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They are microscopic artwork: tiny tubes and long filaments, strange squiggles etched into some of the most ancient rocks known.

 On Wednesday, researchers reported that these may be the oldest fossils ever discovered, the remains of bacteria thriving on Earth not long, geologically speaking, after the very birth of the planet. If so, they offer evidence that life here got off to a very early start.

 But many experts in the field were skeptical of the new study — or downright unconvinced.

 Martin J. Van Kranendonk, a geologist at the University of New South Wales, called the patterns in the rocks “dubiofossils” — fossil-like structures, perhaps, but without clear proof that they started out as something alive.

 Heated disputes are nothing new in the search for the earliest life on Earth. In 1993 J. William Schopf, a paleontologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and his colleagues found what that they, too, argued were the world’s oldest fossils: chainlike blobs in 3.46 billion-year-old rocks made, they said, by bacteria. Other researchers later argued that the structures were just oddly shaped minerals. ||||| The study of life’s history on Earth is an ongoing effort to follow the thread further and further back in time. As amazing and fascinating as a few billion years’ worth of fossils are, we still ultimately want that Holy Grail that illuminates the origins of life on Earth. Unfortunately, that goal collides with the fact that the earliest evidence stands the least chance of being preserved through the eons for us to find.

 Each new find that purports to supplant the earliest known signs of life is virtually guaranteed to be controversial, subject to poking and prodding from skeptical scientists uncertain that every competing (non-living) explanation can be ruled out. Last August, for example, a paper claimed to show the remnants of stromatolites (small mounds built by communities of shallow water microorganisms) in 3.7 billion-year-old rocks in Greenland. Similar fossils from Australia that come in at about 3.5 billion years old are generally accepted as legit, but anything older is still subject to scientific debate.

 Now, a new study led by University College London PhD student Matthew Dodd describes evidence of what the researchers believe to be seafloor bacteria that lived at least 3.7 billion years ago.

 That evidence comes from rocks that are part of Quebec’s Nuvvuagittuq belt, which contain some of the oldest rocks on the planet. They comprised an ancient seafloor made of volcanic rock, but there are also layers of iron minerals that precipitated out of the seawater. Those are believed to have formed near hydrothermal vents that gushed super-hot water laden with minerals. The Nuvvuagittuq rocks have proven hard to date, but they are known to be at least 3.77 billion years old, and could even be as old as 4.28 billion years—very early indeed, considering that our planet formed only a little over 4.5 billion years ago.

 This is all further complicated by the fact that the Nuvvuagittuq rocks were metamorphosed under high temperature and pressure about 2.7 billion years ago. But within some jasper in the hydrothermal vent layers, the researchers found tiny tubes and filaments filled with hematite, an iron oxide mineral. The size and shape of these structures was fairly consistent (especially considering the metamorphic torture they’ve endured), and some pairs of tubes were connected by small “knobs.”

 All this, the researchers say, is consistent with iron-oxidizing bacteria that we find at hydrothermal vents today, as well as slightly less ancient fossil examples. These bacteria build iron-oxide tubes around themselves and extend filaments out into their surroundings.

 Around these familiar-looking structures, there are some even tinier bits of carbon-rich material here and there. The ratio of different carbon isotopes that are present is one good way to tell biological carbon from other sources, as organisms have a preference for lighter isotopes. In this case, the carbon that can be found in the rock does fall within the biological range—“although not unambiguously," the researchers write.

 There are also some blobs ringed with magnetite, which have been seen in other rocks recognized to contain these sorts of fossils. Several minerals can be found within the blobs, which also contain bits of carbon-rich material. The researchers think that this set of minerals reflects reactions between organic matter and the iron precipitating from the hydrothermal vents—supporting a biological origin.

 If the researchers are right about what they’ve found, this would be the oldest direct evidence of life we’ve ever seen. What’s more, if the recent discovery of stromatolites in Greenland also turns out to be the real deal, we would be able to say that there were at least two very different types of microorganisms living in very different parts of the ocean by 3.7 billion years ago.

 This new paper is particularly interesting because it involves hydrothermal vent environments, which have been proposed as a logical place where life on Earth could have had its origins. Any evidence supporting that idea also makes hydrothermal vents on other worlds look more and more like priority targets in the search for life beyond our home planet.

 Of course, it’s best not to get too carried away in daydreams until we’re more certain about what the researchers have found in these Canadian rocks. But the University of Western Australia’s David Wacey, who was not involved in this new study, told Ars that the multiple lines of evidence presented make a pretty strong case. “The morphological comparisons with younger vent-dwelling organisms are quite striking and it is rather difficult to envisage how the microstructures shown [in the paper] could be formed in a purely abiotic scenario.

 “There will, no doubt, be arguments, and it may be many years before a consensus is reached, but this is how science progresses," Wacey added. "I think it will be particularly important to understand more about the regional geology of the area and perhaps try to better constrain the age of these potential organisms.

 “The other exciting aspect of this report is that these potential microfossils are from a rock unit not previously studied for early life,” he continued. The Nuvvuagittuq rocks might even be older than the rocks researchers have been looking at in Greenland, South Africa, and Australia, and they represent a different marine environment, too. “This new study once again gets us thinking about a potential hydrothermal cradle of life.”

 Nature, 2017. DOI: 10.1038/nature21377 (About DOIs). |||||

– Researchers say they've found fossilized bacteria that may date back to shortly after the formation of the Earth (geologically speaking, anyway), the New York Times reports. They published their findings Wednesday in Nature. The rocks were collected in 2008 from the Nuvvuagittuq geological formation in Canada. The rocks are estimated to have formed near a hydrothermal vent on the seafloor between 3.77 billion and 4.22 billion years ago. They contain tiny filaments and tubes, some connected by knobs, that resemble younger bacteria fossils created near hydrothermal vents. They also contain a level of carbon indicative of a living organism. If the fossils are what researchers say they are—and not everyone is convinced they are—they would push the date of earliest known life back billions of years. Currently the oldest fossilized bacteria widely accepted as legitimate are 3.5 billion years old and come from Australia, Ars Technica reports. And if these Canadian fossils are closer to 4.22 billion years old, it means the bacteria would have been alive just 340 million years after the formation of the Earth. Still, every new claim of finding the world's oldest fossilized life is met with skepticism, and this discovery is no different. One expert calls the rocks "dubiofossils," fossil-like but not clearly evidence of an organism. In response, researchers argue there's too much evidence in favor of their conclusion to ignore. (This dinosaur fossil is one of the "saddest" ever found.)


– Lindsay Lohan is making a comeback on the small screen after a three-year hiatus from acting. The NY Daily News reports that the starlet posted a photo from the set of the British television comedy Sick Note announcing her new gig while posing in a blazer with a sleek bob haircut alongside costars Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame and Nick Frost. Season one has yet to air (it's slated for this fall), but according to the Hollywood Reporter, the series follows Grint after he is misdiagnosed with a terminal illness; Lohan will come in during the second season. She is taking on the role of the daughter of Grint’s boss, who is played by actor Don Johnson. (Lohan made headlines last year while on a covert humanitarian trip.)

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 Lindsay Lohan has joined Sky comedy Sick Note, starring Rupert Grint, Nick Frost and Don Johnson, for its newly announced second season.

 Sick Note follows the story of Daniel Glass (Grint), a compulsive liar stuck in a failing relationship and dead-end insurance job, under the thumb of his boss (Johnson). Lohan will join the show, which airs on Sky 1 in the U.K., for season two as the daughter of Johnson's character.

 The first season will air this fall, while the second season is currently shooting in the U.K.

 In the first season, Grint's character is wrongly diagnosed with a terminal illness by his incompetent doctor (Frost) who convinces him to hide the truth of his misdiagnosis from colleagues, friends and family in a lie that spirals out of control.

 The show is part of Sky 1's growing stable of edgier, grown-up comedies commissioned for the channel’s 10 p.m. slot. Other shows in the fall lineup for that slot include Bliss, from David Cross, starring Stephen Mangan and Heather Graham; and action comedy Bounty Hunters, from Jack Whitehall and Freddy Syborn.

 Produced by British production firm King Bert, founded by producer Jo Sargent and writers and actors David Walliams and Miranda Hart, Sick Note is created and written by Nat Saunders and James Serafinowicz. Matt Lipsey (Little Britain) is directing.

 Said executive producer Sargent: "We are thrilled to be making a second [season] of this nail-biting comedy and very excited to be welcoming the extraordinary talents of Lindsay Lohan to our all-star cast." |||||


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– Days before Sean Spicer appeared at the Emmys, Stephen Colbert suggested the former White House press secretary shouldn't be forgiven for lying to the public. "He wants to be forgiven, but he won't regret anything he did," Colbert said on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday. "You got to regret something you did to be forgiven." After a busy weekend in Hollywood, however, Spicer is 'fessing up to one major regret, reports the New York Times. Asked Monday if he regretted blasting journalists for accurately reporting that President Trump's inauguration crowd was smaller than former President Obama's—then claiming Trump's "was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period"—Spicer replied, "Of course I do, absolutely." The comment followed Spicer's much-debated appearance at the Emmys, in which he claimed, "This will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period," per CNN. He says he hopes Trump isn't offended. It was "an attempt to poke a little fun at myself and add a bit of levity to the event," says Spicer, who wore a disguise as he traveled from Washington to Los Angeles. The Times points out the appearance was also an opportunity for Spicer "to cultivate a television industry audience that he may need as he seeks speaking engagements and paid television appearances in his post-White House life." So far so good: Guests afterward lined up to get a photo with the former press secretary. James Corden was even seen kissing him, per the Times.

