes magazine. But somewhere along the way, he picked up a camera. He found photography "effortlessly fulfilling" compared to the frequent challenges of writing. So he dove in, lens first. After a charming series featuring a robot, he struck a cadence in creating "swarms" with inanimate objects such as Post-it notes and plastic plates. "I started creating these whimsical, fantastic scenarios in which the environment is exploiting us," Jackson explained. That's what initially catches the eye -- the uncanny. The bizarre gathering in the behavior of insects or birds, made up of something that shouldn't be there. At first, he relied on digital enhancements to polish his illusions. But as the series evolved, he relied less on editing and more on the installations themselves. More than half of Jackson's "Emergent Behavior" series is digitally untouched. How Jackson gets a tubful of cheese balls to hang purposefully around the trunk of a tree seems nonsensical. He only hints at the mechanics. It's just "wires," he said, casually, not revealing enough evidence to ruin the magic. Social media . Follow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography. "But if you look close enough, it will reveal all of its secrets." He spends about a day building the installations, and he usually shoots his photos at dusk. The photo of the pink Solo cups was shot against mountainous terrain in Wyoming. The cups, already at odds with nature, look as though they are a flock of birds flying along the rocks. Jackson seemingly casts a magic spell of manic movement, creating what an Internet commentator calls "a frat party being sucked into a black hole." The idea of a swarm -- be it insects or "thank you" bags -- fascinates Jackson. They are disconcerting and familiar at once, creating a conundrum that warrants a closer look. "Maybe because they fly in the face of how we see the world," he said. Thomas Jackson is a photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. You can follow him on Instagram.

Summary: Thomas Jackson has staged everyday objects to look like swarms in nature . Among the items used: Solo cups, Post-it notes, cheese balls and plastic plates .


(CNN)British military advisers are training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine, the UK said Thursday, as part of efforts to support the government in Kiev as it combats pro-Russian separatists in the east. Prime Minister David Cameron announced last month that Britain would send military advisers to Ukraine and provide an additional 15 million pounds ($22.3 million) in humanitarian aid. An uneasy truce has been in place since last month between the Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Last month, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Parliament that Britain was "providing additional nonlethal support" in the form of advisory and training teams. "This support, provided at the request of the Ukrainian government, will help their armed forces develop and maintain the capacity and resilience they need, and help reduce fatalities and casualties," Fallon said. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which has been monitoring the ceasefire, said Wednesday that its observers had witnessed continued fighting in areas around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne, east of the port city of Mariupol. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the presence of foreign military instructors in Ukraine did nothing to reduce tensions, Russian state news agency Sputnik reported. "Obviously, this is not helping in the building of trust or in easing the tensions in the conflict. It can be simply said that this is not aiding in the settlement, that's a fact," Peskov is quoted as saying. The United States has promised to support an upcoming training program for Ukraine's National Guard forces. Russia is under continued pressure from the West to end its support for the separatists. Moscow denies claims by Kiev and the West that it has trained and equipped the rebels, as well as sending Russian troops to fight alongside them. In what Kremlin observers may see as another sign of defiance, Russia signed a treaty Wednesday with Georgia's breakaway territory of South Ossetia. Russia sent its tanks into Georgia in 2008 and subsequently encouraged separatists in its South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions to declare independence from Tbilisi. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the "so-called treaty on alliance and integration" in a statement Wednesday, and repeated NATO's call for Russia to reverse its recognition of the territories as independent states and to withdraw its forces from Georgian soil. "This so-called treaty is yet another move by the Russian Federation that hampers ongoing efforts by the international community to strengthen security and stability in the region," he said. "It violates Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and blatantly contradicts the principles of international law, OSCE principles and Russia's international commitments. "It does not contribute to a peaceful and lasting settlement of the situation in Georgia." CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report.

Summary: UK will also provide an additional $22.4 million in humanitarian aid . Russia signs a treaty with Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region .


