Links For The End Of March

With the first quarter of 2016 about to conclude, here are some things going on out there:

From the International Business Times, spurred by tensions with Muslims, about 10,000 millionaires have left France.

From The Daily Caller, the EPA won't answer questions about the Gold King Mine spill.

From CBS News, the campaign of Ted Cruz (R-TX) is trying to keep John Kasich (R-OH) off the primary ballot in Montana.

From Yahoo News, Kasich criticizes Donald Trump (R-NY).

From The Horn News, President Obama has commuted the sentences of 61 drug dealers.

Fox News Insider asks if anti-Trump protesters actually know what they're protesting.

The Hill asks why a Turkish cleric should operate charter schools on U.S. bases.

From The Washington Times, about a dozen detainees in GITMO will be transferred to other countries.

From the New York Post, a former wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had no idea that she had been married to the leader of ISIS.

From BBC News, Scottish police investigate alleged links between two Muslim leaders in Glasgow and a banned group in Pakistan.

From the Mirror, the difficult life experience of a gay British Muslim.

From Ekurd Daily, in order to get married in ISIS-controlled Mosul, a man must grow a full beard.

From the Express, the French government blasts makers of the "burkini".

From National Review, why terrorists like to target westerners.

From The Times Of Israel, Iran is "certain" that it won't be punished for its missile tests.

From AL.com, in Alabama, husband and wife are both arrested for allegedly having sex with high school students.

From MSN, a TV station terminates an anchorwoman (Yikes, is that term sexist?) for her Facebook post about a mass shooting.  (MSN cites the Associated Press as their source.)

From Reuters, self-driving cars are having a hard time dealing with America's roads.

And from Townhall, "Five Sure Signs That America Has Gone Mad".

Grave Creek Mound

Grave Creek Mound is located in Moundsville, West Virginia, in the state's northern panhandle.  Originally built as a burial mound by people of the Adena Culture, it now forms part of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, which also includes the Delf Norona Museum.  A walk through the museum gradually takes the visitor up to a second story outdoor walkway, and across it to the base of the mound.  In this view, from the northeast, a cherry blossom tree stands to the right, while two stumps may be seen on the mound to the left.  A spiral walkway (a modern addition) runs up the mound.

From partway up the mound's walkway, you can see an elementary school, a church faced with dark red stone, and lots of electric lines.

On top of the mound is this pylon, with each side marked for one of the four cardinal directions.  This view from the southeast shows some hills across the Ohio River in Ohio, and a bit of the river itself.

Looking toward the southwest, you can see a bridge over the Ohio River, part of a hotel, and a smokestack.

This shot is from the north side of the mound.  Due to the morning sun, the mound's east side, towards the left, is in sunlight.  To the right is a concrete table.  The yellow lines in the paved area around it are aligned to the four cardinal directions.

Before I left, I got one last shot of the mound, from the east side and outside of the fence.

Of all the mounds I have ever visited, Grave Creek Mound has to be the easternmost.  To learn more, go to West Virginia Culture and History, Roadside America and Odd Things I've Seen.

American Military Families Ordered To Leave Southern Turkey

Because of security concerns, the U.S. military has ordered military family members to leave southern Turkey.  Some families of diplomatic personnel have also been ordered to leave.  The "ordered departure" includes family members at Incirlik Air Base, a consulate in Adana, and facilities in Mugla and Izmir.  The decision was made in consultation with the U.S. State Department, the Secretary of Defense, and the government of Turkey.

Read more at CNN, USA Today, Reuters, Al Jazeera and Fox News.

A Brief Visit To Virginia Tech

As I had a year ago, after visiting family members during Easter weekend, I did some extra traveling before heading home.  This time, instead of going south into the Carolinas and Georgia, I went westward and northward, making a brief stop at my alma mater, Virginia Tech.  It had been a few years since I had visited the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia.  On the north side of a large open area called the Drill Field is a memorial to the students who were killed in April 2007, which includes 32 stones laid out in a semicircle, one for each victim.  Behind the memorial is Burruss Hall, the main administrative building, and a Blacksburg Transit bus.