During his surprise comedy skit at the Emmys on Sunday, Sean Spicer may have made light of his six-month tenure as the White House press secretary, but a message was also embedded in his performance.

 In an interview on Monday morning, Mr. Spicer said he now regrets one of his most infamous moments as press secretary: his decision to charge into the White House briefing room in January and criticize accurate news reports that President Barack Obama’s inauguration crowd was bigger than President Trump’s.

 “Of course I do, absolutely,” Mr. Spicer said.

 For Mr. Spicer, who resigned this summer after repeated clashes with the news media and a sharp disagreement with Mr. Trump over the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director, the Emmys were his latest attempt to court the largely liberal coastal entertainment and news elites he so acidly disdained as the president’s alter-ego spokesman. The once-obscure party spokesman has been elevated to a level of celebrity he scarcely dreamed possible a year ago. And, like many before him, he hopes to translate his embattled tenure into something more lasting and lucrative. So the Emmys were also a chance for Mr. Spicer to cultivate a television industry audience that he may need as he seeks speaking engagements and paid television appearances in his post-White House life. ||||| Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. What do you think of it? What else are you interested in? Let us know: thearts@nytimes.com.

 ‘In the Spirit of Sean Spicer’

 The internet was ablaze on Monday with debate over whether the Emmys broadcast — and the after-parties that followed — had helped rehabilitate the image of the former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. James Corden was in one of the most incriminating photographs, caught trying to give Mr. Spicer a kiss on the cheek.

 On “The Late Late Show” on Monday, Mr. Corden first tried denying it, taking a page from the Spicer-Trump playbook.

 “Now, I know you think that’s a picture of me kissing Sean Spicer, but in the spirit of Sean Spicer, no, it isn’t.” — JAMES CORDEN

 Then he tried an excuse: He’d been too inebriated to know what he was doing.

 “Anyone ever have that feeling when you get a little drunk and then wake up the next morning and think, ‘Oh, God, who did I kiss last night?’ It’s a bit like that.” — JAMES CORDEN “To be fair, everyone was kissing ass last night, I just happened to kiss the biggest one there.” — JAMES CORDEN

 Finally, Mr. Corden showed about a dozen images of himself kissing other celebrities, suggesting that he hadn’t given any special love to Mr. Spicer (nor shown any particular restraint around him). “Basically, what I’m saying is, I need to learn how to shake hands,” Mr. Corden said. ||||| Washington (CNN) Sean Spicer said "of course" he regrets the time he trashed the press for reporting accurately on President Donald Trump's Inauguration Day crowd, The New York Times reported.

 "Of course I do, absolutely," the former White House press secretary told the newspaper Monday.

 The day after Trump's inauguration, the President sent Spicer into the briefing room to dispute the true size of the crowd he drew at the inauguration. Side-by-side photos showed a larger gathering for former President Barack Obama, but Spicer declared , "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period."

 The Times did not state specifically the wording of the question Spicer was responding to.

 Spicer, in a late-night show following his resignation, said that interaction in the briefing room was not "probably the best start."

 Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to Trump, said Spicer was using "alternative facts" when he disputed the inauguration coverage.

 Spicer's latest comments came a day after he played a prominent role in the Emmy Awards, taking the stage and mocking the first comments he made in the White House briefing room as the President's principal spokesman.

 "This will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period -- both in person and around the world," he said.

 Spicer, who resigned when Trump tapped Anthony Scaramucci for what became a brief stint as communications director, drew controversy on the job for his misleading statements and confrontational approach to the press corps. |||||


Authorities are looking for a man who posted a series of messages on Twitter, threatening to shoot students and place pipe bombs inside Orange County schools.

 The FBI, Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Office are investigating the threats, but don't believe they are credible.

 Deputies are looking for 23-year-old Jesus Henry Kong, also known as Jessie Eloah Calix and Jesus Matute. Officials say he has a "history of law enforcement encounters" and is a transient who has lived in Florida, California, Virginia and Maryland.

 "Every investigative lead is being aggressively followed in order to identify and locate the subject making the threats," said FBI Special Agent Amy Pittman. "Although the FBI does not believe that the threat is credible, as the subject does not reside in Florida, we will continue to work with local partners to locate the subject."

 The threats started on July 24 and have targeted William R. Boone High School, Edgewater High School, Colonial High School, Colonial Ninth Grade Center and Liberty Middle School, the Sheriff's Office said.

 CAPTION Announcing the solving of the Christine Franke cold case from 2001, Orlando Police chief Orlando Rolón, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, detectives and family members gather for a press conference at Orlando Police headquarters, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Announcing the solving of the Christine Franke cold case from 2001, Orlando Police chief Orlando Rolón, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, detectives and family members gather for a press conference at Orlando Police headquarters, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) CAPTION Announcing the solving of the Christine Franke cold case from 2001, Orlando Police chief Orlando Rolón, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, detectives and family members gather for a press conference at Orlando Police headquarters, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Announcing the solving of the Christine Franke cold case from 2001, Orlando Police chief Orlando Rolón, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, detectives and family members gather for a press conference at Orlando Police headquarters, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) CAPTION The discovery caused enough concern for the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to respond to the home in Lake Helen. The discovery caused enough concern for the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to respond to the home in Lake Helen. CAPTION A mother and her teenage son were found dead inside their Azalea Park home in east Orange County, deputies said. (Video from Fox 35 Orlando) A mother and her teenage son were found dead inside their Azalea Park home in east Orange County, deputies said. (Video from Fox 35 Orlando) CAPTION Increase in Orlando Police Department's use of force. Increase in Orlando Police Department's use of force. CAPTION A threatening message was found on a bathroom wall at Umatilla High School, authorities said. (Video from Fox 35 Orlando) A threatening message was found on a bathroom wall at Umatilla High School, authorities said. (Video from Fox 35 Orlando)

 The posts included messages encouraging people to shoot up the schools and his plans to place pipe bombs inside two different schools, deputies said.

 "I want to shoot a few (kids) at Liberty Middle School. I dislike homosexuals ... " one post said.

 Orange County Public Schools sent messages to parents of students at the schools, alerting them to the threats.

 Boone High School Principal Dusty Johns put out a call to parents, letting them know the school is working closely with authorities to thoroughly investigate the "social media concern."

 Students were not evacuated and classes should not be affected, an Orange County Public Schools spokeswoman said.

 cdoornbos@orlandosentinel.com; chayes@orlandosentinel.com ||||| More than 900 students were absent Thursday at three Orange County schools that were named in social media threats -- including nearly a third of the student body at one campus.

 Parents at four Orange schools recorded phone messages on Wednesday saying the district was working with law enforcement agencies to investigate a "social media concern" after a man posted a series of messages on Twitter, threatening to shoot students and place pipe bombs inside campuses.

 The FBI, Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday they were looking into the threats, but didn't think they are credible.

 But large numbers of students stayed home Thursday, the fourth day of class for Orange students, from at least three of the four schools named. At Liberty Middle School in southeast Orange, 379 of the 1,186 students enrolled missed Thursday. By comparison, 18 Liberty students missed the fourth day of school in 2015.

 At Boone High School in Orlando, 357 of the 2,845 students enrolled did not attend class on Thursday, compared with 64 on the same day last year. And at College Park's Edgewater High School, 174 students out of 2,092 were absent, up from 46 in 2015.

 Caption Preview of Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown A quick tour of the Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown by Vice President of Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman. A quick tour of the Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown by Vice President of Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman. Caption Preview of Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown A quick tour of the Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown by Vice President of Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman. A quick tour of the Orlando Science Center's all-new KidsTown by Vice President of Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman. Caption Judge rules in favor of Florida's opt out movement, but how about the kids? - Orlando News Now Nearly two months ago a judge ruled that several Florida school districts wrongly barred some students from fourth grade because they’d refused to answer questions on the state’s third-grade reading test. Today only two of the dozen students – a pair of twins from Broward County – named in the lawsuit are fourth graders in public school. Nearly two months ago a judge ruled that several Florida school districts wrongly barred some students from fourth grade because they’d refused to answer questions on the state’s third-grade reading test. Today only two of the dozen students – a pair of twins from Broward County – named in the lawsuit are fourth graders in public school. Caption Florida nurse shortage - Orlando News Now Florida needs more nurses and stat. There are currently 3,000 nursing jobs posted statewide each month and not even a quarter get filled. Florida needs more nurses and stat. There are currently 3,000 nursing jobs posted statewide each month and not even a quarter get filled. Caption Lockhart Elementary campus blends old, new Lockhart Elementary was renovated this year but purposefully maintained features of the old school, including a building that was part of the original school in 1936. Lockhart Elementary was renovated this year but purposefully maintained features of the old school, including a building that was part of the original school in 1936. Caption Big school classes violate Florida Constitution - Orlando News Now Big classes violate the Florida Constitution - and voters’ will Florida, class size, amendment, Constitution Maxwell: In Fla, classes with 30-40 students are common. Big classes violate the Florida Constitution - and voters’ will Florida, class size, amendment, Constitution Maxwell: In Fla, classes with 30-40 students are common.