(CNN)Real Madrid's star-studded attacking force might be struggling to fire, but Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has no such problems with his wealth of talent up front. Sunday's 6-1 demolition of Rayo Vallecano put the Catalan side one point above Real at the top of Spain's La Liga, with Lionel Messi setting more records as he netted a hat-trick while fellow forward Luis Suarez also scored twice. Even without suspended Brazil star Neymar -- the third prong of Barca's striking line -- Enrique was able to happily reflect on a result that fully rubbed salt in Madrid wounds following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao. "We're elated, but the objective is to be leading at the end of the season. I already said that everybody could lose a game, so we have to keep playing well and win every match," he said. "It's heavy having to win every single match. Each game is more important than the last." By contrast, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti is feeling the strain after also dropping points last weekend against Villarreal. "There is no link-up play, our play is too based around individual play, we need another way of attacking, with faster play and fewer touches," said the Italian, who must rouse his troops for Tuesday's European Champions League last-16, second-leg tie at home to Schalke. "It is quite confusing to see what we're doing at the moment in attack. The ball doesn't move around quickly." While Real's front trio of top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are struggling to match their form from the first half of this season, Barca's star men are moving into menacing mode ahead of the rival teams' "El Clasico" clash at the Nou Camp in a fortnight. Messi's 32nd career hat-trick is a record for a Spanish club player, and took him past Ronaldo as the La Liga leader on 24 trebles. The Argentina star also drew level with the Portugal captain as the Spanish league's top scorer this season on 30 goals. It's the sixth successive season in which he has topped 40 goals, with 41 from 38 games so far this campaign. Suarez has now scored six goals in his last four games, and 13 from 26 overall appearances since joining from English club Liverpool after a World Cup that ended in a lengthy ban for his bite on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. "Suarez and Messi are having more and more chemistry, and today we all saw what they bring to the team," Enrique said. "I like (Ivan) Rakitic wherever he plays on the field. He always knows what to do with the ball and is one of the best signings we've ever had." "(Gerard) Piqué has always known how to score, above all on set plays. It's a perfect solution for games when our opponents collapse defensively." Both teams had a player sent off in front of a crowd of over 87,000, Barca's best this season: Rayo defender Tito for a foul on Suarez in the 55th minute that allowed Messi to make it 3-0 with a

Summary: Barcelona reclaims Spanish league lead with 6-1 win at home to Rayo Vallecano . Lionel Messi sets record for hat-tricks by a Spanish club player . His treble moves him level with Cristiano Ronaldo as La Liga's top scorer . Luis Suarez scores twice, with Gerard Pique adding Barca's other goal .


Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)Grieving women carried her coffin high on their shoulders in scenes many said they had never witnessed before in the Afghan capital. Men are traditionally pallbearers in Kabul, where days earlier a mob of male attackers beat and kicked 27-year-old Farkhunda before tossing her off a bridge, setting her body on fire and throwing it in the river. Like many Afghans, Farkhunda used only one name. Early reports suggested that Farkhunda was mentally ill, but her tearful father, Nadir, told CNN affiliate TOLOnews she was a religious teacher who taught the Quran to children. He said there was no way his daughter would burn pages of the holy book, which has been cited as the motive for the horrific attack. Twenty-six people have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing, Afghanistan's Interior Minister Noorul Haq Ulumi said Monday in a statement before parliament. Farkhunda's parents said the killing was instigated by a local mullah of the Shah-e-Do Shamshera Mosque in the city's center, who had been angered by Farkhunda's accusations that he was distributing false tawiz. Tawiz are pieces of paper containing verses of the Quran which are sometimes worn as pendants to ward off evil and bring the wearer good luck. TOLOnews reported that "in order to save his job and life," the mullah reportedly began shouting accusations that Farkhunda had burned the Quran. Witnesses said a crowd gathered and hauled Farkhunda into the street. "We were asking the people to stop beating her and let us ask what religion she belongs to," one witness told TOLOnews. "But the people didn't listen to us and kept beating her." Afghanistan's Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs said it had found no evidence Farkhunda burned the Quran. Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the killing as "heinous" and ordered a commission to investigate it fully. Farkhunda's father said those guilty of killing his daughter should face justice: "I don't want blood of my daughter go in vain." Thirteen police officials have been suspended in connection with the attack, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Seddiqi. He earlier confirmed 11 people had been arrested. "We're very interested particularly to see what happens in terms of the investigation of the police behavior," said Patricia Grossman, Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch. "That was, for us, one of the most troubling aspects of this case -- that the police did not intervene adequately and properly to save her when there was an opportunity to do so." On Sunday, as they watched Farkhunda's casket being carried to her grave, the crowd shouted "Kabul police officials should be fired," according to Afghan human rights activist Ramin Anwari. Government officials, ministers, journalists and civil society members were among the thousands of people who attended her funeral, Anwari said. Many of them are expected to attend a large rally planned for Tuesday outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court in Kabul to call for justice for Farkhunda, he said. A Facebook page has been created in support of the cause. On Friday, the United Nations issued a statement condemning the

Summary: Family says Farkhunda, 27, made accusations against a local mullah . Mullah reportedly began shouting that she had burned the Quran .