Here's a closer look at part of the memorial, with Williams Hall in the background.

This is the eastern end of the semicircle of 32 stones, again with Burruss Hall behind it.

Flanking the 32 stones were two benches, of which this is one.  Each has the same inscription and purpose.

I wandered into an area called the Upper Quad, where I came across this memorial to VT alumni who fought in World War I, which was constructed after I graduated.  On the far side of the sidewalk is the old Mechanical Laboratory building.  When I was a student, there was a laundromat in its basement.  Behind and looming above the Laboratory is the steam power plant.  To the right is Thomas Hall, which was a dormitory during my student years, but later converted into an office building.

Before I left, I took one last picture.  This is the west end of the semicircle of 32 stones, with Burruss Hall in the background left and Patton Hall on the right.

Terrorist Kills At Least 65 In Pakistani Park

In Lahore, Pakistan, a suicide bomber set off his bomb near a children's playground in a popular park, where a large number of people had been enjoying the Easter holiday.  According to various reports, at least 65 people were killed and over 300 injured, mostly women and children.  The Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility.  A spokesman for the group has stated, "The targets were Christians."

Read more at DNA India, Russia Today, Reuters, The Guardian and the Daily Mail.

"March Against Fear" Called Off

In Belgium, a "March Against Fear", originally planned as a response to the recent terror attacks in Brussels, has been called off for two reported reasons.  The first reason has been reported by Yahoo News:

The organisers of a "March Against Fear" planned for Sunday to mark the Brussels terror attacks said they had cancelled the event after the authorities asked them to do so because of security fears.

Yes, you read that right.  The "March Against Fear" has been called off because of (drum roll, please) fear.

The other reason, as reported by Reuters and Sky News, is that the march would put a strain on the already-overworked police force.

Thursday Evening Links

Just a few things before I travel to Virginia for Easter weekend:

From The Times Of Israel, an AI program created by Microsoft interacts with humans, and as a result turns into a horrible bigot.

From FrontpageMag, how President Obama and others have left out some details when discussing the history of Islam.

From Fox News, a federal appeals court demands documents from the IRS concerning the alleged targeting of Tea Party groups.  (H/T Toni No Baloney)

From ABC News, Belgian police have arrested five people in relation to the terror attacks in Brussels.

From BNO News, French police have arrested a man suspected in an alleged terrorist plot.

From YNetNews, an UN human rights organization plans to compile a "blacklist of settlement businesses".

From Bloomberg Politics, Hillary Clinton (D-NY) speaks out against the "rhetoric" of Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Donald Trump (R-NY).

From the Mirror, ISIS uses footage of Donald Trump in a video.

From the Daily Mail, ISIS attacks an Iraqi village with mustard gas.

From the International Business Times, 2.5 million children in Afghanistan are out of school because of terrorism.

From the Altoona Mirror, Turkey puts journalists on trial.  (The AM cites the Associated Press as their source.)

From Yahoo News, Turkish warplanes strike Kurdish insurgent targets in Iraq.  (Yahoo cites Reuters as their source.)

From Breitbart's Big Government, a U.S. solicitor arguing the Little Sisters of the Poor case before the Supreme Court opines the government could force not just the Little Sisters, but the church itself to provide medical coverage that included abortion-related products.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asks, "What's that weird ingredient in my cocktail?"

Also from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a former student at Ole Miss faces up to a year in jail for placing a noose on a statue.

From Variety, comedian and actor Garry Shandling has died at age 66.

And from The Weekly Standard, the "crushing costs" of Obamacare are decried by.........Chelsea Clinton?

Man In Seattle Occupies Tree

I don't usually like to pilfer stuff from Hot Air, but this was too good to resist.  As Ed Morrissey reports:

Proving that it doesn’t take much to become both an Internet sensation and a traffic disturbance, a Seattle man has spent most of the last two days swaying in the breeze atop a tall sequoia. Efforts to get him out of the tree have proven futile, as have attempts to figure out what he’s doing up there in the first place.