 Thursday's attendance numbers for east Orlando's Colonial High School, the fourth school named in the threats, are not yet available.

 Law enforcement officials are now looking for the man who posted the threats, 23-year-old Jesus Henry Kong, a transient who has lived in Florida, California, Virginia and Maryland. He is also known as Jessie Eloah Calix and Jesus Matute and officials say he has a "history of law enforcement encounters."

 The posts included messages encouraging people to shoot up the schools and his plans to place pipe bombs inside two different schools.

 "I want to shoot a few (kids) at Liberty Middle School. I dislike homosexuals ... " one post said. ||||| ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — More than 900 students were absent from three Orlando-area schools after authorities say a man posted messages on Twitter, threatening to shoot students and put pipe bombs inside campuses.

 News outlets reported that on Thursday there were 379 absences at Orange's Liberty Middle School, 357 at Orlando's Boone High School and 174 absences at Orlando's Edgewater High School. It is unclear how many students were missing from Orlando's Colonial High School, the fourth school named in the threats.

 The FBI said Wednesday they were looking into the threats made against the schools, but didn't think they are credible.

 Authorities are searching for the man who they say posted the threats: a 23-year-old transient who has lived in Florida, California, Virginia and Maryland. |||||

Write a summary.

– More than 900 students were absent from Orlando-area schools on Thursday after authorities say a man on Twitter threatened to shoot students and put pipe bombs inside campuses, per the AP. There were reportedly 379 absences at Orange's Liberty Middle School, 357 at Orlando's Boone High School, 174 at Orlando's Edgewater High School, and an undisclosed number at Orlando's Colonial High School. The FBI said Wednesday it was looking into the threats, but didn't think they were credible. Authorities are searching for a 23-year-old transient named Jesus Henry Kong (aka Jessie Eloah Calix and Jesus Matute) they say is responsible. "Although the FBI does not believe that the threat is credible, as the subject does not reside in Florida, we will continue to work with local partners to locate the subject," said an FBI special agent on Wednesday, per the Orlando Sentinel. Kong has lived in Florida, California, Virginia, and Maryland.


News article:

George A. Romero -- the writer and director behind the cult-classic horror flick "Night of the Living Dead" -- died Sunday. He was 77.

 Romero has been called the "father of modern horror films." He died following "a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer," his longtime production partner Peter Grunwald told CNN.

 Grunwald said Romero passed away "peacefully in his sleep" while "listening to the score of 'The Quiet Man,' one his all-time favorite films, with his wife Suzanne Desrocher Romero, and daughter, Tina Romero, at his side."

 "[Romero] leaves behind a loving family, many friends and a filmmaking legacy that has endured, and will continue to endure, the test of time," Grunwald said.

 Romero was born in 1940 in New York City. His big break came with the release of "Night of the Living Dead" in 1968, which was his first feature-length movie and made on a $114,000 budget. The movie, snubbed by the mainstream press, became a smash hit among horror aficionados and gore lovers.

 Romero worked on several other projects to little box office success before the first "Living Dead" sequel, "Dawn of the Dead," debuted in 1979 to great fanfare and critical acclaim. An initial backlash to some graphic special effects helped boost the film's notoriety, drawing more to theaters.

 "Romero has created the ultimate American nightmare. We are feeding on ourselves. Some consider this one of the most important American films of the last decade and it should be seen," a review in the "Motion Picture Guide" reads.

 Romero continued his work in the horror genre throughout the 1980s. In 1990, he rewrote the original "Living Dead" screenplay for the franchise's first remake. That was followed by "Land of the Dead" in 2005. at 89

 In 2006 Romero made "Diary of the Dead," launching a new cycle of "Living Dead" zombie flicks, which also includes 2009's "Survival of the Dead."

 His most recent project was a a graphic novel entitled "Empire of the Dead," which was published by Marvel.

 New York magazine writer Cynthia Heimel wrote in 1980 that Romero "is known for making the most grisly, horrifying movies you're ever likely to see."

 Mike Drucker, the standup comedian and "Late Night" jokes writer, credited Romero with "reinventing" zombies, which, since his 1968 creation, have become ubiquitous in movies, films and books.

 Without George Romero, about 1/3 of nerd culture things wouldn't exist. He re-invented zombies and now they seem so obvious. RIP. Damn. — Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) July 16, 2017

 World famous horror writer Stephen King called Romero his "favorite collaborator."

 Sad to hear my favorite collaborator--and good old friend--George Romero has died. George, there will never be another like you. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 16, 2017

 Romero directed several movies based on King's work, including the "Creepshow" films.

 --CNN's Evan Simko-Bednarski and Lawrence Crook III contributed to this report.

 'Mission: Impossible' star dies at 89 ||||| His low-budget body of work, which included 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'Dawn of the Dead,' creeped out audiences for decades.

 George A. Romero, the legendary writer-director from Pittsburgh who made the 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead for $114,000, thus spawning an unrelenting parade of zombie movies and TV shows, has died. He was 77.

 Romero, who put out five other zombie movies after a copyright blunder cost him millions of dollars in profits on his wildly popular first one, died Sunday of lung cancer, his producing partner, Peter Grunwald, told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the news. Romero's family confirmed his death to the newspaper as well.

 Romero's manager, Chris Roe, posted on Facebook that the director died while "listening to the score of The Quiet Man, one of his all-time favorite films, with his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero, and daughter, Tina Romero, at his side. He died peacefully in his sleep following a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer and leaves behind a loving family, many friends and a filmmaking legacy that has endured, and will continue to endure, the test of time."

 Romero's 1978 sequel Dawn of the Dead was made for $1.5 million and grossed $55 million. He followed that by writing and directing Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009), a decomposing body of work that earned him the nickname Father of the Zombie Film.

 Romero also penned a new version of Night of the Living Dead, released in 1990, that was directed by Tom Savini, his longtime collaborator and horror effects guru. (And Dawn of the Dead was remade by Zack Snyder in 2004.)

 Some film scholars and horror enthusiasts contend that social commentary — specifically salvos against the military and materialism — lurked within Romero’s films. Most of his work was shot in Pittsburgh, where Romero attended Carnegie Mellon University.

 Night of the Living Dead, the story of seven strangers trapped in a farmhouse besieged by a lynch-mob posse of staggering zombies, devastated/delighted audiences at the time of its release, its stark and grainy black-and-white cinematography imbuing it with a documentary realism.

 Romero and his nine other investors, including co-writer John A. Russo, had cobbled together $6,000 to start production on the film, then titled Night of the Flesh Eaters. It premiered at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh on Oct. 1, 1968, and quickly caught on as a staple of midnight screenings around the country. But most of the profits eluded the investors because of a mistake by the distributor.

 "We lost the copyright on the film because we put it on the title," Romero explained in "Night of the Living Steelers," an installment of NFL Films' Timeline series that premiered in October. "Our title was Night of the Flesh Eaters; they changed it to Night of the Living Dead.

 "When they changed the title, the copyright bug came off, so it went into public domain [and] we no longer had a piece of the action. Everybody had a copy of Night of the Living Dead because they were able to sell it without having to worry about royalties going to us."

 Night of the Living Dead was rare for its time in that it featured an African-American actor (Duane Jones) as a hero in a mainstream movie.

 After directing the box-office failures There's Always Vanilla (1971), Hungry Wives (1972) and The Crazies (1973), Romero, looking to make ends meet, produced a series of TV documentaries that focused on such Steeler legends-in-the-making as "Mean" Joe Greene, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw and Rocky Bleier.

 He returned to the zombie milieu with Dawn of the Dead (this time with copyright intact), which was filmed at the Monroeville Mall outside Pittsburgh. "This was the first indoor mall we had ever seen," he said in the Timeline documentary. "I said, 'Wow, this is a temple to consumerism. There's my topic.'"

 Once, during an AFI screening of Night of the Living Dead, he was asked what terrified him. "I don’t have any supernatural hobgoblins that I worry about," he said. "What scares me is life."

 George Andrew Romero was born Feb. 4, 1940, in the Bronx. As a teen, he was crazy about movies, especially the Michael Powell-Emeric Pressburger opera fantasy The Tales of Hoffmann (1951). To watch it, he had to rent a movie projector and a print of the film from a movie house in Manhattan.

 "They had one print," he recalled. "Whenever it was gone, I knew the guy who had it. And when that guy came in and it was gone, he knew who had it. And that guy was Marty Scorsese. … We were the only two people who rented Tales of Hoffmann."

 Romero studied art and design at Carnegie Mellon, graduated in 1960 and started a commercial production company, Image Ten Prods. He made a Calgon detergent ad that lampooned the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage and did a segment for the kids show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that showed the host preparing to have a tonsillectomy.

 All that helped pay for the camera his team used to shoot Night of the Living Dead. Money was tight, so the basement of his company's office on Fort Pitt Boulevard in Pittsburgh doubled as the farmhouse basement in the movie.

 Romero’s other work included Knightriders (1981), a mayhem movie with combatants jousting on motorcycles; Creepshow (1982), modeled after horror comics and scripted by Stephen King; Monkey Shines (1988), a psychological thriller revolving around a killer simian; The Dark Half (1993), where a writer's alter ego aims to take over; and Bruiser (2000), about a man who finds his face transformed into a blank mask.

