Dozen of school districts in Chicago and the Midwest canceled school on Wednesday due to brutal cold and dangerous wind chills. The National Weather Service says highs in northern Illinois will be from C4 to 2F with wind chills as low as 30. Communities around the state have opened warming shelters to help people in the subzero temperatures.
"The frigid temperatures and winds make a dangerous combination, and it is in the best interest of our students to cancel classes," said Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett in a press release.
The Chills
Temperatures in northern Illinois will fall to about C7 overnight, with wind chills of C25 or colder, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Bardou said. Wind chills are expected to be around C25. Central Illinois will get gradually colder during the day. Springfield's temperature will fall from about 3 in the morning to about C7 in the afternoon, with wind chills of C22 -- to C32. 
Keeping Warm
Bardou says people should stay indoors, if possible, and cover all exposed skin if they must go out. Frostbite can occur within minutes in the extreme cold. Experts are asking people to check on neighbors, especially the sick or elderly.
The Illinois State Police cautioned drivers to stock their vehicles with extra water, food, and warm clothing in case they get stranded.
Chicago Public Schools says it will continue to watch the weather forecast for the rest of the week. It will decide Wednesday on whether classes should be held on Thursday.
On January 6, the 114th Congress will convene in Washington, D. C. Republicans hold a majority in both the U. S. House of Representatives and the Senate. A total of 246 Republican seats in the House gives the party its largest majority since World War II. This congressional class will also hold a record number of women and minorities, making it the most diverse group in the nation's history.
A New Republican Party
The House will welcome a total of 58 freshmen, the nickname for a group of new arrivals to Congress. This includes 43 Republicans and 15 Democrats. While the majority of Republican seats have not changed, several new members hope to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the party. Republican-elect Carlos Curbelo from Florida is one of 10 Hispanic House members. He hopes to address immigration issues that have been previously resisted by the GOP. "Of course as a freshman our influence is limited, but we can work within our freshmen class to build support," Curbelo said. 
New lawmakers Elise Stefanik and Mia Love are also bringing change to the Republican Party. Stefanik, a 30-year-old New York Republican, is the youngest woman ever elected to the House. Love, from Utah, is the first black female Republican to hold a seat in Congress.
Stefanik and Love are among a record number of 104 women in Congress, equal to 20% of the total lawmakers. There will be a total of 84 women in the House and 20 women in the Senate. The new Congress includes a total of 96 racial minorities, or 18%.
The Year Ahead
Congress is kicking off a big year. With President Barack Obama's recent initiative to improve relations with Cuba, national security will be a major congressional issue in 2015. Other issues they hope to work on include health care, immigration, and environmental regulations. One of the new Senate's first votes of 2015 will be whether or not to approve the Keystone XL, a proposed extension of the oil pipeline that runs from Canada to Illinois and Texas. This vote will happen during a Senate Energy Committee hearing on Wednesday, January 6, the first day in session.
On January 20, President Barack Obama will make an important speech to Congress and the American people. In his State of the Union address, he will report on how well the country is doing and set goals for 2015.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
This is a question many young students ask themselves. And although the answer may not always be clear, one thing is for certain. In the technological age we live in, with computers, apps, gadgets and games rapidly developing, computer science may be an important skill for many jobs in the future.
The Code of the Future
Whether you want to be a doctor, teacher, or artist, many careers are beginning to incorporate computer science into their skillset. Every app, game, and computer program starts with a code. "Coding is the act of creating technology rather than just using it," says Hadi Partovi. He is a cofounder of the nonprofit site Code.org, which promotes participation in computer science.
To help students learn about coding, Code.org established Computer Science Education Week. Computer Science Education Week is designed to celebrate computer science, and give students the opportunity to explore coding in a fun way. Organizers say it gives students a chance to build a foundation that they can apply to a variety of pursuits in the future.
Held this year from December 8 to December 12, students in schools around the globe participated in the Hour of Code. During this week, they used various coding programs and games to complete challenges in computer science.
