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Scott Kelly broke new grounds by living in space for a year. He is a good role model because he was commited to what he trained hard for. His hard work and commitment showed what someone that cares about his country can do.

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Record-setting NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has handed in his spacesuit.

Kelly, who recently wrapped up an unprecedented yearlong mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and has spent more total time in space than any other American, officially retired from NASA today (April 1). The astronaut recently reflected on his spaceflight experiences and accomplishments in a video interview, which you can watch here.

"When we do things that are really hard, we can achieve great things - and that has worked as a great model for me," Kelly said in the interview, which was conducted March 25 during a trip to Russia to commemorate the one-year space mission with cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. (Kelly referred to fellow one-year crewmate Kornienko as his "brother from another mother," and said the pair will remain lifelong friends even if Kelly never gets back to Russia again.) [ One Year in Space: Epic Space Station Mission in Photos]

"#ThankYou, @NASA! It's been an incredible 20 years! #YearInSpace," Kelly, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996, wrote on Twitter March 31.

Though Kelly has now formally left NASA, his long association with the space agency will continue. Kelly is still being debriefed about the one-year mission, for example, and will continue to undergo tests so scientists can determine how long-duration spaceflight affected his body.

Kelly's identical twin brother Mark, a former NASA astronaut himself, is also still being tested; Mark stayed on the ground during Scott's ISS mission, and researchers are comparing the duo to identify any genetic changes that spaceflight induced in Scott.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who has spent more time in space than any other American, retired from the agency on April 1, 2016.

Credit: NASA

The one-year mission was not without its difficulties. Shortly after Kelly's arrival, two cargo ships failed to reach the orbiting complex. If one more resupply failure had occurred, the ISS crew might have had to start rationing food, according to a PBS documentary about Kelly and Kornienko's mission.

Kelly also battled minor issues with some of the scientific experiments he helped conduct. For example, the "Veggie" experiment, which grew the lettuce that Kelly ate in orbit in a historic first, faced some mold problems when zinnias were grown in a subsequent crop. With approval from the ground, Kelly took over caring for the zinnias and saved enough of them to see blooms in space a few weeks later.

All told, Kelly racked up a total of 520 days in orbit during four space missions - two space shuttle flights and two ISS missions. Kelly's first flight lifted off in 1999, and his last, the one-year mission, touched down last month.

Kelly's final spaceflight should help pave the way for crewed journeys to Mars, NASA officials have said.

"Going to Mars is a bunch of baby steps, and it started off with the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin," Kelly said in the video interview.

The one-year mission is "another one of those steps," he added. "I'm proud to be a small part of that."

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One-Year Astronaut Scott Kelly Retires from NASA (Video)

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Record-setting NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has handed in his spacesuit. Kelly, who recently wrapped up an unprecedented yearlong mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and has spent more total time in space than any other American, officially retired from NASA today (April 1).

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Much like David Bowie Alan Rickman has done a lot in the film industry. All of his hardwork has payed off because he will be remembered greatly. He has influenced my life because he worked har for what he wanted and made a name for himself.

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From the section Entertainment & Arts

Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has died at the age of 69, his family has said.

The star had been suffering from cancer, a statement said.

He became one of Britain's best-loved acting stars thanks to roles including Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling led the tributes, describing him as "a magnificent actor and a wonderful man".

She wrote on Twitter: "There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death."

She added: "My thoughts are with [Rickman's wife] Rima and the rest of Alan's family. We have all lost a great talent. They have lost part of their hearts."

Obituary: Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman: A life in pictures

Tributes to 'magnificent' actor

Emma Thompson, who appeared with Rickman in productions including Love Actually and was directed by him in The Winter Guest, said he was "the finest of actors and directors" and "the ultimate ally".

He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again
Emma Thompson

She wrote in a statement: "Alan was my friend and so this is hard to write because I have just kissed him goodbye.

"What I remember most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness.

"His capacity to fell you with a look or lift you with a word. The intransigence which made him the great artist he was - his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me, and the fact that he never spared me the view. I learned a lot from him."

She added: "He was, above all things, a rare and unique human being and we shall not see his like again."

Announcing his death on Thursday, a family statement said: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said Rickman was "undoubtedly one of the greatest actors I will ever work with".

He wrote on Google Plus: "Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career.

"Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man."

A man of such talent, wicked charm and stunning screen and stage presence
Stephen Fry

Sir Michael Gambon, who appeared with Alan Rickman in Harry Potter as well as on stage, told BBC Radio 4 he was "a great friend".

He added: "Everybody loved Alan. He was always happy and fun and creative and very, very funny. He had a great voice, he spoke wonderfully well.

"He was intelligent, he wrote plays, he directed a play. So he was a real man of the theatre and the stage and that's how I think of Alan."

Director Ang Lee, who cast Rickman opposite Kate Winslet in 1995's Sense and Sensibility, called him a "brilliant actor... a soulful actor... [and] a great human being."

Actor Richard E Grant wrote on Twitter: "Farewell my friend. Your kindness and generosity ever since we met in LA in 1987 and ever since is incalculable."

TV star and Bafta ceremony host Stephen Fry wrote: "What desperately sad news about Alan Rickman. A man of such talent, wicked charm and stunning screen and stage presence. He'll be sorely missed."