 Romero also dabbled in the world of comic books with the limited Marvel series Empire of the Dead.

 Glimpses of the man himself can be seen in many of his films, and he had a cameo as an FBI agent in Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

 Thanks to Romero, Pittsburgh has been called the "Zombie Capital of the World" and each year hosts an event called Zombie Fest, complete with a brain-eating contest.

 "I used to be the only guy in the playground, I was the only guy doing zombies," he said in the Timeline doc. "Then all of a sudden The Walking Dead happened and it became mainstream. And now they're all over the place."

 Duane Byrge contributed to this report. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– His movies were groundbreaking—and that ground was over a grave. George Romero, the director known as the "Father of the Zombie Film" for 1968's Night of the Living Dead and its follow-ups, died of lung cancer on Sunday, CNN reports. He was 77. Romero, who grew up in the Bronx, used money from directing commercials to make Night of the Living Dead, which, per the BBC, was the "first film to depict cannibalistic reanimated corpses." It made $30 million on a budget of $114,000 and spawned five sequels, including 1978's mall-set Dawn of the Dead, which is widely considered to be one of the best horror movies of all time. Romero also directed non-zombie horror movies, including 1982's Creepshow. Romero spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, which now hosts an annual Zombie Fest and is sometimes called the "Zombie Capital of the World," the Hollywood Reporter notes. The director, who mixed social commentary with the gore, most recently returned to the zombie genre with the Empire of the Dead graphic novel. "I used to be the only guy in the playground, I was the only guy doing zombies," he said in a recent Timeline documentary. "Then all of a sudden The Walking Dead happened and it became mainstream. And now they're all over the place." Family members say he died peacefully, listening to the score from one of his favorite movies: 1952's The Quiet Man.


Here is a news article: President Obama has ordered flags at the White House and other federal buildings to fly at half-staff after mounting criticism over the delay in honoring five armed forces members killed last week by a gunman.

 Obama's proclamation calls for the flags to remain at half-staff through Saturday “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on July 16.”

 White House flag lowered to half-staff in honor of service members killed in Chattanooga pic.twitter.com/S2b9OSfrVH — Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 21, 2015

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 “Our thoughts and prayers as a Nation are with the service members killed last week in Chattanooga. We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives,” Obama said in a presidential proclamation released Tuesday.

 “We draw strength from yet another American community that has come together with an unmistakable message to those who would try to do us harm: We do not give into fear. You cannot divide us. And you will not change our way of life.”

 Obama announced his decision hours after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff.

 Ahead of Obama's decision, conservatives lined up to pan the president for failing to lower the flag. They noted that various governors around the country have done so and that the White House had lowered its flags after other mass shootings.

 Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, issued a statement earlier Tuesday asking Obama to do the “right thing” by lowering the flags. And Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, panned Obama as well.

 “Five service members were killed on American soil, and the idea that the Commander in Chief is so far unwilling to lower flags in their honor is unconscionable,” he said.

 “The flag and all it represents is sacred to our military, and the President must know that lowering the flag is a signal of honor and respect. The President should make this call immediately.”

 Marcus Luttrell, a retired Navy SEAL whose story became the bestselling book Lone Survivor and a movie starring Mark Wahlberg, also took to Facebook on Monday night to call on the president to lower the flag. ||||| (CNN) The White House and U.S. Capitol both lowered flags to half staff by Tuesday afternoon, after they were out of sync Tuesday in their tributes to the five U.S. service members who were slain by a gunman in Chattanooga last week.

 House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky announced Tuesday that flags at the Capitol would be lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims.

 "Out of respect for their courageous service and sacrifice to our nation, flags at the U.S. Capitol are being lowered to half-staff," Boehner said in a statement.

 But at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the flags at the White House noticeably remained at full-staff. Aides to the president have repeatedly declined to discuss whether the flags at the White House would be similarly lowered. Boehner's office said Tuesday that they had alerted the White House of their plans.

 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee An FBI investigator works outside a military recruiting center where a gunman opened fire Thursday, July 16, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Authorities say Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24, opened fire first on the recruiting station and then moved to a U.S. Navy facility seven miles away. At the Navy facility, he fatally shot four U.S. Marines and wounded three other people before he died in police gunfire. A U.S. Navy sailor later died from his wounds. Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee Abdulazeez was born in Kuwait and had Jordanian citizenship, law enforcement officials said. He was a naturalized U.S. citizen. Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee A woman places a balloon and flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the military recruiting center on Friday, July 17. Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee The Rev. Drew McCallie prays during a church service in Chattanooga on July 16. Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee Members of the FBI gather evidence at the scene of the recruiting center shooting on July 16. Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee A police car blocks the entrances to the U.S. Navy Reserve Center on July 16. Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee A car believed to be driven by Abdulazeez is seen on the grounds of the Navy facility. Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee WTVC's Drew Bollea heard gunshots on Amnicola Highway near the Navy facility. Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee The gunman first opened fire at this military recruitment office located in a strip mall off Lee Highway in Chattanooga. Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee The entrance to the military recruiting office is seen riddled with bullet holes on July 16. Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee Blue evidence markers, believed to be the location of spent shell casings, can be seen here. Gina Mule, a server at a restaurant who took this photo, said she saw a man in a car firing a "high-powered rifle" at the recruiting offices at about 10:50 a.m. ET Thursday. Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: Deadly shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee An officer patrols the parking lot of the recruitment center. Hide Caption 12 of 12

 "I don't have more information about the status of the flag over the White House," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday. Earnest had nearly the same response for reporters Tuesday.

 Read More |||||
A summary of this is?

– Flags are flying at half-staff in front of the White House and the Capitol today in honor of the victims of last week's Chattanooga shootings. President Obama ordered the move at the White House “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated," and the flag will remain that way through Saturday. Obama made the decision soon after John Boehner and Mitch McConnell announced they would lower flags at the Capitol, reports CNN. For a brief period today, flags at either end of Pennsylvania were out of sync on the matter. Obama, in fact, had been taking criticism from the right for not lowering the flags right away, notes the Hill.


News article:

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The conduct of the trial has been described as "unprecedented", the BBC's Orla Guerin reports

 The UN human rights commissioner has condemned an Egyptian court's decision to sentence to death 528 supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

 A spokesman for Navi Pillay said the "cursory mass trial" was "rife with procedural irregularities" and breached international human rights law.

 The defendants were found guilty on Monday of charges relating to an attack on a police station in Minya in August.

 Another 683 Morsi supporters went on trial at the same court on Tuesday.

 They include the Muslim Brotherhood's general guide, Mohammed Badie, and the chairman of its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), Saad al-Katatni.

 Later, security forces clashed with hundreds of Minya University students protesting against the trials.

 Tear gas was fired at the students after they blocked a main road, threw stones and set an armoured police vehicle on fire.

 'Unprecedented'

 There has been widespread condemnation of Monday's decision by the Minya Criminal Court to sentence 528 people to death for their alleged participation in an attack on a police station in the central city in mid-August, in which a police officer was killed.

 The incident took place in the immediate aftermath of an operation by security forces to break up two sit-ins in the capital Cairo that left almost 1,000 people dead. The sit-ins were set up by supporters of Mr Morsi's after he was overthrown by the military the previous month.

 The trial, at which more than three-quarters of the defendants were not present, is reported to have lasted less than an hour on Saturday.

 The prosecution did not put forward evidence implicating any individual defendant, even though it had compiled significant evidence, and the court prevented defence lawyers from presenting their case or calling witnesses, according to Human Right Watch.

 A second session was held on Monday solely to announce the verdict.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The 528 Morsi supporters sentenced to death on Monday were convicted of murder and damaging property, as Orla Guerin reports

 On Tuesday, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, told a news conference in Geneva: "The astounding number of people sentenced to death in this case is unprecedented in recent history."

 "The mass imposition of the death penalty after a trial that was rife with procedural irregularities is in breach of international human rights law."

 Sixteen Egyptian rights groups voiced concern, saying the trial constituted a "dangerous, unprecedented shift in the Egyptian's judiciary's treatment of such cases" and represented "a grave violation of both the right to a fair trial and the right to life".

 But Egypt's interim government defended the court, insisting that the sentences had been handed down only "after careful study".

 The state-run al-Ahram newspaper said the court would issue its final verdict on 28 April after Egypt's grand mufti, who under the law must ratify each death sentence before it can be carried out, had passed judgement.

 The defendants may then appeal. Legal experts said a higher court would most probably order a retrial or reduce their sentences.

 Boycott

 Mr Colville also expressed concern about the 683 people who went on trial at the Minya Criminal Court on Tuesday on similar charges relating to an attack on another police station in which no-one died.

 The BBC's Orla Guerin, who is outside the courthouse, says that after an opening session lasting just a few hours the case was adjourned until 28 April, when the judge, Said Youssef, said a verdict would be given.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Head of Appeals Court Ahmed Midhat El-Maraghy: "The court has the ultimate say in assessing the punishment and no one can interfere with that"

 Critics will ask how the fate of so many people could be decided after the briefest of trials, our correspondent says. And, she adds, there were two key elements missing - most of the defendants and any of their lawyers.

 Only 62 defendants reportedly appeared in court, with officials saying Mr Badie and Mr Katatni could not attend for security reasons, while the defence team staged a boycott in protest at the preceding trial.