I'm tempted to say that this guy has taken tree-hugging to new heights, but the tree in question is only about 80 feet tall, a juvenile by sequoia standards.  If you've ever been to Yosemite National Park, you know what I mean.  I'd say that there probably have been other climbers who have gone up and stayed in even taller trees.  But even so, I wouldn't want to be near this tree if the guy's bodily functions become urgent or if whatever he's using to keep himself up there experiences any technical difficulties.

Read more at CBS News, KIRO, The Seattle Times and Q13 Fox.  The first two links are via Hot Air.

Terrorists Attack In Brussels

In Brussels, Belgium, 34 people were killed and over 100 more wounded in three explosions, believed to be suicide attacks.  Two blasts were at Zaventem Airport, and the other was at the Maalbeek metro station.

Read more at City A.M., The Guardian, BBC News, The Telegraph and The Local FR.

Music Break

Here are some songs I've recently run across, which are not very well-known, and for the most part previously not well-known to yours truly.

The first number is Bang! by Humble Pie, from their debut album As Safe As Yesterday Is.  Although this is the studio version, the video includes some live footage of Steve Marriott (guitar, vocals), Peter Frampton (guitar), Greg Ridley (bass) and Jerry Shirley (drums).  According to Wiki, Marriott also played piano on this one.

Spring Is Here

The Vernal Equinox has arrived.  Here are some things going on, and other little tidbits:

In Florida, police deal with the rise of the "spice zombies".

Just before President Obama heads to Cuba, the CDC issues a travel warning.

Speaking of Cuba, the Cuban people have been warned to be on their best behavior for Obama's visit.

Speaking of Cuba, a book reveals the secret life of Fidel Castro.

Speaking of people connected to Cuba, Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a campaign rally in Utah.

Could there be a "chaos scenario" for the Democrats? (H/T Sue from New Mexico)

John Kasich (R-OH) says that the GOP should "thank" him for not dropping out.

A policeman talks about his experience at a Trump rally in Arizona.

Here are the 10 Senate seats "most likely to flip" this coming November.

The hunt for terrorists in Belgium ain't over yet.

Malaysia's sharia-compliant airline has been having some difficulties.

The Malaysian government will crack down on "liberal Muslims".

A Saudi VIP's phone is stolen - at a mosque.

Some people in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium don't approve of the arrest of terror suspect Salah Abdeslam.

Iran plans to give the U.S. some insult added to injury.

One man had become the major bone of contention in the Syrian peace talks.

A student at a Palestinian university gets expelled for a reason which many people will find ridiculous.

The NCAA women's swimming title goes to a repeat champion.

In stead of killing germs, the disinfectant known as Lysol was once used to kill a different type of cell.

We don't often fire our advertising spokesman, but when we do, we say "Adios".

Anti-Trump Protesters "Make America Late Again"

Protesters blocked a road in Arizona leading to Fountain Park, where presidential candidate Donald Trump (R-NY) had scheduled rally.  Various protesters parked their cars across the road, chained themselves to the thus-parked cars, and unfurled banners.  Three were arrested for blocking traffic.

Read more at CNN, AZ Central, ABC15 and the New York Daily News, whose first sentence is quoted in this post's title.

Belgian Police Capture Suspect In Paris Attacks

Salah Abdeslam, wanted in connection with the terror attacks in Paris last November, has been wounded and captured by Belgian police in a raid in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek.  He had been the world's (or at least Europe's) most wanted man.

In English, read more at Deredactie, Al Jazeera, Politico and the Daily Mail.

En français, lisez plus à Le Monde, Le Parisien et Le Soir.

Rubio Drops Out

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has suspended his campaign, after decisively losing to Donald Trump (R-NY) in the Florida primary.  In other words, he lost in his home state.  Meanwhile, Trump and his fellow New Yorker Hillary Clinton (D) continue to be the front-runners in their respective parties.

Read more at CBS Miami, Politico, Fox News, WAFF and the Los Angeles Times.

In related commentary, how the man once called "the Michael Jordan of American politics", as reported in National Review, "missed his shot".