Actor David Morrissey also paid tribute. He said: "So sad to hear the news of Alan Rickman. A wonderful actor and lovely man. Tragic news."

The London-born star began his career in theatre, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company, before winning roles in TV dramas like Smiley's People and The Barchester Chronicles in the 1980s.

His performance as the manipulative seducer the Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses on Broadway in 1986 brought him the first of two Tony Award nominations.

It also brought him to the attention of Die Hard producer Joel Silver, who offered him his film debut as a result.

He went on to become best known for playing screen villains - including the Sheriff of Nottingham in 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, for which he won a Bafta award, and Judge Turpin opposite Johnny Depp in 2007's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

But he showed his gentler side in films like 1990's Truly Madly Deeply, in which he played Juliet Stevenson's ghost lover and which also earned him a Bafta nomination.

Further Bafta nominations came for his roles as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility and the calculating Irish politician Eamon de Valera in 1996's Michael Collins.

The following year, he won a Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or television film for the title role in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.

Other film credits ranged from Tim Robbins' 1992 political satire Bob Roberts to Richard Curtis's 2003 romantic comedy Love, Actually, 1999's sci-fi spoof Galaxy Quest and the voice of the Blue Caterpillar in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

He also moved behind the camera in 1997 directing Thompson and her mother, Phyllida Law, in The Winter Guest.

Two years ago, he also directed period saga A Little Chaos, in which he co-starred with Kate Winslet.

Meanwhile, he continued to be a major presence on the stage in London and New York.

Another Tony nomination came for Private Lives in 2002, in which he appeared opposite Lindsay Duncan on Broadway following a transfer from London.

He recently revealed he had married Rima Horton in secret last year. The couple had been together since he was just 19 and she was 18.

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Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and Die Hard actor, dies aged 69 - BBC News

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From the section Entertainment & Arts Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has died at the age of 69, his family has said. The star had been suffering from cancer, a statement said.

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Child Falls into Gorilla Pen: Parents or Zoo to Blame?

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Child Falls into Gorilla Pen: Parents or Zoo to Blame?

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While this is a recent story and many people are on different sides I think that both the zoo and parents are to blame. The animal didn't know what it was doing i think and also the cruelty that was said didn't seem to occur. Finally Gorillas are territorial creatures so there was a chance that it could've killed the child so the zoo made the right call to kill it.

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did cincinnati zoo really have to kill a rare gorilla? - cnn

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'We'd make the same decision,' zoo director says of gorilla shooting

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The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden stands by its decision to fatally shoot a gorilla to save a child. Not everyone agrees with it.

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Chris Rock's Grammy Speech: Truth About Hollywood

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Chris Rock's Grammy Speech: Truth About Hollywood

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When the comedian came out on stage and stared talking about racism in Hollywood many eyes were opened. He managed to have a serious message in the monologue but it was covered by jokes towards actors and movies. He didn't care what people said about the speech he just went with it and hoped to make an impact on white washing in Hollywood.

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Though host Chris Rock may have chosen to stay silent on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in the days leading up to the the 88th annual Academy Awards, he held nothing back on the Dolby stage on Sunday night.

In his opening monologue , Rock took aim at a slew of hot topics in Hollywood, including #AskHerMore, the lack of diversity among this year's nominees and the numerous Hollywood stars, such as Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith, who called for a boycott of the Oscars.

"Why this Oscars? It's the 88th Academy Awards, which means this whole 'no black nominees' thing has happened at least 71 other times," Rock said as he opened the show.