Inwood Early College for Health & Information Technologies, a school in New York City, worked with Microsoft's YouthSpark for Computer Science Education Week program. YouthSpark is an initiative created by Microsoft to encourage young students to use and develop their skills with technology, and learn how those skills can be applied to everyday life. "We are working to make computer science a requirement in schools," Microsoft citizenship director Donna Woodall told TFK.
According to the College Board and the Computer Science Teachers Association, only one out of 10 schools in the United States offers computer-science classes. Programs like YouthSpark and Code.org aim to change that so that more students have the opportunity to learn computer programming.
A Lesson For Everyone
To fully incorporate computer science into a school curriculum, educators are finding ways to show how coding can help inform other subjects, like English and Science. Many of the programs students participate in to learn coding use parts of speech as a system of coding. Students are challenged to arrange graphic blocks with different pieces of text to form logical sentences.
"[My computer science lesson] has to relate to something else I've already taught," says Inwood teacher Benroy Taylor. "Students need to know that computer science can help them with other subjects."
Students in Taylor's class agree. Olivia Douglas, 14, wants to be a pediatric cardiologist someday. She sees coding as a skill that can be applied to a career in health and medicine. "I'd like to develop an app that can help people monitor their heart at home if they are unable to get to a hospital," she says. Other students had similar answers, saying coding is teaching them ways to develop programs that suit their own personal interests.
Though Computer Science Education Week is over for this year, the program's developers hope it has sparked the beginning of an interest in computer science that students will continue to grow. Technology is everywhere around us," says Partovi. "Teaching kids how it works and how it impacts society is a foundational thing to learn in the 21st century."
At the end of each year, TIME magazine names a Person of the Year -- a person, or a group of people, who most influenced the events of the previous 12 months. Past recipients of the title include President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. For 2014, the Person of the Year (POY) is an exceptional group of people: The Ebola fighters.
What is Ebola?
Ebola made headlines throughout 2014. The virus has existed in parts of Africa for decades, but many Americans only became aware of it after a major outbreak in late 2013.
Ebola gets its name from the Ebola River, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the disease was first reported in 1976. Its early symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, but Ebola can worsen quickly and turn deadly.
The virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids -- such as blood, saliva, and sweat -- of infected people. West Africa is experiencing the most severe Ebola outbreak on record. It began in December 2013. As of December 6, this outbreak has resulted in more than 6,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Currently, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are the countries with the most Ebola cases.
The hardest-hit areas are trying extreme measures to contain the spread of Ebola. Sierra Leone ordered its 6 million residents to stay indoors for three days. During this lockdown, 30,000 health-care workers and volunteers went door to door to teach people about the disease, and to look for possible cases. Officials called the lockdown a success, but it was not a solution.
A Group of Heroes
The outbreak of Ebola tested the world's ability to respond to pandemic disease. It was a difficult task, but the group of doctors, nurses, and other responders who fought tirelessly to battle the virus proved themselves heroic and selfless in their mission. The Ebola fighters have put their own lives at risk. Some contracted the disease themselves, in their efforts to take care of sick patients and stop the virus from spreading. 
"If someone from America comes to help my people, and someone from Uganda," says Iris Martor, a Liberian nurse, "then why can't I?" Foday Gallah, an ambulance driver who survived infection, calls his immunity a holy gift. "I want to give my blood so a lot of people can be saved," he says. "I am going to fight Ebola with all of my might."
"The rest of the world can sleep at night because a group of men and women are willing to stand and fight," wrote TIME's Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs. "For tireless acts of courage and mercy, for buying the world time to boost its defenses, for risking, for persisting, for sacrificing and saving, the Ebola fighters are TIME's 2014 Person of the Year."
A second day of much-needed rain fell across dry California on Tuesday. The state has had a drought for nearly three years. While the latest storm brings more water to the parched state, it also brings possible new dangers, including flooding and mudslides in communities already damaged by wildfires.