Links For The Ides Of March

As the anniversary of the assassination Julius Caesar rolls around, here are some things going on today:

From Fox News, the wreck of a Portuguese ship sunk in 1503 has been found off the coast of Oman.  The pilot is thought to have been an uncle of the explorer Vasco da Gama.

From NBC Chicago, John Kasich (R-OH) and Bernie Sanders (D-VT) attempt to gain on Donald Trump (R-NY) and Hillary Clinton (R-NY)

From The Sean Hannity Show, Hillary Clinton appears to have some delusions about Libya.

From Zero Hedge, Donald Trump's support has risen above 50% for the first time.

From Click Orlando, polling places in Apopka, Florida are running out ballots.

From Real Clear Politics, Marco Rubio (R-FL) says that the results in Florida "won't alter" his campaign.

From Townhall, the left might just get Donald Trump nominated.  (Via Truth Revolt)

From The Washington Post, Donald Trump has "hit a critical threshold" in his campaign for the GOP nomination.

From Conservative Review, as Ohio governor, John Kasich put the interests of illegal aliens over those of his constituents.

From YNetNews, Britain's Secretary of State for Justice accuses the BDS movement of "using apartheid tactics".

From Warrior, the parents of a Marine killed in the crash of an MV-22B Osprey say that this type of aircraft is dangerous.

From FrontpageMag, Yes, Islam does indeed hate us.

From New Europe, two terrorists are killed in a police raid in Brussels, Belgium.

From National Review, the left doesn't have too much room to talk when it comes to "divisive rhetoric".

From The Cable, the Nigerian Senate rejects a bill which would give women equal rights in marriage.

From Herald Scotland, a mosque in Glasgow cancels Friday lunch.

From Wired, Apple wants all publishers to join its new newsreader Apple News.

And from Swimming World, 15 "weird swimmer facts".

American In Israel Finds Ancient Gold Coin

An American woman traveling in Israel became an accidental archaeologist.  From WKBW:

A WNY native hiking in Israel found a rare coin nearly 2,000 years old - so rare that it’s only the second of its kind known to exist.

Laurie Rimon now lives in Connecticut, but she went to Kenmore East High School. She was hiking in eastern Galilee near an archeological site when she saw something glinting in the grass. She picked it up and didn't realize at first she had found an ancient gold coin.

The coin is from Rome in the year 107 CE (107 AD) and bears the image of Emperor Augustus. It was part of a series of coins minted by Emperor Trajan that were dedicated to the Roman emperors who ruled before him.

Read the full story, and if you ever take a hike in a country whose history goes back a few thousand years, keep an eye out for ancient artifacts.

Maryland Police Officer Killed

In what has been described an "unprovoked attack", Prince George's County policeman Jacai Colson was shot and killed outside a police station in Landover, Maryland.  Colson was a four-year veteran of his county's police department.  He would have turned 29 this week.  Two suspects have been taken into custody.

Read more at NBC Washington, The Washington Times, CBS Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun and Fox News.

Terrorists Strike At Hotel In Ivory Coast

As many as 16 people, including four Europeans, were killed in a terror attack at the L'Étoile du Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast.  The six attackers were dressed in balaclavas and armed with AK-47's and grenades.  They were later killed by government troops.  Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility.  The hotel was expecting the arrival of an American delegation led by Assistant Secretary of Commerce Marcus Jadotte.

Read more at Africa News, The Guardian, Reuters, BBC News and the Daily Mail.

Car Bomb Kills 27 In Turkish Capitol

A car bomb went off in the Kizilay district of Ankara, Turkey, killing 27 people and wounding at least 75 others.  It was the second car bomb attack in less than a month.  No one had yet claimed responsibility, but the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) has been suspected.

Read more at Hurriyet Daily News, the Independent, Russia Today, Reuters and BBC News.

Keith Emerson 1944-2016

Progressive rock keyboardist Keith Emerson, who co-founded the group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, was found dead in his home in Santa Monica, California, reportedly with a single gunshot wound to his head.  His death is suspected to have been a suicide.