Read a transcription of Rock's opening speech here:
I counted at least 15 black people on that montage! Well I'm here at the Academy Awards. Otherwise known as the White People's Choice Awards. You realize, if they nominated host, I wouldn't even get this job! Y'all would be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now. But here's the crazy thing. This is the wildest, craziest Oscars to ever host because we got all this controversy - no black nominees. And people are like. "Chris, you should boycott! Chris, you should quit! You should quit." How come it's only unemployed people that tell you to quit something, you know? No one with a job ever tells you to quit. So I thought about quitting. I thought about it real hard, but I realized, "They're gonna have the Oscars anyway." They're not gonna cancel the Oscars because I quit! And the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart, OK? I don't need that! Kev, right there [points to Hart in audience]. Kev make movies fast! Every month! Porno stars don't make movies that fast. Now the things is, what are we protesting - the big question: Why this Oscars? Why this Oscars, you know? It's the 88th Academy Awards. Which means this whole "no black nominees" thing has happened at least 71 other times, OK? You gotta figure that it happened in the '50s, in the '60s - you know like one of those years Sidney [Poitier] didn't put out a movie. I'm sure there were no black nominees some of those years. Say '65, '62 or '63 - and black people did not protest! Why? Because we had real things to protest at the time. We had real things to protest. We were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer. When your grandmother's swinging from a tree, it's really hard to care about best documentary foreign short! But what happened this year? What happened? People went mad! Spike got mad. Sharpton got mad and Jada went mad, Will went mad. Everybody went mad! It's crazy! Jada went mad. Jada says she's not coming. Protesting. I'm like, "Ain't she on a TV show?" Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited! Oh, that's not an invitation I would turn down!
But I understand! I'm not hating. I understand you're mad. Jada's mad her man, Will, was not nominated for Concussion. I get it. [Impersonates Will Smith's character] "Tell the truth!" I get it! You get mad. Said "It's not fair that Will was this good and didn't get nominated!" You're right! It's also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West! OK?
This year at the Oscars things are going to be a little different! This year, in the In Memoriam package, it's just gonna be black people that were shot by the cops on their way to the movies! If you want black nominees every year, you need to just have black categories. That's what you need. You need to have black categories. You already do it with men and women. Think about it! There's no real reason for there to be a man and a woman category in acting! Come on! There's no reason! It's not track and field! You don't have to separate them! Robert De Niro's never said, "I better slow this acting down so Meryl Streep can catch up!" No! Not at all, man! If you want black people every year at the Oscars, just have black categories. Like: best black friend! And the winner for the 18th year in a row, is Wanda Sykes! "This is Wanda's 18th Black Oscar." Well here's the real question. The real question everybody wants to know in the world is: Is Hollywood racist? You know. You gotta go at that at the right way. Is it burning-cross racist? No. Is it "Fetch me some lemonade" racist? No! It's a different type of racist. Now I remember one night I was at a fundraiser for President Obama - lot of you were there. And you know it's me and all of Hollywood. And it's about four black people there. Me, uh let's see, Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons, Questlove - you know the usual suspects, right? And every black actor that wasn't working. Needless to say, Kev Hart was not there, OK? So at some point you get to take a picture with the president. And as they're setting up the picture, you get a little moment with the president. I'm like, "Mr. President, you see all these writers and producers and actors? They don't hire black people! And they're the nicest white people on Earth! They're liberals! Cheese!" That's right. Is Hollywood racist? You're damn right Hollywood's racist, but not the racist that you've grown accustomed to. Hollywood is sorority racist. It's like, "We like you Ronda, but your not a Kappa." That's how Hollywood is. Yes! Yes! I said it, all right?
But things are changing! Things are changing! Yeah we got a Black Rocky this year. Some people call it Creed, I call it "Black Rocky." And that's an unbelievable statement, cause Rocky takes place in a white world, where white athletes are as good as black athletes. Rocky 's a science fiction movie. There's things that happen in Star Wars that are more believable than things that happen in Rocky, OK?

But hey we're here to honor actors. We're here to honor film, you know. And there's a lot of snubs. But one of the biggest snubs no one's talking about: My favorite actor in the world is Paul Giamatti. Paul Giamatti I believe is the greatest actor in the world. Think about what Paul Giamatti has done the last couple of years. Last year he's in 12 years a Slave - hates black people! This year he's in Straight Outta Compton - loves black people! Last year he's whipping Lupita [Nyong'o]. This year he's crying at Eazy-E's funeral! Now that's range!
Another big thing tonight - somebody told me this - you're not allowed to ask women what they're wearing anymore. It's a whole thing: #AskHerMore. "You have to ask her more! You ask the men more!" Everything's not sexism, everything's not racism. They ask the men more because the men are all wearing the same outfits! Every guy in here is wearing the exact same thing! If George Clooney showed up with a lime green tux on, and a swan coming out of his ass, somebody would go, "Whatcha wearin', George!" Hey, welcome to the 88th Academy Awards!
Ben Affleck can't do that! What I'm trying to say is it's not about boycotting anything - it's just, we want opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors - that's it! You know. Not just once. Leo gets a great part every year. All you guys get great parts all the time. What about the black actors? Look at Jamie Foxx. Jamie Foxx is one of the best actors in the world, man. Jamie Foxx - he is! Jamie Foxx was so good in Ray that they went to hospital and unplugged the real Ray Charles. It's like "We don't need two of these!" Everything's not about race, man.

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Oscars: Read Chris Rock's Opening Monologue

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Though host Chris Rock may have chosen to stay silent on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in the days leading up to the the 88th annual Academy Awards, he held nothing back on the Dolby stage on Sunday night.

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David Bowies death has a big impact on many lives. His movies and songs made many people smile and feel good. He will be remembered as a legend who changed the bases of the music industry.

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It's the soundtrack of the deepest, darkest nights of the soul - from Bowie to Bauhaus, from Nine Inch Nails to Nick Cave, from post-punk and dance pop to blues and country.

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When Steve Harvey made a really big blunder during one off the biggest pageants we eventually forgot about it and learned to laugh at it. It showed me that its okay to make mistakes as long as there is no negative effects. Also we can understand humiliation and embarrassment like miss Columbia went through when the error was made.

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On stage at the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas on Sunday night, the two finalists clutched hands, waiting for the host to read out the name of the winner.

Announced as the winner, Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez Arévalo, stepped forward to deafening cheers from the crowd. Ensconced in the majesty of it all, the beauty queen smiled and waved a little Colombian flag.

For one shining moment, Miss Colombia was crowned Miss Universe.

Until the pageant's host, Steve Harvey, realized he had misread the cue card.

"I have to apologize," he said, as the crowd continued to whistle and cheer. Gutiérrez laughed, blissfully unaware of her impending misfortune.

Related: Crown slips as Miss Universe 2015 host names the wrong woman as winner

"The first runner-up is Colombia," Harvey announced, in a moment that will surely live in pageant infamy.

Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Philippines, looked around in disbelief as Miss USA, Olivia Jordan, grasped her arm as if to convince her that what was happening was real.

"Miss Universe 2015 is Philippines," the usually unflappable host declared.

With the music pulsing again, a still-astonished Wurtzbach awkwardly made her way to the front of the stage.

Harvey, a comedian and television host, apologized effusively for the blunder and showed the card to the cameras. "Horrible mistake, but the right thing," he said. "I can show it to you right here. The first runner-up is Colombia."

Wurtzbach swiftly took her place at the front next to Gutiérrez, who was still wearing the crown and Miss Universe sash. Miss Colombia then dipped slightly to allow last year's winner, Paulina Vega, also from Colombia, to remove the crown and place it on the true winner's head.

After the event, Gutiérrez graciously thanked her fans for their support.

"Everything happens for a reason, so I'm happy," Gutiérrez said, wiping away tears. "I'm happy for all what I did for [realizing] this dream."

- Miss Universe (@MissUniverse)
The road to the #MissUniverse crown is never easy. A message from Miss Universe 2015, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. https://t.co/GO7VBf45MW

With a mix of excitement and shock, Wurtzbach searched for the words to express what had just taken place on stage.

"It's a very, um, nontraditional crowning moment," said Wurtzbach, in an interview after the pageant. "Very 2015."

The organization apologized to the women, characterizing the mistake as a pitfall of live television.

"Unfortunately, a live telecast means that human error can come into play," the Miss Universe Organization said in a statement. "We witnessed that tonight when the wrong winner was initially announced. Our sincerest apologies to Miss Universe Colombia, and Miss Universe Philippines, their families and fans. We congratulate Miss Philippines as Miss Universe 2015."

- Miss Universe (@MissUniverse)pic.twitter.com/rg85IdU6Wa

Harvey, too, used Twitter to apologize to the two women, initially misspelling the names of their countries as "Philippians" and "Columbia".

In a corrected tweet, he wrote: "I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible."

He added: "Secondly, I'd like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake."

For many years, Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, owned a portion of the Miss Universe Organization. He recently sold his stake in the organization to the WME-IMG talent agency after falling out with the television partners who broadcast the organization's Miss America pageant. NBC severed business ties with Trump over offensive comments the Republican candidate made about Mexican immigrants during his presidential campaign.

On Monday morning, Trump used Twitter to gloat about what might have been had he still had a role in the pageant:

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Very sad what happened last night at the Miss Universe Pageant. I sold it 6 months ago for a record price. This would never have happened!

Asked during a morning talk show interview what he would have done differently, Trump said that that he would have allowed Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines to share the crown.

"I would make them a co-winner," Trump told NBC's Matt Lauer on Monday. "Because, you know, what happened to the girl, to Colombia, is devastating - go give it to her for a couple of minutes and then take it away ... You know, last year we had a young woman also from Colombia. The entire country, they took a vacation for about a week. The whole country was wild, so you can imagine what happened."

In a prelude to the disastrous Miss Universe 2015, Miss Puerto Rico, Destiny Vélez, was suspended indefinitely after posting a series of anti-Muslim messages on Twitter last week. The beauty queen's rant was in response to a tweet from political film-maker Michael Moore, who had encouraged people to join his campaign in solidarity with Muslims around the world.

Vélez's account has since been disabled, but screengrabs capturing the rant were widely shared. In one, Vélez wrote: "All what Muslims have done is provided oil & terrorize this country & many others."

Her messages sparked a fiery backlash on Twitter, and gave rise to the hashtag "#nonosrepresentas", which roughly translates to "you don't represent us".

"I apologize to the people I have offended with my words ... The last thing I wanted to do was to bully anyone," Vélez said in a statement released by the Miss Puerto Rico Organization. "Again, I apologize to anyone who felt offended with my words."

The Miss America Organization also distanced itself from Vélez, saying in a statement that it did "not agree with and does not in any way condone" the comments and is working with her to "resolve the issue".

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Steve Harvey's Miss Universe winner error will live in TV pageant infamy

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On stage at the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas on Sunday night, the two finalists clutched hands, waiting for the host to read out the name of the winner. Announced as the winner, Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez Arévalo, stepped forward to deafening cheers from the crowd.

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While the previous story took a step forward in acceptance these laws take a step back. We have put a man on the moon years ago and now we're worrying about bathrooms. All this is is discrimination. While different from when black people it shows almost the same effects.

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Also, a major player in North Carolina -- the state's public university system -- defied the governor and legislature and told the Justice Department on Monday it intends to act "in compliance with federal law" as it relates to House Bill 2, known as HB2.

The Justice Department seeks declaratory relief and threatens to curtail federal funding to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina.

With hundreds of millions of dollars in funding at stake, UNC System President Margaret Spellings said longstanding policy prohibits university personnel from discriminating on the basis of, among other things, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, announcing the U.S. legal action to reporters on Monday, cast the bathroom bill issue as the latest civil rights struggle of the era.

"It was not so very long ago that states, including North Carolina, had other signs above restrooms, water fountains, and on public accommodations, keeping people out based on a distinction without a difference. We've moved beyond those dark days," Lynch said.