 "As lawyers, we haven't seen anything like what happened here yesterday in our entire professional lives and we will not see anything like it until our deaths," Khaled Fouda of the Minya lawyers' syndicate said.

 Despite the boycott, the judge heard testimony from witnesses and questioning several of the defendants before adjourning the case.

 The wife of one of the accused in Tuesday's case told the BBC she feared the verdict had been decided in advance. She said her husband was an innocent man who had been arrested while picking up their daughter from hospital.

 The 1,200 defendants in the two cases in Minya are among more than 16,000 Egyptians arrested over the past eight months, according to figures recently provided by senior interior ministry officials. They include about 3,000 top or mid-level Brotherhood members. ||||| After a single session with no defence lawyers present, an Egyptian judge said Tuesday he will issue verdicts next month in a new mass trial of 683 suspected Islamists on charges of murder and attempted murder, a day after he sentenced hundreds to death in a similar trial that raised a storm of international criticism.

 The mass trials have raised deep concerns among human rights activists over the lack of due process as Egyptian authorities push swift and heavy prosecutions in their crackdown against Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood. About 16,000 have been in arrested in the crackdown since the the military’s ouster of President Mohammed Morsi last summer.

 Defence lawyers boycotted the trial that began Tuesday in the court in the city of Minya, south of Cairo, to protest the verdicts issued the day before in a separate trial. Despite the lawyer boycott, presiding judge Said Youssef went ahead with the session, hearing testimony, in what the lawyers called a violation of the law.

 After the five-hour hearing, the judge announced that he would issue verdicts in the case at the next session, set for April 28, according to judicial and security officials who attended the sessions and Mohammed Tosson, a defence lawyer who boycotted the session but present in the court building to monitor the results. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the proceedings.

 The 683 defendants, all but 68 of whom are being tried in absentia, could also face the death penalty in the case. Among the defendants is the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie, as well several other senior members of the group. Badie is in custody in Cairo but was not brought to the hearing in Minya for security reasons.

 If sentenced to death, Badie would be the most senior figure in the Brotherhood to receive such a sentence since a leading ideologue of the group, Sayed Qutb, was executed in 1966 – though any verdict against Badie would certainly be appealed.

 The previous mass trial that Youssef presided over also held only one session to hear testimony before he held a second session Monday to pronounce the verdicts. Defence lawyers said they were not allowed to present their case during the single session, and they were barred from Monday’s hearing, when Youssef pronounced deaths sentenced for 528 of the defendants.

 The sentences are subject to appeal and even judicial officials involved in the case said they expect them to be overturned.

 But the verdicts stunned Egyptian human rights activists and brought international criticism on Egypt. On Tuesday, the United Nations human rights office called the mass death sentences “unprecedented in recent history” and “a breach of international human rights law.”

 The U.S. State Department said it “defies logic” that so many defendants could have gotten a fair trial in two sessions. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the verdicts “very alarming” and said “further mass trials must be suspended.” The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, called on Egyptian officials to ensure “defendants’ rights to a fair and timely trial.”

 Sixteen Egyptian rights groups said they were “extremely concerned” about the court verdict, saying they constitute “a dangerous, unprecedented shift in the Egyptian judiciary’s treatment of such cases and represent a grave violation of both the right to a fair trial and the right to life.”

 The Justice Ministry on Tuesday issued a statement in reaction to the criticism, underlining that the defendants have a right to appeal the verdicts to the Court of Cassation, which can order a retrial. If the retrial reaches a similar verdict, the defendants can appeal to the higher court again, it said.

 The two trials in Minya are connected to a wave of rioting and mob attacks on police stations by Morsi supporters in August, sparked when security forces stormed two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo, killing more than 600 people.

 In the latest trial, the defendants are charged with murder over the death of two policemen in an attack on a police station in the town of el-Adawa. They are also charged with attempted murder of five people – including a Christian resident – as well as with membership in a terrorist group and with aiding, financing and providing weapons to carry out a terrorist attack.

 The government has branded the Brotherhood a terrorist group, a claim it denies.

 As a show of protest over the verdicts in the first trial, defence lawyers boycotted Tuesday’s tribunal.

 “As lawyers, we haven’t seen anything like what happened here yesterday in our entire professional lives and we will not see anything like it until our deaths,” Khaled Fouda, of the Minya lawyers’ syndicate, told a press conference announcing the boycott.

 One of the boycotting defence lawyers, Yasser Zidan, said the judge violated the law by not postponing Tuesday’s session until new lawyers could be appointed for the defendants. “This is just another disaster,” Zidan said. “This judge smashed the rock of justice with his own hands. He is inventing a new law.”

 According to the judicial and security officials, the judge questioned nearly 20 witnesses, including policemen and civilians who saw the police station attack. A collection of 70 video clips and 200 photos from the attack were also submitted into evidence.

 A few kilometres away from the court, clashes erupted between security forces firing tear gas and rubber bullets and Islamist students at Minya University who chanted slogans against the verdicts and the military.

 Roads around the Minya court building were blocked by cement blocks and metal barricades, manned by security forces and masked special forces. Armored vehicles patrolled the streets and shops in the vicinity of the court were shut down.

 Security forces kept small groups of protesters, including relatives of the defendants, and traffic away from the area.

 In a nearby coffee shop, relatives of the defendants sat to sip tea and have breakfast. One of them, 45-year-old al-Hawari, a farmer who spoke on condition he be identified only by his first name for fear of police harassment, said his cousins and neighbours are among the defendants. He insisted they were not involved in killings or violence.

 “These are all fabrications. Where is the evidence?” said al-Hawari, dressed in traditional robes. Still, he acknowledged that on the day of the mob attack in the el-Adwa police station, many people were involved in fighting, shooting and rioting near the police station to take revenge from “injustice inflicted by the police officers.”

 “We already know the verdict. God be with us,” he said with a sigh.

 Maggie Michael reported from Cairo. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– A day after sentencing 529 people to death, Egypt launched another mass trial today, this time accusing 683 Muslim Brotherhood members—including the Brotherhood's top spiritual leader, Mohammed Badie—of crimes including murder and inciting violence in connection with a riot at a police station in Minya. Only 68 defendants were actually in court, the AP reports. Most of the rest are being tried in absentia, though some jailed Brotherhood honchos, including Badie, were kept out of court for security reasons. Also absent: Many defense lawyers, who are boycotting the trial in protest of yesterday's sentencing; the judge who handed out those death sentences is presiding today. By law the lawyers' absence should have halted the trial, but the judge forged ahead. "This judge smashed the rock of justice with his own hands," one said. "He is inventing new law." The 683 are accused of killing two policemen, though according to the BBC no one was actually reported killed in the Minya attack—which followed police raids that killed almost 1,000 protesters in Cairo.


News article:

Add a location to your Tweets

 When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| This is one dance party 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin will never forget. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/CAPi3heOMT

 Some people wait a lifetime! A 106-year-old woman named Virginia McLaurin danced with joy while meeting President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle this weekend in the White House.

 A sweet video from the encounter shows McLaurin vivaciously walking into the room to meet with the couple. She then squeals and laughs with delight. "It's an honor, it's an honor," she tells President Obama, who then brings over his grinning wife.

 "She's 106!” the president proclaims of his adorable guest.

 "No, you are not!" yells Michelle, who gives McLaurin a hug and holds her hand affectionately. "Oh, my goodness! I want to be like you when I grow up."

 The Obamas then dance with her in the middle of the Blue Room, and the three roar with laughter. "I thought I would never live to get in the White House," says McLaurin, who was there for Black History Month. "And I tell you. I am so happy: A black president."

 Watch the sweet video above.

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What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Even 106-year-olds dance for joy. Need proof? You've got it thanks to a White House video shared on Twitter on Sunday. It shows centenarian Virginia McLaurin busting a move while meeting President and Michelle Obama at the White House for Black History Month, reports Us Weekly. "It's an honor, it's an honor," she told the president, before rushing across the Blue Room to meet Michelle Obama, forcing the president to tell her to "slow down." "I want to be like you when I grow up," the first lady joked to McLaurin, before joining her for an impromtu dance party. The first lady held McLaurin's hand while the president held her cane.


Summarize this article:

CLOSE The father of three daughters who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar rushed the disgraced doctor during his sentencing. USA TODAY Sports

 Larry Nassar (Photo: Matthew Dae Smith, Lansing (Mich.) State Journal)

 CHARLOTTE, Mich. — A father who rushed Larry Nassar during his sentencing Friday was held in direct contempt of court, but will not be fined or detained.

 "There is no way this court is going to issue any type of punishment due to the circumstances of this case," Eaton County Circuit Judge Janice Cunningham said Friday.

 Randall Margraves was detained Friday morning after he attempted to attack Nassar following the conclusion of statements from two of his three daughters who said they were assaulted by Nassar.

 Eaton County Circuit Judge Janice Cunningham said she can't fathom what Margraves was experiencing, given that he was hearing some of the details of his daughters' victim impact statements for the first time Friday.

 Cunningham said she had the option of issuing a fine or jail time for Margraves, but decided against it with a warning:

 "I cannot tolerate or condone vigilantism or any other type of action that basically comes down to an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," Cunningham said.