(CNN)An ancient ring has shed new light on the ties between Vikings and the Islamic world, more than a century after its discovery. The finger ring found in a 9th century Swedish grave is inscribed with Arabic Kufic writing. The letters appear to read "AL_LLH, researchers say, which they interpret as meaning "for/to (the approval of) Allah." In a paper published in the journal Scanning, the researchers say it is the only ring with an Arabic inscription ever found at a Scandinavian archaeological site. The object was originally discovered during a late 19th century grave excavation in the town of Birka, on Björkö island, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Stockholm. Birka was a key trading center during the Viking age and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The ring is part of the Swedish History Museum's collection, originally cataloged as being made of gilded silver and violet amethyst, bearing the inscription "Allah." Researchers led by Stockholm University biophysicist Sebastian Wärmländer say they used "scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze the ring's composition and found that it was in fact made of silver alloy and the "amethyst" was colored glass. "For the stone, we must remember that even though colored glass might today be perceived as a 'fake' material of lower value, this was not necessarily so in the past," the team cautioned. "Even though glass production began around 5,000 years ago in the Levant it was still an exotic material in Viking Age Scandinavia." More significantly, the researchers found no trace of the gold that had been assumed to coat the ring and noted the presence of filing marks. "Together with the absence of gold on the metal surface ... the file marks clearly show that the previous description of the ring as gilded was mistaken: if the surface had been gilt and the gold layer had worn away, also the file markings would be gone. But the metal surface displays no wear, and as the original file marks are still in place, this ring has never been much used." The team, therefore, believes the ring was passed from an Arabic silversmith to the woman, with few or any other owners in between. While imported coins were also found in the grave -- many from Afghanistan -- they were "usually worn and torn ... from passing many hands along the established trade routes" researchers said. The owner of the ring was found wearing traditional Scandinavian clothing, but the researchers said it was impossible to determine her ethnicity due to the decomposed state of the bones in the grave. "It is not impossible that the woman herself, or someone close to her, might have visited -- or even originate from -- the Caliphate (which then stretched from Tunisia to the borders of India) or its surrounding regions," they said. While travel between the Islamic caliphate and the Viking world was recorded in ancient texts, tales of such journeys often included references to "giants and dragons" making it hard to tell fact from fiction, the

Summary: Swedish researchers have used scanning to examine a ring found in a Viking grave . The ring carries an Arabic inscription thought to be "for/to (the approval of) Allah, they say . Their analysis suggests the ring was little worn, meaning trade ties could have been close .