The act bans people from using public bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological sex. Since its passage in March, North Carolina has become a national battleground on the issue of transgender rights. It has drawn a flurry of condemnation from civil liberties groups, LGBT advocates and major businesses. It has also won praise from groups like the Family Research Council.

After the law's passage, musicians Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, and the bands Pearl Jam and Boston canceled concerts in the state. Those cancellations have cost one major venue nearly $200,000 in ticket sales.

PayPal and Deutsche Bank have both canceled plans to expand into North Carolina.

The Justice Department said last week that "access to sex-segregated restrooms and other workplace facilities consistent with gender identity is a term, condition or privilege of employment. Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from their gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII," a section of the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination against workers on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion.

The federal government demanded the state "remedy" the act or risk being in violation of federal law.

Instead, North Carolina officials filed a lawsuit calling the Justice Department's position a "radical reinterpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act." Top state legislators, Phil Berger and Tim Moore, also filed a complaint against the Justice Department.

But Lynch on Monday said the legislature and governor put the state in "direct opposition to federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity. More to the point, they created state-sponsored discrimination against transgender individuals who simply seek to engage in the most private of functions in a place of safety and security, a right taken for granted by most of us."

After the federal government asked the state to certify by the end of the day Monday that it would not comply with or implement the bill's restriction on bathroom access, Lynch said the state requested an extension and that had been under "active consideration."

Instead, the governor and the state chose another course: a lawsuit.

"But instead of replying to our offer or providing a certification, this morning, the state of North Carolina and its governor chose to respond by suing the Department of Justice. As a result of their decisions, we are now moving forward," Lynch said.

The federal suit also says the state is in violation of Title IX, the Education Acts Amendment of 1972 that bans gender discrimination in education, and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act that outlaws discrimination on the basis of sex.

"This action is about a great deal more than bathrooms," Lynch said. "This is about the dignity and the respect that we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we as a people and as a country have enacted to protect them."

Lynch said there have been "discriminatory responses to historic moments of progress": the Jim Crow laws that followed the Emancipation Proclamation, the resistance to Brown V. Board of Education, and the "proliferation of state bans on same-sex unions that were intended to stifle any hope that gay and lesbian Americans might one day be afforded the right to marry."

"That right, of course, is now recognized as a guarantee embedded in our Constitution. And in the wake of that historic triumph, we have seen bill after bill in state after state taking aim at the LGBT community," she said.

She told transgender people that the Obama administration "will do everything we can to protect you going forward."

'Not a protected class'

McCrory's communications director Josh Ellis said after Lynch's remarks that the governor is "appropriately seeking legal certainty to a complex issue impacting employers and students throughout the country" but "in contrast, the attorney general is using divisive rhetoric to advance the Obama administration's strategy of making laws that bypass the constitutional authority of Congress and our courts."

The act puts in place a statewide policy that bans individuals from using public bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex and stops cities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances to protect gay and transgender identity. That power is reserved for the state under the new law.

North Carolina officials defend the act and said it doesn't violate federal law. The state also said the United States didn't give the state enough time to deal with the matter.

McCrory said Monday that he requested an additional two weeks to respond but was told he would be granted one week, and only if he issued a statement concurring with the Justice Department.

The lawsuit filed by the governor and Public Safety Secretary Frank Perry calls the demand that the state "remedy" the legislation by Monday or risk being in violation of federal law "a baseless and blatant overreach" and said it is making a "radical reinterpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act."

McCrory's argument also said the state of North Carolina hasn't been given enough time to respond and that the federal government is overstepping its authority.

In a Monday news conference, McCrory blamed the city of Charlotte for raising the issue of gender identity and public restrooms. The matter was not on the state's agenda, he said, until the city imposed a mandate that "caused major privacy concerns about males entering female facilities and females entering male facilities."

Because, he said, this is now a national issue -- and could affect every U.S. company with more than 15 employees -- McCrory called on Congress to revisit the anti-discrimination provisions under Titles VII and IX.

"Our nation is one nation, especially when it comes to fighting discrimination, which I wholeheartedly support," McCrory said.

North Carolina homes in on Title VII in its lawsuit, saying precedence is clear: "Transgender status is not a protected class under Title VII," and it cites a half-dozen cases that it says back its stance. Only Congress can change this, the lawsuit says.

Even if the state felt transgender individuals were afforded federal protection, the Justice Department demands overstep, the state suit says, because the law "allows accommodations based on special circumstances, including but not limited to transgender individuals."

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, McCrory said the federal government was trying to tell every government agency and company employing more than 15 people "that men should be allowed to use a women's locker room, restroom or shower facility."

He said later that the "new, complex and emotional issue" pitted privacy against equality.

The lawsuit emphasizes that no one is facing discrimination because the law applies equally to everyone.

"All state employees are required to use the bathroom and changing facilities assigned to a person of their same biological sex, regardless of gender identity, or transgender status," it says.

The lawsuit filed by Berger, North Carolina Senate president pro tempore and Moore, state House Speaker, reflected the views of many of the bill's supporters that people "expect to encounter only other people of the same biological sex" when they are in intimate setting such as public bathrooms.

It says the "ideological extremity -- and utter unworkability -- of the department's position on the issues in this case is astonishing."