 More: Larry Nassar says he didn't authorize his attorney's comments on victims

 More: More than 250 have come forward as victims of Larry Nassar

 Margraves apologized to the court and the deputies who were forced to tackle him.

 "I'm not here to upstage my daughters," Margraves said. "I'm here to help them heal."

 As of 12:25 p.m. a GoFundMe page to support Margraves had received about $1,985 in donations.

 Margraves nearly reached Nassar when he rushed the doctor shortly before 10 a.m., but was blocked by Nassar’s attorney Matthew Newburg and then restrained by at least three deputies. He was handcuffed by MSU Police Detective Andrea Munford, the lead investigator on Nassar's cases in Ingham and Eaton counties.

 “Give me one minute with that bastard,” Margraves said after he was tackled.

 Margraves' daughters, Lauren and Madison Rae, had just finished speaking when he addressed the judge. Morgan Margraves read her victim impact statement during Nassar's Ingham County sentencing in January.

 "I would ask you as part of this sentencing to grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon," Randall Margraves said following his daughters' statements.

 Eaton County Circuit Judge Janice Cunningham said she couldn't do that. He asked for a minute, and she said she couldn't allow that.

 Randall Margraves then ran at Nassar and nearly reached him before Newburg intervened.

 Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis, the lead prosecutor, warned the gallery not to repeat Margraves' outburst, saying it's not helping the victims or the community. She told them to use their words, not physical violence.

 "You cannot behave like this," Povilaitis said. "This is letting him have his power over us."

 In a statement Friday, Newburg said he appreciated the quick response of the Eaton County Sheriff's deputies in the courtroom.

 "They have gone to great lengths to ensure our safety in and out of the courtroom," Newburg said.

 After the civil contempt hearing, Mick Grewal, Margraves’ attorney, spoke with reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom and said the Sheriff’s Office will continue a criminal investigation, which could be sent to prosecutors. Grewal added that he hopes it won’t come to that and that Margraves reacted the way he did after hearing the details of what happened to his daughters.

 About a half dozen law enforcement officers have been in the courtroom all day, with three Eaton County deputies sitting near Nassar, which is an increase from the typical number inside a courtroom for a sentencing hearing. Several law enforcement officers have been sitting in the back of the courtroom gallery as well.

 Additional security did not appear to have been added following Margraves' attempted attack.

 Friday is the second day of Nassar's Eaton County sentencing on three sexual assault charges, which is scheduled to continue Monday and if necessary Tuesday.

 Nassar, 54, was sentenced last month to between 40 and 175 years by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina on seven sexual assault charges. In December, a federal judge sentenced him to 60 years in prison for three child pornography charges. His sentencing in Eaton County began Wednesday.

 An Indianapolis Star investigation of USA Gymnastics, begun in 2016, uncovered widespread sexual abuse of athletes by coaches and others and failures to alert authorities. The IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, revealed the first allegations of abuse by Larry Nassar.

 WATCH THE SENTENCING HEARING LIVE: ||||| After an enraged father tried getting vigilante justice by lunging at former Olympics gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in a Michigan courtroom Friday morning, he was comforted by one of the sheriff's deputies who pinned him down and cuffed him.

 Interested in Larry Nassar? Add Larry Nassar as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Larry Nassar news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest

 Randall Margraves was in a raging fit, flat on his stomach while it took three uniformed deputies and one plain-clothes officer to detain him.

 "Let me at that son of a b----," Margraves shouted in court.

 One of the deputies disarmed the father by repeatedly saying: 'I understand.'

 After Margraves shouted, "Give me one minute with that bastard, one of the deputies talked him down, saying, "Relax sir. Take it easy, buddy. Just relax.... I understand. I understand, but stay down."

 After the officers tackled and pinned Margraves down to the courtroom floor, the officers again, asked him to relent and quit resisting once they raised him upright.

 "We're going to let up," one of the deputies said. "But you're going to have to let up too."

 Before he was led out of the courtroom, Margraves asked the officers, "What if this happened to you guys?"

 The father apologized for his actions but made it clear that he wishes the worst for Nassar.

 "I believe in God almighty. I believe in heaven and hell, and I can only hope that when the day comes that Larry Nassar has ended his days on this Earth that he will be escorted to one of the deepest, darkest, hottest pits in hell there is for him and people like him. I hope there's a lot of pain attached to it because he certainly left a lot of pain on this Earth," Margraves said at a news conference this evening.

 Margraves has three daughters who have now given victim impact statements about how Nassar assaulted them.

 After two of his daughter's delivered statements in court, Margraves at first tried to ask the judge if he could spend time alone with Nassar. When that request was denied, Margraves lunged at him.

 "I did not know the content of the impact statements. We went to the podium... in support of the two daughters [who addressed the court today] when I had to hear what was said in those statements and I had to look over at Larry Nassar shaking his head, that's when I lost control," Margraves said today.

 "I feel very remorseful... this cannot be a lawless society, I know that. I lost control but I regained control later in a holding cell," he said.

 Rebecca Cook/Reuters

 Afterward, Margraves was restrained by court security personnel and led out of court.

 He was later held in contempt of court. The same judge who was handling Nassar's case pertaining to sexual assault charges also handled Margraves' subsequent sentencing hearing, and Margraves was not arrested and will not face any fines.

 In a statement from the sheriff's office, Judge Janice Cunningham declined to sentence him to any jail time.

 "I can’t say I understand what it would be like to stand there as father and know that three of your girls were injured physically and emotionally by somebody sitting in the room," Cunningham said.

 "I don’t disagree that as a parent and the victims that you want people held accountable. I don’t disagree with that. Use the legal system to do it. Use the system of justice that is here. And there will be the proper punishment. But as for the direct contempt of court there is no way this court is going to issue any type of punishment given the circumstances of this case," she said.

 Margraves offered an apology to Cunningham and everyone in the court, which the judge accepted.

 "I have the highest and utmost respect for the justice system. I’d like to apologize to everyone in the courtroom and all the officers, they are fine upstanding officers who had to deal with my outburst," Margraves said in his sentencing hearing.

 "I came here to support my daughters, I knew they were going to read a statement, I did not know what was in it, they would not let me see it ahead of time. I’ve got to hear that and have Larry Nassar shaking his head no, like it didn’t happen," Margraves said.

 "I lost control, I apologize 100 times," he added.

 Hours earlier, a dramatic scene unfolded after two of Margraves' daughters spoke at Nassar's sentencing hearing.

 "I'm asking you as part of the sentencing to grant me five minutes alone in a locked room with this demon," Margraves told Cunningham.

 Cunningham said that she would not do that, so Margraves asked again, this time for just one minute alone with Nassar. Cunningham reiterated that the answer was no. Margraves then charged toward Nassar in the courtroom.

 Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP

 Police apprehended Margraves and escorted him out of the room.

 "Let me get that son of a b----," Margraves could be heard saying.

 There were audible cries in the courtroom as Margraves was pinned to the ground by police.

 "Give me one minute with that b------," Margraves said. "One minute."

 Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis, the lead prosecutor in this case, was heard warning the rest of the gallery not to follow Margraves' lead.

 "You cannot behave like this," Povilaitis said.

 Attorney Mick Grewal, who represents the three Margrave daughters, said in a statement that “when this occurred I of course represented their father as I could see this was an emotional response to what occurred in court.”

 “They are family that is there for each other. He is a father supporting his daughters,” Grewal said.

 “Hopefully the eyes of the world are watching and can feel the pain each survivor and their family is going through. All they want is justice, transparency and accountability for everyone that enabled Larry Nassar,” he added.

 Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP

 Nassar was sentenced last month to up to 175 years in prison for multiple counts of criminal sexual misconduct.

 Margraves' third daughter, Morgan Margraves, spoke during Nassar's prior sentencing in Ingham County Circuit Court.

 Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP

 Randall Margraves' exchange with the judge began as she thanked his daughters for speaking.

 "Judge, would a pissed-off father have a chance to say something?" he asked Cunningham.

 "You son of a b----," Margraves said, looking directly at Nassar.

 The judge cut him off, admonishing him over his choice of language.

 Rebecca Cook/Reuters

 "We don't want to swear, we don't want to have profanity. I can't imagine the anger, and the anxiety and the feeling of wanting retribution and if you need to say something to help you I'm more than willing to let you say something, but in a courtroom we don't use profanity. But if you have some words that you would like to say, I would like to give you the opportunity to say them," Cunningham said.

 Margraves then asked for the time alone with Nassar.

 ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and M.L. Nestel contributed to this report. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| CLOSE Randall Margraves holds a press conference to explain his attempted attack on Larry Nassar. Rod Sanford, Special to The Detroit News

 Eaton County Sheriff's deputies restrain Randall Margraves, father of three victims of Larry Nassar, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Eaton County Circuit Court in Charlotte, Mich. (Photo: Cory Morse, AP)

 Charlotte — The father of three women who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar said Friday he regrets lunging at the sports doctor in court but added that he hopes the convicted pedophile ends up in one of the "hottest pits in hell."

 Randall Margraves discussed the incident at a news conference hours after being tackled and hauled out of Eaton County Circuit Court for trying to attack Nassar. He said he was driven to rage by hearing two of his daughters describe in court Friday how Nassar hurt them and seeing the disgraced physician shaking his head.

 “When I hear those statements and I have to look over at Larry Nassar, that was too much,” he said.