(CNN)As a person-of-color, African-American, veteran minority journalist and longtime enthusiast of all things "Daily Show," I am of course as happy, proud and thrilled as the wife of a successful Apollo astronaut over the impending ascension of Trevor Noah, the biracial comedian from South Africa, to Jon Stewart's anchor chair on what's believed by many to be the most trusted half-hour of news and information in America. As a person who believes in fair play and equal opportunity for all, I am also moved to wonder when a woman will get the chance to preside over a talk show after sunset? Look. I don't mean to sound ungrateful. After generations of near-to-total invisibility on mass media airwaves, it's bracing to find a whole one-hour block of high-profile cable television infotainment anchored by men who look like me. Indeed, in pushing forth both Noah and Larry Wilmore, the writer, comic and erstwhile National Black Correspondent for "The Daily Show," to preside over both halves of Comedy Central's much-coveted 11 p.m.-to-midnight bloc, Stewart is acknowledging what the mainstream of the country truly is: i.e. not as pale-faced as it once thought it was. And so far, Wilmore's "The Nightly Show," which premiered earlier this year as a replacement for the very different "Daily Show" companion once hosted by Stephen Colbert, is gradually establishing its own identity as an equally cheeky hybrid of sketch satire and celebrity forum with its own multicultural flavor. Still, one does wonder what happened to the groundswell of support building among "Daily Show" constituents for Jessica Williams, a three-year veteran of the show and an early favorite for Stewart's spot after he announced last month he was leaving. Williams, who is black, tweeted back to her supporters her grateful opinion that she was "extremely under-qualified for the job." Maybe, but what about Samantha Bee? She's the "most senior correspondent" for "The Daily Show" and is taking her penchant for performance artistry and provocation to TBS, where she'll create her own satiric news franchise. Her track record bodes well for her prospects there. But it's difficult to find any evidence that she was considered a Stewart successor -- though her announcement that she was leaving the show came a month after Stewart's. Besides Bee? No one, least of all those affiliated with Comedy Central, have disclosed any candidates besides Noah. There was even less buzz about the Stewart opening than Colbert's a year ago, during which time there were many willing to say that now was the time to finally give a woman a shot at late-night TV for the first time since the late Joan Rivers' Fox Network effort, "The Late Show" came in 1987-- and went in 1988. And yes, we aren't neglecting Chelsea Handler, whose "Chelsea Lately" was for seven seasons on the E! Network a bawdier late-night alternative to whatever Letterman, Stewart and others were putting down beyond prime-time. She's supposed to start streaming a new show through Netflix sometime next year. So one supposes she's pretty busy. It will happen, perhaps sooner than one now expects.

Summary: As a black man, Gene Seymour thrilled Trevor Noah tapped for "Daily Show." But in service of fair play he asks: Why not a woman for the job? Jessica Williams, Samantha Bee would have been good candidates. When will women finally get their shot at late night?


(CNN)A previously unknown group calling itself the Islamic State Hacking Division posted the names, photos and addresses of about 100 U.S. troops online, calling for attacks against them. Whoever created the file, posted online Saturday before being removed, claimed to have hacked military databases and said it was leaking 100 names "so that our brothers residing in America can deal with you." The possibility of lone-wolf attacks in the United States, the type that this message calls for, is a threat officials take seriously. Attorney General Eric Holder said last month that the threat of a lone-wolf attack inside the United States is one thing that keeps him awake at night. But there was nothing to immediately validate the claims made by this unknown group. A Defense Department official told CNN that it cannot confirm the validity of the online posting, but is looking into the claim. The FBI is also looking into it, a law enforcement official told CNN, adding there are questions about the credibility of those behind it. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service notified the Marines named in the file about this "presently unverified threat," a Marine Corps spokesman said. The Navy reminded service members to make sure to limit the amount of personal information available online about themselves. The Army said in a statement Sunday that it was working with the Defense Department to "determine the validity of any potential threats," and it echoed the Navy in advising soldiers "to take prudent measures to limit the sharing of personal information online." A U.S. law enforcement official said that all 100 or so troops named in the file are being contacted. It is believed that ISIS members and sympathizers have been scouring social media sites trying to glean as much information as possible about service members, and have even threatened the spouses of military personnel online. The file appeared to include information that is already available publicly, through social media accounts, online phone directories and other accessible public records. In late November, the FBI issued a warning to U.S. military members that ISIS was calling for attacks against them, a law enforcement source told CNN. The source said that "overseas based individuals are looking for like-minded individuals in the U.S. to carry out these attacks." The warning asked members of the military to "review their online social media presence for any information that might attract the attention of violent extremists." The bulletin also said authorities were concerned that ISIS members were "spotting and assessing" individuals in the United States who may be interested in carrying out attacks inside the country against members of the military, a U.S. counterterror official told CNN. CNN's Barbara Starr, Pamela Brown, Kevin Bohn and Mary Kay Mallonee contributed to this report.

Summary: An previously unknown group publishes a threat against U.S. troops . A threat has not been confirmed, and the credibility of the group is unknown .


March 4, 2015 . Today's show begins with coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before the U.S. Congress. We'll explore the leader's history, why he traveled to Washington, why his speech was controversial, and how the White House responded. We also feature a Character Study of a woman who calls herself "just another statistic" but whose work is focused on helping save lives. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News!

Summary: This page includes the show Transcript . Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary . At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call.