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North Carolina Department of Public Safety

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U.S., North Carolina file lawsuits over bathroom bill in transgender rights fight

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Also, a major player in North Carolina -- the state's public university system -- defied the governor and legislature and told the Justice Department on Monday it intends to act "in compliance with federal law" as it relates to House Bill 2, known as HB2.

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This story was very positive in my life. By legalizing this it shows that we are growing to become a more accepting nation. It also shows that our minds are changing and that while there are still people who are against it many aren't.

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In the 5-4 ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority with the four liberal justices. Each of the four conservative justices wrote their own dissent.

Nearly 46 years to the day after a riot at New York's Stonewall Inn ushered in the modern gay rights movement, the decision could settle one of the major civil rights fights of this era. The language of Kennedy's opinion spoke eloquently of the most fundamental values of family, love and liberty.

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family," Kennedy wrote. "In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were."

'Equal dignity in the eyes of the law'

"Their hope," Kennedy wrote, "is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

Kennedy has written the opinion in significant gay rights cases and when he uttered the key sentence that same-sex couples should be able to exercise the right to marry in all states, people in the Court's public gallery broke into smiles and some wiped tears from their eyes.

In a dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia blasted the Court's "threat to American democracy."

"The substance of today's decree is not of immense personal importance to me," he wrote. "But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today's judicial Putsch."

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the decision had "nothing to do with the Constitution."

"If you are among the many Americans-of whatever sexual orientation-who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal," he wrote. "Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it."

The U.S. is now the 21st country to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, including territories. Married same-sex couples will now enjoy the same legal rights and benefits as married heterosexual couples nationwide and will be recognized on official documents such as birth and death certificates.

Hundreds of same-sex marriage supporters flooded the plaza and sidewalk in front of the Court to celebrate the ruling, proudly waving rainbow flags and banners with the Human Rights Campaign's equal sign, which have come to represent the gay rights movement. In an emotional moment, the supporters sang the National Anthem, clapping wildly after singing that the U.S. is "the land of the free."

After the ruling, President Barack Obama called Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the case, while he and his supporters celebrated the ruling outside the court.

Obama: 'Congratulations'

"I just wanted to say congratulations," Obama said as CNN broadcast his warm words to Obergefell over speakerphone. He added: "Your leadership on this has changed the country."

Speaking at the White House later in the morning, Obama said "Americans should be very proud," because small acts of courage "slowly made an entire country realize that love is love."

The decision affirmed growing public support in the U.S. for gay marriage, with about two-thirds of Americans now in favor. And it comes as gay rights groups have seen gay marriage bans fall rapidly in recent years, with the number of states allowing gay marriage swelling most recently to 37 -- that is, until this ruling.

There were two questions before the Court, the first asked whether states could ban same sex marriage, the second asked whether states had to recognize lawful marriages performed out of state.

The relevant cases were argued earlier this year. Attorney John Bursch, serving as Michigan's Special Assistant Attorney General, defended four states' bans on gay marriage before the Court, arguing that the case was not about how to define marriage, but rather about who gets to decide the question.

The case came before the Supreme Court after several lower courts overturned state bans on gay marriage. A federal appeals court had previously ruled in favor of the state bans, with Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals writing a majority opinion in line with the rationale that the issue should be decided through the political process, not the courts.

Fourteen couples and two widowers challenged the bans. Attorneys Mary Bonauto and Doug Hallward-Driemeier presented their case before the Court, arguing that the freedom to marry is a fundamental right for all people and should not be left to popular vote.

Three years after Obama first voiced his support for gay couples' right to marry, his administration supported the same sex couples at the Supreme Court.

"Gay and lesbian people are equal," Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. told the justices at the oral arguments earlier this year. "It is simply untenable -- untenable -- to suggest that they can be denied the right of equal participation in an institution of marriage, or that they can be required to wait until the majority decides that it is ready to treat gay and lesbian people as equals.

Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the case, married his spouse John Arthur in 2013 months before Arthur died.

The couple, who lived in Ohio, had to travel to Maryland aboard a medical jet to get married when Arthur became gravely ill. And when Arthur died, Obergefell began to fight to be recognized as Arthur's spouse on his death certificate.

The plaintiffs from Michigan are April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, two Detroit-area nurses who are also foster parents. They took to the courts after they took in four special-needs newborns who were either abandoned or surrendered at birth, but could not jointly adopt the children because Michigan's adoption code requires that couples be married to adopt.

Sgt. Ijpe Dekoe and Thomas Kostura became plaintiffs in the gay marriage case after they moved to Tennessee from New York.

The pair had married in New York in 2011, but Dekoe's position in the Army took the couple to Tennessee, which banned gay marriage and refused to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

Candidates running closer to the center, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, issued tightly-parsed language urging their colleagues to focus on protecting "religious freedom". And Ohio Gov. John Kasich urged Republicans to respect the ruling and ditch the matter altogether.

"In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side. It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate," Bush said in his statement.

But conservative firebrands, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, said that conservatives must stand and fight by seeking a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

"I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat," Huckabee said in a statement.

Democrats had no problem reacting, jumping fast on Twitter to express their universal elation.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was "proud" of the ruling and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley tweeted a photo of the family at the center of his state's efforts to legalize gay marriage.