 But Margraves added, “This cannot be a lawless society. I lost control. But I regained control in a holding cell.”

 Judge Janice K. Cunningham decided not to fine or jail Margraves, who apologized in court for his action.

 "I'm embarrassed," he told the judge. "I'm not here to upstage my daughters. I'm here to help them heal."

 CLOSE Randall Margraves tried to attack Larry Nassar after asking the judge to let him have a few minutes alone with the former USA Gymnastics doctor in court on Friday.

 The judge, in turn, told Margraves: "My heart goes out to you and your family for what you've been through. We cannot and I cannot tolerate or condone vigilantism or any other type of action that basically comes down to an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That's not what's best for this situation."

 Victim says Nassar ‘turned my entire universe upside down’

 "There's no way that this court is going to issue any type of punishment, given the circumstances of this case," she said.

 Margraves tried to attack Nassar after asking the judge to let him have a few minutes alone with the former USA Gymnastics doctor.

 The man was tackled to the ground by police. "Let me at him," he shouted as police grabbed him. "Give me one minute with that bastard!"

 Police led him out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

 At the news conference, Margraves said he feels regret for sending his daughters to see Nassar.

 “I fell for the Michigan State hype. I was blinded by the fancy degrees hanging on a wall” he said, adding that he “delivered my daughters to a demon” and “now I have to live with the fact that I failed to protect my daughters.”

 For a long time, he said, he didn’t understand why his relationship with his daughters was strained.

 “The reason was Larry Nassar,” he said. “If it wasn’t for all the brave girls and women who came forward before now, I don’t know if my family could have come forward before now.”

 Margraves also expressed his hope that Nassar will face divine justice.

 “I believe in God almighty. I believe in heaven and hell. And I can only hope when the days comes ... that he will be escorted to one of the deepest, darkest, hottest pits in hell there is for people like him.”

 Margraves’ outburst occurred Friday after two of his daughters gave victim statements about the impact Nassar’s sexual abuse had on their lives. A third daughter gave a statement recently in Ingham County Circuit Court.

 A gofundme account set up to show support for Margraves had raised more than $7,500 within hours of the incident.

 Cunningham said she heard from Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis that Margraves had learned details about the assaults that he had not known before.

 “I can see that creating an anger and a rage so great that any parent would want to do physical harm,” Cunningham said. “So I understand that. But you have to understand this is a courtroom … it is not acceptable that we combat assault with assault. We have to teach our children and other adults that when people do things that are wrong and they break the law, we handle that by using the legal proceedings to punish them.”

 Cunningham made him promise that nothing else would happen in court.

 Margraves said he came to the hearing to support his daughters but did not know what they would say because they did not let him see their statements beforehand.

 “I am realizing (my daughters) may never trust a man again,” Margraves said.

 Friday was the second day of the second sentencing hearing for Nassar, who sexually abused young women under the guise of a medical treatment. So far, 265 women have been identified as victims.

 Margraves jumped at Nassar after his daughter Lauren Margraves, one of the sexual assault victims, had just finished telling the court that the "last year and a half of my life has been a crazy whirlwind and there's no reason it should have been that way."

 Lauren Margraves made the comments during the latest sentencing hearing in Eaton County Circuit Court after recounting her abuse at Nassar's hands.

 She said he molested her when she was 13. Nassar also abused her two sisters.

 The father of victim 210, a woman who chose to stay anonymous, spoke after the Margraves incident.

 Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis said he was a peaceful man and would not repeat Margraves' behavior.

 During a break, he empathized with the family.

 “I felt bad for him, for his family and especially for his daughters because of all they are going through,” the father said. “But I understand.”

 Nassar was sentenced last month to 40-175 years in prison on seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County Circuit Court. He also has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

 Staff writer Charles E. Ramirez contributed

 kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

 Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2GGcYxF |||||

– Larry Nassar's victims are continuing to speak out, but the father of three did more than talk in a Michigan courtroom Friday. Following testimony from two of his daughters—including one abused at age 13, per the Detroit News—Randall Margraves took the floor and addressed Nassar as "you son of a bitch," per a CBS News video. Scolded for swearing, he then asked for "five minutes in a locked room with this demon," and when the judge politely declined, asked instead for "one minute." The comment drew laughter from some in the room even as one of Margraves' daughters whispered "stop," reports ABC News. But it quickly became clear Margraves wasn't joking. As the judge again declined the request, Margraves rushed across the room at Nassar. One of Nassar's lawyers, Matthew Newburg, appeared in front of the former USA Gymnastics doctor, seeming to block him from harm, before sheriff's deputies tackled Margraves to the ground, reports USA Today. "I want that son of a bitch. I just need one minute with that bastard," he was heard saying as three deputies held him down. As they helped him up moments later, Margraves looked at the deputies, saying, "What if this happened to you guys' daughters?" He was then led from the room in handcuffs. The scene occurred during Nassar's third sentencing trial, focusing on assault convictions in Michigan's Eaton County. He's already been sentenced to 60 years for child pornography and 40 to 175 years for assaults in the Lansing area.


Summarize this article:

Jennifer Capriati has been rushed to hospital after a possible drug overdose.

 Australian Open winner Jennifer Capriati has been rushed to hospital after a possible drug overdose according to entertainment website TMZ.

 The American teen tennis-star suffered the alleged overdose at a Riviera Beach hotel this morning.

 TMZ spoke to her father, who was quoted saying she was recovering well.

 Capriati won 14 career titles, including three Grand Slams after making her professional debut in 1990 at the age of 13.

 At just 16 she had received over $1 million in earnings.

 Through 1990-91 she reached the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open finals, and won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

 In 1993 she took a break from competition suffering injuries and that was when things turned sour.

 She was charged with shop-lifting and marijuana possession which culminated in two stays in a drug-rehabilitation facility and loss of all endorsements.

 Capriati was widely labelled a burnt-out child star and did not win another tournament until May 1999.

 Then in 2001 she stepped back into the limelight, winning the Australian and French Opens and then defending her Australian title in 2002.

 She has not returned to tennis after suffering further injuries and was widely reported to have been suffering from depression. ||||| Jennifer Capriati Hospitalized After Apparent OD

 Jennifer Capriati Hospitalized After Apparent OD

 TMZ has learned former teen tennis starwas rushed to the hospital early this morning after paramedics responded to a call for a possible overdose.Sources tell TMZ the call came from a hotel in Riviera Beach, FL. Capriati was transported to a nearby hospital.TMZ spoke with Jennifer's father who tells us she's recovering well.Capriati won 14 career titles, including three Grand Slams. She also won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. |||||

– Former teen tennis star Jennifer Capriati is recovering from an apparent drug overdose after paramedics rushed her to a local hospital from a Florida hotel room, reports TMZ. Her dad said she's doing well. Capriati, 34, earned $1 million in winnings at the age of 16, and won 3 Grand Slams and a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics. She took a break from competition the following year, and was later busted for marijuana possession and shoplifting, and spent at least two stints in drug rehab. She won the Australian and French Opens in 2002, but hasn't competed since 2003.


– Following up on a promise made while in Europe, Burma's president is reportedly setting 73 political prisoners free today, adding to hundreds already let go. "The total number of remaining political prisoners has now dropped to lower than 100 for the first time in many years," says an official. President Thein Sein has pledged to release all the country's political prisoners by year's end. Different organizations offer different figures as to how many remain, Reuters notes; the AP puts the number at around 200 before today's releases, with 69 released today, according to an official. The country has a 19-member committee to determine which prisoners are in jail over politics and which have committed non-political crimes. The committee includes 10 ex-political prisoners. But activists say the president is releasing people too slowly and for image reasons—and protesters are still getting arrested. "It's important to remember that many still remain in prison and all the repressive laws that put them there are still in place," notes one.

Expand this summary.

Myanmar's President Thein Sein waves as he arrives at Yangon International Airport after returning from the U.S. May 22, 2013.

 YANGONMyanmar's government is releasing another 73 political prisoners and more could be freed in coming months to honor a commitment made by the president during a recent trip to Europe, a member of a government body looking into the process said on Tuesday.

 President Thein Sein, a former general now heading a quasi-civilian government, has pushed through a series of political and economic reforms since a military government stepped aside in 2011.

 He has freed hundreds of political detainees and promised in a speech in Britain last week to free all those still in prison by the end of this year.

 "A total of 73 political prisoners are being released from various detention centers today," Hla Maung Shwe, a member of the Committee to Scrutinise Remaining Political Prisoners, told Reuters.

 "The total number of remaining political prisoners has now dropped to lower than 100 for the first time in many years."

 The government, embassies and other groups have different figures for the number of political detainees.

 The military junta, and even Thein Sein's government in the past, rejected the term, but he set up the committee to examine the issue and decide which prisoners were inside for criminal acts and those there for political reasons.

 The 19-member committee comprises 10 former political prisoners, six people appointed by the government and three mediators, including Hla Maung Shwe.

 "The committee meets once a month and we expect the remaining political prisoners will be freed by the end of this year as the president said during his recent visit to Europe," Hla Maung Shwe added.

 An official at the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, a pro-democracy activist group, confirmed the release of several dozen political prisoners, but said the group was still collecting names.

 (Editing by Alan Raybould and Ron Popeski) ||||| Myanmar started releasing nearly 70 political prisoners Tuesday, just days after the president promised during a European tour to free all who remain behind bars by the end of the year.