(CNN)Pi Day is going to be extra special this year, as 2015 stretches the symbolic March 14 celebration out a little longer to 3.1415. And if you mark pi at 9:26.53 in the morning or night, you're just a little more in line with the celebrated irrational number that never ends. To 31 decimal places, pi is 3.1415926535897932384626433832795. A few more tidbits about pi and Pi Day: . About pi . Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It's not equal to the ratio of any two whole numbers, so an approximation -- 22/7 -- is used in many calculations. Pi is essential in architecture and construction and was used frequently by early astronomers. Pi has been known for about 4,000 years, but it started to be called by the Greek letter only in the 1700s. The origin of Pi Day . Pi Day started 27 years ago at San Francisco's Exploratorium. Physicist Larry Shaw, who worked in the electronics group at the museum, started celebrating pi on March 14, 1988, primarily with museum staffers. The tradition has grown to embrace math enthusiasts from all walks of life. Celebrations . This year, the Exploratorium is hosting a day-long celebration at its facility on Pier 15, including a Pi Procession, servings of pie and a pizza pie dough-tossing event. Pi Day is also Albert Einstein's birthday. In Princeton, New Jersey, where Einstein lived for more than two decades, signs of the scientist permeate the Pi Day festivities, from birthday parties at the Historical Society of Princeton to an Einstein lookalike contest. Plus the requisite pie-eating, pie-throwing and pizza pie creation. For more about pi, visit www.piday.org. CNN's Elizabeth Landau contributed to this report.

Summary: Pi Day is celebrated March 14 in honor of the famed irrational number . San Francisco's Exploratorium and Princeton, New Jersey, go all out .


(CNN)Wedding bells are on the horizon for Bristol Palin and 2011 Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer. Meyer, 26, proposed to Palin, 24, Friday night at a Rascal Flatts concert in Las Vegas, Palin said on her blog. "The lead singer, Gary LeVox, dedicated 'Bless the Broken Road' to us, and then Dakota got down on one knee and proposed!" she wrote. "It's amazing to see what happens when you place everything in life in God's hands." Friends and well-wishers congratulated the couple on the news. As one person said in a comment on Meyer's Instagram, "This is so 'MERICA that my mind is blown right now." Meyer received the nation's highest military honor for braving enemy fire in 2009 to recover 36 American and Afghan troops in Afghanistan. He was the third living recipient -- and the first Marine -- to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Palin, the oldest daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has stayed in the public eye since her mother's failed vice presidential bid through appearances on "Dancing with the Stars" and a Lifetime show about raising her son, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp." She also released a best-selling memoir in 2011, "Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far." She was previously engaged to Tripp's father, Levi Johnston. The couple met last year when Meyer visited Alaska to film "Amazing America," Sarah Palin's show on Sportsman Channel, Bristol Palin said in her blog post. "He met Tripp during that time, and I've seen him in a few places where our paths have crossed since. He's visited us in Alaska, and I've visited his wonderful family in Kentucky," she wrote. "He's wonderful with Tripp and I'm so proud to be marrying him." The couple shared news of their engagement on social media. "I'm definitely the luckiest guy ever," Meyer said in an Instagram of the pair tagged #shesaidyes. Bristol Palin shared an Instagram picture of a ring and another of the happy couple smooching. "Truly the luckiest girl in the world, cannot wait to marry this man!!!!" she said. The couple started recently began sharing images on social media of themselves together. Palin posted a photo last week of the couple out in the snow with Tripp. Meyer has also shared a few pictures of him with Sarah Palin. "Thank you for being the amazing person that you are. I appreciate your leadership and dedication to our country!" he said in a post on her birthday in February. Sarah Palin also congratulated the couple, noting that Meyer "flew up North" to ask Bristol Palin's father and grandfather for her hand in marriage. "Our families couldn't be happier for Bristol and Dakota! We're honored to welcome Dakota into our family. He's an American hero and patriot whose service to our country -- like all his fellow Medal of Honor recipients -- has been above and beyond the call of duty; but even more important is he's a good and kind man who loves Bristol and Tripp, and is loved by

Summary: U.S. Marine Dakota Meyer won the 2011 Medal of Honor for rescue in Afghanistan . "This is so 'MERICA that my mind is blown right now," commenter says on Meyer's Instagram .