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supreme court  rules states must allow same-sex marriage - cnnpolitics

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Supreme Court rules states must allow same-sex marriage - CNNPolitics

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In the 5-4 ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority with the four liberal justices. Each of the four conservative justices wrote their own dissent. Nearly 46 years to the day after a riot at New York's Stonewall Inn ushered in the modern gay rights movement, the decision could settle one of the major civil rights fights of this era.

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Hamilton: The story of Alexander Hamilton

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Hamilton: The story of Alexander Hamilton

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The new musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda influenced my life in a positive way. The musical is about the life story about founding father Alexander Hamilton. it may not seem interesting but what sets the play from others is that its hip-hop songs are in it. The show has a very diverse cast that holds many interesting topics. Finally it teaches us about history while still a massive form of entertainment.

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And you never doubt for a second that these eclectic words don't belong in proximity to one another. In mixing a broad range of references and rhythms in one percolating style, Mr. Miranda - who wrote the book, music and lyrics of "Hamilton," which was inspired by Ron Chernow's 2004 biography - does what rap artists have been doing for years. It's the immoderate language of youth, ravenous and ambitious, wanting to claim and initial everything in reach as their own.

Which turns out to be the perfect voice for expressing the thoughts and drives of the diverse immigrants in the American colonies who came together to forge their own contentious, contradictory nation. To quote from an oft-repeated phrase in this almost entirely sung-through show: "Hey, yo, I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry, and I am not throwing away my shot."

Those words are declaimed by Mr. Miranda as Hamilton, an impoverished orphan newly arrived in New York from St. Croix, but they might be tattooed on the consciousness of most of the characters in the play. These include Burr (the suavely brooding Leslie Odom Jr.), Hamilton's friend, rival and nemesis, who functions as a wondering, embittered narrator to his confrere's meteoric rise; Washington (Christopher Jackson); Jefferson (a delightfully dandyish Daveed Diggs, who doubles as Lafayette) and Madison (Okieriete Onaodowan).

They are each fully rendered individuals, as are the three women in Hamilton's life, blissfully embodied by Phillipa Soo (as his wife, Eliza); Renée Elise Goldsberry (as her sister, Angelica Schuyler); and Jasmine Cephas Jones (as Maria Reynolds, the adulterous lover who brings about Hamilton's fall from grace). The ballads that define the triangular relationship among Hamilton, Eliza and Angelica have a romantic urgency and ambivalence that had me in happy tears.

There's a breathless rush to those numbers. And nearly all of the score - directed and orchestrated with precise and infinite variety by Alex Lacamoire - is infused with the same sense of momentum, of a wave that you ride or drown in. And the gymnastic corps de ballet, choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, gives further, infectious life to that feeling of perpetual motion, of a speeding, unceasing course of human events. (The use of a revolving stage in a set has seldom seemed more apt; this world never stops spinning.)

Mr. Miranda's Hamilton, a propulsive mix of hubris and insecurity, may be the center of the show. But he is not its star. That would be history itself, that collision of time and character that molds the fates of nations and their inhabitants. You might even call history the evening's D.J., making sure there's always something to dance to.

Mr. Kail beautifully sustains this sense of collective lives in motion throughout. It feels right that while the numbers here have been scaled up and shined up for a big Broadway house (Mr. Odom's jivey "The Room Where It Happens," a wicked meditation on being a political outsider, is now a full-fledged showstopper), you never feel that any single performer is pushing for a breakout moment. Well, with one exception.

That's King George III (a delicious Jonathan Groff, who replaced Brian d'Arcy James during the run at the Public). He sings an entirely different tune as he observes, from across the Atlantic, that his colonial subjects are revolting, in all senses of the word. His is the voice of vintage Britpop, rendered in a leisurely, ironic, condescending vein to a distant population he regards as savages.

George is funny, fun company. But ultimately, it's not his story. "Hamilton" is, among other things, about who owns history, who gets to be in charge of the narrative. One of its greatest accomplishments is that it leaves no doubt that these scrappy, adrenaline-charged young folks, with their fast way with rhyme that gives order to chaos, have every right to be in charge of the story here.

In temperament, they're probably a lot closer to the real men who inspired this show than the stately figures of high school history books. Before they were founding fathers, these guys were rebellious sons, moving to a new, fierce, liberating beat that never seemed to let up. "Hamilton" makes us feel the unstoppable, urgent rhythm of a nation being born.

Credits Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda; Inspired By The Book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow; Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler; Directed by Thomas Kail

Cast Lin-Manuel Miranda, Javier Munoz (at certain performances), Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Rory O'Malley, Anthony Ramos, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Okieriete Onaodowan

This information was last updated:

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Review: 'Hamilton,' Young Rebels Changing History and Theater

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And you never doubt for a second that these eclectic words don't belong in proximity to one another. In mixing a broad range of references and rhythms in one percolating style, Mr. Miranda - who wrote the book, music and lyrics of "Hamilton," which was inspired by Ron Chernow's 2004 biography - does what rap artists have been doing for years.

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This influenced me in a negative way. It made me realize that there are people in this world that will stop at nothing to hurt others. Also it shows that even the kindest people who have done nothing wrong can be harmed.

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Story highlights

Three days after coordinated terrorist attacks killed 31 people and injured 300 more in Brussels, investigators are still searching for suspects.