 The continued incarceration of prisoners of conscience in Myanmar, which is in the process of opening up following decades of isolation and brutal military rule, has been a key concern of the United States and other Western nations.

 Around 200 were believed to be behind bars before Tuesday's releases began.

 Activists have accused President Thein Sein's government of only releasing political prisoners in small batches and usually for public relations purposes.

 At the same time, said Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK, scores of peaceful protesters continue to be arrested, tried and convicted.

 "It's welcome when political prisoners are being released, but it's important to remember that many still remain in prison and all the repressive laws that put them there are still in place," she said.

 Last month alone, the group said 70 new activists were facing trial.

 Ye Aung, a member of the government's political prisoner scrutiny committee, said in total 69 persons were released from various prisons across the country on Tuesday.

 Some were seen by The Associated Press as the gates of the jails opened. |||||


Here is a news article: Story highlights NASA says Scott Kelly is 2 inches taller after spending nearly a year in space

 He's about to reunite with his twin brother in Houston

 Since his return to Earth, the astronaut has been sharing photos of life on the ground

 (CNN) Astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother used to be the same height.

 But it's likely that won't be true when the two stand side by side for the first time in nearly a year.

 NASA's Jeff Williams told CNN that Scott Kelly grew 2 inches during his time aboard the International Space Station

 It was expected, and it's temporary, Williams said.

 "Astronauts get taller in space as the spine elongates," Williams said, "but they return to preflight height after a short time back on Earth." ||||| 1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Photos: Astronaut Scott Kelly lands after a year in space View Photos The Soyuz TMA-18M space capsule returns from space and lands near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Caption The Soyuz TMA-18M space capsule returns from space and lands near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. March 2, 2016 Ground personnel help International Space Station crew member Scott Kelly of the United States to get off the Soyuz TMA-18M space capsule after landing near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 This post has been updated.

 When astronaut Scott Kelly arrived in Houston on Thursday morning, he was about two inches taller than when he left for the International Space Station a year before, according to NASA representatives. That’s pretty normal for an astronaut: Without the full strength of gravity pressing down on gel-filled discs between the vertebrae, they expand and lengthen the spine. It’s a weird but temporary side effect of spaceflight.

 But even if Kelly hadn’t had his vitals checked immediately upon landing, he might have noticed the slight height change: One of the first Earthlings he saw was his identical twin, retired astronaut Mark Kelly — a man now notably, if only temporarily, shorter.

 NASA scientists already knew that Kelly would walk a little taller when he emerged from the Soyuz capsule. But he’ll have changed in other, less obvious ways, too — and that’s the whole point of his recordbreaking mission. Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko spent 342 days on the ISS to help scientists measure the effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body.

 [Watch live: Scott Kelly and NASA scientists discuss his record-breaking year in space]

 The impressive jaunt is a record for the United States, and for the International Space Station. But astronauts actually have stayed in space for months longer than that: Back in the pre-ISS days of Russia’s Mir station, several cosmonauts broke this record.

 Astronaut Scott Kelly spent 340 days aboard the International Space Station, longer than any American astronaut. Here's a look at the year he spent in space, through his eyes above Earth. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

 But this is the first attempt to really study the effects of such a long stay in space. The hope is that data collected will highlight some of the most worrying physiological and psychological hurdles to spending months or years in space — allowing scientists to tackle those problems before NASA attempts a long-haul flight to Mars or the planets beyond. NASA hopes to put astronauts on the Red Planet by the 2030s.

 Kelly’s twin brother made him a perfect candidate for such a mission. The earthbound twin was used as a sort of “control” for experiments being run on his orbiting brother. Even identical twins aren’t alike enough that NASA can pin every difference between them on the effects of spaceflight, but finding changes that occurred in one man and not the other over the course of a year might give them some important clues.

 [Why American astronauts drink Russian urine]

 “Obviously, this is a tiny sample size, so we’re not really looking at how Scott and Mark are different during the year, exactly,” Johns Hopkins Medical School's Andrew Feinberg told The Washington Post just before Kelly's launch last year. “It’s not statistically valid to say that differences between them must be due to the spaceflight.”

 But, added Feinberg — whose project for the mission focused on epigenetics, or the way different environments affect the expression of our genes — “if something happens after Scott departs, increases during his trip, and then goes back to normal after he comes back to Earth — if we don’t see that kind of sequential change in his twin, well, it’s not proof of anything, but it certainly suggests something interesting is going on.”

 Kelly, wearing a body suit designed to fight the effects of low gravity on body fluids, takes ultrasound measurements. (NASA)

 The scientific experiments involved in the twin study are ongoing. All year, Kelly has been taking blood samples each time a shuttle is about to head back to Earth, allowing scientists to study fresh, unfrozen cells just hours after they’re drawn. Meanwhile, Mark has donated countless hours to providing samples of his own, as well as undergoing the same psychological and cognitive tests his brother completed in space. Now scientists can take all of that data and make something of it.

 There are 10 official experiments running as part of the twin study, selected from a pool of research proposals submitted by institutions across the country: Six projects (including Feinberg’s) look at the way cellular behavior may change due to low gravity, high levels of radiation exposure, and other space-centric environmental factors. These studies will look at things like how aging, gene expression, and immune system function may have been affected.

 [How Scott Kelly made flowers bloom in space]

 Two studies will focus on physiological changes. One will try to determine whether plaque buildup in the arteries is accelerated during spaceflight, and another will look at how shifts in body fluid affect eyesight. Vision problems are a common complaint among astronauts.

 Another study will use psychological tests to determine whether Scott Kelly has had changes in perception, reasoning, decision making and alertness that aren’t typical for someone spending a year on Earth.

 And one last experiment will study how the microbes inside the twins’ guts have changed over the course of the year. Diet and environment can have a huge (and surprisingly swift) influence on the microbes that live in and around us, and there’s more and more evidence that these bug colonies have a profound effect on our health and wellness. Figuring out how bacterial colonies change in space could help keep the first Mars crew happy and healthy.

 [How filthy is the International Space Station? An astrobiologist weighs in.]

 The hope is that scientists can come up with a plan for protecting the men and women who may eventually journey to Mars. It’s likely that the flight to our closest neighboring world will take about nine months each way. Once a crew touches down on the sandy surface, NASA will want them to stay awhile – after all, it would be a shame to spend 18 months in a tin can for a day or two on the surface of a new planet. So it seems likely that the first Mars mission will be a multiyear commitment.

 “NASA is working on this science project that’s the greatest in the history of civilization,” Feinberg said last March. “They’re turning humankind from an Earth-dwelling species into a space-exploring species. One day, humankind will be a species that can settle on other planets. It might be a hundred years before we have humans living on Mars, but this is a whole new kind of science. It’s a multi-generational effort.”

 Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Biden, greets Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA. (Joel Kowsky/NASA)

 Upon landing in Houston on Thursday morning, Kelly was greeted by his girlfriend (who works in NASA’s communications department) and his two daughters, as well as his twin brother and sister-in-law, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). The last time Scott Kelly came home from the ISS, it was two months after Giffords had been the victim of a near-fatal assassination attempt. Kelly has cited this period — when he was unable to return home to be with his family — as the time when the isolation of spaceflight felt most profound.

 In addition to the gathered family, Kelly was welcomed by second lady Jill Biden, who brought apple pie and beer for the astronaut.

 “That’s what he said he wanted, so that’s what I brought him,” Biden said during a brief ceremony streamed by NASA TV.

 “The beer is from the president, actually, from the garden, and the apple pie is just from all Americans,” she said. “So, we hold you in our hearts. Welcome home.”

 [Why NASA is so excited to send a twin to space]

 “It’s great to be back in Texas, on U.S. soil,” Kelly told the NASA press pool after landing. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling to be back here on planet Earth, back in our great country, and back with all my family and friends.”

 And although Kelly has become something of a celebrity for his record-breaking flight, he remains humble. “I also want to say this was not my flight. They’ve talked about my year in space, it’s not my achievement, it’s NASA’s achievement and it’s our country’s achievement,” he said.

 Kelly had said previously that a swim in his pool was a top priority upon arriving home. And it looks like he took the plunge as soon as he was able:

 Kelly will address the public at a 2:00 p.m. briefing (EST) on Friday. Scientists will be on NASA TV starting at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the mission.

 Read More:

 Why Scott Kelly grew flowers in space

 Why American astronauts drink Russian urine

 NASA needs 14 new astronauts. A record-breaking 18,300 folks applied.

 How much longer will the space station last?

 Someone once smuggled a sandwich into space, which is a horrible idea

 How filthy is the International Space Station? An astrobiologist weighs in. |||||
A summary of this is?

– NASA will be studying how Scott Kelly's body reacted to almost a year in space, using his twin brother Mark Kelly, who stayed on Earth, as a control. One big difference to note right away: The brothers will no longer be the same height, as they were before Scott went into space, because he grew 2 inches while aboard the International Space Station, CNN reports. "Astronauts get taller in space as the spine elongates," NASA's Jeff Williams explains. That's because "without the full strength of gravity pressing down on gel-filled discs between the vertebrae, they expand and lengthen the spine," the Washington Post explains. But Scott won't be able to lord it over Mark for too long: Astronauts "return to preflight height after a short time back on Earth," Williams says.