Keith Noel Emerson was born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, England and raised in Worthing, West Sussex.  In 1967, he and three others formed The Nice, originally as a backing band for soul singer P.P. Arnold, but would later set out on their own.  In 1970, he teamed up with Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar) and Carl Palmer (drums) to form a group which they named after themselves.  He also participated in movie soundtracks and recorded some solo work.

Read more at Billboard, Rolling Stone, Ultimate Classic Rock, Team Rock and the Independent.

Deer Lives Matter!

This story was picked up by The Blaze and OutdoorHub, but comes originally from MLive.  As reported by MLive:

Four dozen peace activists gathered Saturday afternoon in downtown Ann Arbor for a memorial rally honoring the lives of 63 deer recently killed by hired sharpshooters in the city's parks and nature areas.

The mood was somber, and hearts heavy.

"We are doing a public call to peace," said Ann Arbor resident Shunahsii Rose, memorial rally organizer and founder of In Sacred Balance.

"In a universal capacity, we're asking Ann Arbor to return to a path of peace, and this particular day we are offering a memorial to the deer that have been shot as a result of the Ann Arbor deer cull," she said. "People who are here are from many different spiritual traditions and different communities, and I felt like it was important to have an interfaith acknowledgement of the longing for peace in our city."

Let me see if I understand this.  We must "return" to peace because shooting deer is an act of war or something, even when done to prevent deer overpopulation.  Read the story at any or all of the above links.  As far as the "peace activists" are concerned, I say "Qu'ils mangent de la venaison!"

Stories From The Middle East

Some stories coming from the Middle East, or involving people from the Middle East:

From Fox News, U.S. special forces have captured ISIS's head of chemical weapons development.

From the Express, at a swimming pool in Austria, a migrant kidnaps a 4-year-old boy and then gropes his mother.

From the Daily Mail, Iran test-fires missiles inscribed with "Israel must be wiped out" in Hebrew.

Also from the Daily Mail, who list Reuters as their source, a Yazidi teenager who escaped from ISIS appeals for help for sex slaves held by ISIS.

From YNetNews, in a poll by the Pew Research Center, about half of Israeli Jews want to expel the Arabs living in Israel.

From Townhall, the State Department does not mention that the person who killed an American in Israel was a Palestinian.

From Palestinian Media Watch, the Palestinian Authority and Fatah have no problems acknowledging the killer's ethnic affiliation.

From the Mirror, ISIS forces a 12-year-old girl to execute five women.

From Multichannel News, the Jordanian company Jordan Media City improves their bandwidth efficiency.

And from The Star, a website created by two young Jordanians has become the most popular Arabic-language site in the world.

George Martin 1926-2016

George Martin, who signed the Beatles to EMI's Parlophone division and then produced most of their records, has died at age 90 at his home in Coleshill, England.  Martin also arranged the string and brass instruments heard in many Beatles songs, and contributed some keyboard parts.

George Henry Martin was born in the Highbury section of London.  He attended several elementary schools during his childhood, and then St. Ignatius' College (a secondary school) as a teen.  When World War II broke out, the school's students were evacuated to Welwyn Garden City, 19 miles north of London.  He served in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1947, after which he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying piano and oboe.  In 1950, he joined EMI, working for Parlophone's head Oscar Preuss and producing comedy and novelty records.  In 1962, after meeting with Beatles manager Brian Epstein and listening to a previously-recorded tape, Martin agreed to sign the group to Parlophone.

Besides the Beatles, Martin would eventually work with many other artists including Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers, America, Jeff Beck, Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), Neil Sadaka, Kenny Rogers, Cheap Trick, Elton John, Celine Dion and Little River Band.  He composed, produced and arranged the background music in several movies, such as A Hard Day's Night, Yellow Submarine, and Live and Let Die, for which he also produced the recording of Paul McCartney's title song.

George Martin was married to the former Sheena Chisholm, with whom he had two children, Alexis and Gregory, and was later married to the former Judy Lockhart-Smith, with whom he had two more children, Lucie and Giles.  He is survived by Lockhart-Smith and his four children.