ISIS claimed responsibility. Details are emerging about the men behind the attacks, their victims and the possibility that more plots could be in the works.

Here's what we know so far:

The attacks

Airport: At 7:58 a.m. local time Tuesday, two suicide bombers struck the departure lounge of Brussels Airport in Zaventem about 37 seconds apart, killing at least 10 people.

One blast took place outside the security checkpoints for ticketed passengers and near the airline check-in counters, according to an airline official briefed on the situation.

Belgian federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said Wednesday that a third bomb, which he described as the "heaviest," had been left at the airport by a suspect who left the scene.

He said it exploded "a few moments after the bomb squad arrived" because the explosives were unstable, but no one had been injured "thanks to the professionalism of the authorities at the scene."

Metro station: About an hour after the airport explosions, Khalid El Bakraoui,a Brussels-born 27-year-old, detonated a suicide bomb on the Brussels subway at the end of rush hour.

The bomber, whom Van Leeuw said was identified by his fingerprints, was in the second car of a train at the Maelbeek metro station.

Authorities also believe there was a second suspect in that bombing, a senior Belgian security source told CNN. But that person's whereabouts - or whether he was killed in the blast - is unknown.

The station is in the heart of the city, where European Union institutions are based, making it a symbolic target for terrorists. NATO is also headquartered in Brussels.

The suspects

Belgian authorities released an image of three suspects believed to have carried out the airport attack.

The man on the left is ISIS bomb-maker Najim Laachraoui,Belgium's federal prosecutor said Friday. A senior Belgian counterterrorism official told CNN that investigators believe Laachraoui was an ISIS bomb-maker.

Belgian investigators believe Laachraoui, recently identified as a suspect in November's Paris attacks, was killed at the Brussels Airport, multiple European officials told CNN.

The man in the middle is Ibrahim El Bakraoui, 29, Khalid's brother.

Authorities haven't identified the man on the right, but they say they're looking for him.

That man, Belgian authorities said, planted a bomb at the airport and left.

The man is believed to have been a guide, charged with ensuring the others carried out the attacks, according to Van Leeuw and experts.

Raids

A taxi driver who took the three suspects to the airport told investigators he picked them up at an address on Max Roos Street in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, prompting a raid there that uncovered 15 kilograms of the explosive TATP, chemicals, a suitcase with nails and screws, an ISIS flag and other equipment meant to make explosives, Van Leeuw said.

Police searched two other addresses on the street and found nothing, but then found a computer containing the will of Ibrahim El Bakraoui in a trash can on the street, Van Leeuw said. The statement said he was "in a rush," "not knowing what to do," "being actively sought everywhere" and "not feeling safe," the prosecutor said.

He said police had arrested two people - one in Schaerbeek, who was still being interrogated, and another who had been released after questioning.

Police raids have continued in the Brussels area, and one on Wednesday in Anderlecht resulted in the arrest of an individual whose identity has not yet been released.

Victims

The first victim to be identified was Adelma Marina Tapia Ruiz, 37, who was killed in the attack at the airport, according to Peruvian state news agency Andina.

Originally from Peru, Tapia Ruiz had lived in Belgium for six years and was at the airport with her husband and twin 4-year-old daughters waiting to board a plane when the bombs went off.

Belgian law student Leopold Hecht was killed at the metro station, his school, Universite Saint-Louis Bruxelles, said in a statement.

And Olivier Delespesse was killed in the metro explosion, said his employer, La Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, a government ministry serving Francophone Brussels and Wallonia.

A U.S. State Department spokeswoman confirmed Friday that two Americans were among the dead.

"We offer our sincere condolences to their family and friends. Out of respect for the families involved, we have no further comment at this time," Elizabeth Trudeau said in a statement. "We continue to coordinate with the Belgian authorities in order to account for U.S. citizens in the city. Our embassy staff is providing all possible emergency consular assistance to U.S. citizens. Privacy considerations prevent us from speaking about any specific case."

The backdrop

"The Belgians have been sitting on a ticking time bomb," one U.S. counterterrorism official said.

U.S. intelligence officials say they weren't surprised that Brussels was attacked, because of concerns about terror threats, particularly after recent raids and the arrest of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam last week in Brussels.

Belgium has been a focus for counterterrorism officials for years because of the large number of Belgian foreign fighters who have traveled to join ISIS and other terror groups in Syria and Iraq - more per capita than any other European Union country.

Many have been returning.

On March 18, after more than four months on the run, Abdeslam was captured after being wounded in a gunfight with police in the Brussels area of Molenbeek. Days later, Belgium and French authorities warned of more attacks.

Belgian officials raised the country's terror threat warning to its highest level: four. They lowered the alert level to three Thursday, meaning the threat is not imminent but remains serious, officials said. Belgium, according to the government's crisis center, is now facing "a serious, possible and likely threat."

Belgium: Europe's front line in the war on terror

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international relations and national security

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Here's what we know about the Brussels terror attacks | CNN

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Three days after coordinated terrorist attacks killed 31 people and injured 300 more in Brussels, investigators are still searching for suspects. ISIS claimed responsibility. Details are emerging about the men behind the attacks, their victims and the possibility that more plots could be in the works.