Read more at The Guardian, the Daily Mail, BBC News, The Telegraph and Ultimate Classic Rock.

The Western Maryland Railway Museum

I recently passed through Union Bridge, Maryland and made a brief stop at a museum run by the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society.  The railway itself was in business from 1852 to 1983.  A section of it running westward from Cumberland, MD became the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  Another part near Hancock, MD was stripped of its tracks and converted into the Western Maryland Rail Trail.  There wasn't too much stuff outside, so I only took two photos.

These four cars, including a caboose, sit on a side track.  I included a bit of the main track to the left.

Two passenger baggage carts sit on the platform next to the museum building.  The above-shown caboose is in the background just behind the signal pole.

Israeli Stabbing Victim Fatally Stabs His Attacker

One Palestinian terrorist made a fatal mistake while attacking an Israeli Orthodox Jew.  He left the knife in his victim's body.  From The Times Of Israel:

An Israeli man who was stabbed multiple times Tuesday afternoon in a terror attack in Petah Tikva managed to remove the knife from his neck and use it to stab and neutralize his attacker, aided by the store owner, police said.

Read the full story.

UPDATE:  There's more on this story from the Daily Mail.

Two Conservative Videos

I ran across two interesting videos earlier today.  In the first, created by Prager U, former New York Times correspondent Judith Miller tells us what led to the invasion of Iraq.  According to her, there were plenty of mistakes, but no lies from then-President Bush.

Nancy Reagan 1921-2016

Nancy Reagan, the former actress and First Lady, has died of congestive heart failure at age 94, at her home in Los Angeles.  Her stepson Michael Reagan has stated in tribute, "She is once again with the man she loved."

Anne Frances Robbins has born on July 6, 1921 in New York City, the only child of car salesman Kenneth Seymour Robbins and his wife, actress Edith Luckett.  The couple separated soon after their daughter's birth and were divorced in 1928, after which Luckett sent Anne to Bethesda, Maryland to be raised by her sister Virginia and her husband Audley Gailbraith.  Luckett met and later married neurosurgeon Loyal Davis.  In 1935, Davis adopted Anne Robbins, whose name was changed to Nancy Davis.  She would later attend Girl's Latin School of Chicago and Smith College in Massachusetts, graduating from the latter in 1943.

After brief stints as a sales clerk and a nurse's aid, Davis pursued a career in acting, starting in 1945 in a stage production of Ramshackle Inn.  In 1949, she was signed to a seven-year contract by MGM.  That same year, after having dated actors such as Clark Gable, Robert Stack and Peter Lawford, she met Ronald Reagan.  They were married in 1952, and had two children, Patricia Ann Reagan (better known as Patti Davis), born in 1952, and Ronald Prescott Reagan, born in 1958.  Nancy Reagan also became stepmother to Maureen Reagan and Michael Reagan (who had been adopted), Ronald Reagan's children from his previous marriage to Jane Wyman.

Due to her husband's political success, Nancy Reagan became First Lady of California and later of the United States.  In the latter role, she became known for her anti-drug "Just Say No" campaign.  She was also known for being his "chief protector" and for having a large influence on his activities while in office.  She often sought advice from astrologer Joan Quigley, which led to friction with White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan, who would eventually resign.

After leaving the White House, the Reagans moved to the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, also spending time at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California.  She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 by President George W. Bush, with whom she disagreed over federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.  She made many appearances on behalf of her husband, whose health became progressively worse due to Alzheimer's disease, until he died in June of 2004.  She will be buried next to him at his Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, ABC News, NBC News and AOL.

Peyton Manning To Retire

NFL quarterback Peyton Manning has decided that he has had enough for one lifetime.  According to various reports, he will announce his retirement tomorrow.  He will reach his 40th birthday on March 24.

An alumnus of Tennessee, Manning played for the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2010, sat out 2011 with an injury, and then played for the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015.  He won five MVP awards and two Super Bowls, one for each NFL team for which he played.  Manning's brother Eli is also an NFL quarterback, as was their father Archie.

Read more at The Denver Post, Yahoo Sports, ESPN and CBS Sports.

Turkish Police Seize Turkey's Largest Newspaper

It looks like that "freedom of the press" thing which we Americans generally enjoy and take for granted isn't doing so well in Turkey.  Turkish police have seized the offices of Zaman and its English-language affiliate Today's Zaman, in the process firing the chief editor.  Police used tear gas and water cannons against people protesting their actions.  Zaman is Turkey's largest newspaper, and has been sympathetic toward Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a political foe of President Tayyip Erdogan.

Read more at Reuters, Russia Today, BBC News, Independent(dot)ie and Vice News.

March Fo(u)rth!

Years ago, I read an article about an actress who said that her favorite day of the year was March 4th, because it's a sentence.  That's not quite true, but it does indeed sound like a sentence.  Read the title of this post, and remove the "u" in the parentheses, and you get the sentence.  Keep the "u", and you get the date.  Either way, it sounds the same.  So here, then, are some news and opinion marching forth on March fourth:

From the New York Post, video purporting to show ISIS training child soldiers.

From CNBC, the jobs report from February was better than expected.

From The Daily Caller, hourly wages and export levels have dropped.

From National Review, Donald Trump (R-NY) isn't your SOB, he's just an SOB.

In Conservative Review, Daniel Horowitz writes that in a two-way primary contest, Cruz (R-TX) "would dismantle Trump".

From Fox News, The GOP candidates promise to support their party's nominee.

From WGN, seven takeaways from the 3/3 GOP debate.

From The Washington Times, the Norks rattle their sabers.

CNN asks, "Will U.S. deploy THAAD?"

From the Navy Times, the U.S. has sent a carrier group to confront China.

From Bloomberg Business, Rogers Holdings chairman Jim Rogers says that there will certainly be a recession next year.

From Albert Mohler's eponymous site, three audio clips, including one about how The New York Times first regarded Hitler.

From Tech Crunch, Apple's phones are doing very well in India.

From The Hill, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that Americans need to pay more attention to the world.  (Note to the PM:  Some of us do, sir, more than you appear to realize.)

From Twitchy, former Governor and presidential candidate Jim Webb (D-VA) states that he will not vote for Hillary Clinton (D-NY), resulting in flak from his left.

From American Thinker, Hillary Clinton and the "spoliation of evidence" issue.

From WUIS, after leaving the White House, the Obamas will stay in Washington.  (audio clip)

From FrontpageMag, "political correctness kills".

From Fox5, a construction worker demolishing O.J. Simpson's house reportedly found a buried knife.

And from the Daily Surge, if you consider yourself a treehugger, after you die, you can become one with a tree.

University Students' Murderer Pleads Guilty, Sentenced To Life

The man charged with murdering Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington in 2009 and University of Virginia Student Hannah Graham in 2014 has pleaded guilty to both murders, and has been given four consecutive life sentences.  He is already serving three life sentences for an abduction and attempted murder he committed in 2005 in Fairfax, Virginia.

Read more at The Roanoke Times, The Cavalier Daily, NBC Washington, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and WDBJ.

Super Tuesday Results

For the Republicans:

Donald Trump won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

Ted Cruz won Alaska, Oklahoma and Texas*.

Marco Rubio won Minnesota.

For the Democrats:

Hillary Clinton won Alabama, Arkansas**, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Bernie Sanders won Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Vermont*.

*indicates home state.  **indicates former home state.

Read the details at The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC and CNN.

Delta Force Captures ISIS Terrorist

From CNN:

U.S. Special Operations forces have captured their first suspected ISIS operative in Northern Iraq as part of a highly secretive targeting team led by the Army's elite Delta Force, CNN has learned.

The detainee is being interrogated by the U.S. and is expected to be turned over to Iraqi officials in the coming days, two U.S. officials confirmed. They provided details to CNN but asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, and they did not identify the location of the interrogation.

CNN calls him an "operative" and a "detainee", but I say he's a terrorist, just like every other ISIS member.  Read the full story.