Forecasters predicted scattered showers on Wednesday for Southern California, where the heaviest rains fell a day earlier. Inland areas east of Los Angeles were expected to see the strongest downpours. Flash flood watches were extended for wildfire burn areas.
In Camarillo Springs, gushing water and muddy debris began pouring from hillsides on Tuesday. About 75 homes were forced to evacuate. The order was lifted around 6 p. m., but authorities urged people to stay away voluntarily.
In Ventura County, large bulldozers moved rocks and debris from storm water channels. A mudslide that occurred in the same area on Halloween buried one home in mud 3 feet deep.
"It's coming down pretty good," said Ventura County Fire Captain Scott Dettorre. "We are in a heightened state of readiness."
Widespread Problems
On Tuesday, downtown Los Angeles saw its wettest December 2 on record with 1.15 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). More than 2 inches fell on Santa Barbara. Totals of around an inch set daily records in Oxnard and at airports in Los Angeles, Camarillo, Long Beach, Lancaster, and Palmdale.
In Northern California, nearly 1 1/2 inches fell on San Francisco. The city's cable cars had to be shut down. Cars and trucks were stuck in traffic jams and flights were delayed in cities around the state.
California's long drought has left the Sierra Nevada snowpack -- which counts for most of the state's water supply -- at just 24%of normal for this time of year. Los Angeles, like many communities, has had less than half of the usual rain in 2014.
More to Come
In Orange County, about 60 homes in rural Silverado Canyon were under a voluntary evacuation notice. The area burned over the summer and has been the site of previous mudslides. Residents worked together to evacuate large animals, and those who chose not to leave gathered in the tiny town's cafe to wait out the rain and keep warm.
"We have to take this seriously because we don't know what's going to happen," said longtime resident Connie Nelson. "We'll just deal with it as it comes. We take care of people up here."
The NWS said up to 6 inches of rain was possible in some areas by the time the storm ends on Thursday. But it would take many more similar storms to help California out of its drought.
School leaders from around the country gathered at the White House on November 19 for "ConnectEd to the Future," a conference about digital technology in education. ConnectEd is the Obama Administration's five-year plan to support the growth of digital learning in schools. This growth includes equipping America's schools with high-speed broadband internet.
Electronic Education
At the conference, President Barack Obama said the U. S. Department of Education is taking steps to help educators and school districts as they shift to digital learning. The department created new guidelines to help schools work to improve their technological infrastructure. The guidelines are also designed to help schools choose the right digital devices and establish policies and procedures for their proper use.
"We have to do more to offer our children a world class education," Obama told the crowd of school leaders. "We have to step up our game if we are going to make sure that every child in America can go as far as their dreams and talents will take them."
As part of the event, the president and Cecilia Munoz, the director of the Domestic Policy Council, spoke to kid reporters from TIME For Kids, Scholastic News, and other publications about the administration's education goals. 
According to Munoz, less than 40% of public schools in America have high-speed internet access in their classrooms. She said she believes that ConnectEd will make America a leader in using technology to educate students.
Munoz cited the Mooresville school district, in Mooresville, North Carolina as a success story. She noted that the district incorporates digital learning and connectivity starting in elementary school. Mooresville provides each student in grades 3 through 12 with a device, and uses a mostly digital curriculum. Munoz said test scores and graduation rates have gone up, and Mooresville now ranks third in test scores and second in graduation rates in the state.
A Big Pledge
At the end of the president's speech, 1,200 school superintendents attending the event signed the Future Ready District Pledge on their iPads. This pledge commits the education leaders to fostering a culture of learning through technology at their schools, and to supporting teachers and students in using technology.
"Every child deserves a shot at a world-class education," Obama added. "That's what makes our nation great."
President Barack Obama announced in a speech on Thursday, November 20, the specifics of a plan that will allow up to five million undocumented migrants, or people who entered the country illegally, to stay in the United States. Since he took office in 2008, immigration is an issue Obama has focused on for the country. Thursday's speech articulated his plans and hopes for fixing the American immigration system in a way he believes is fair and equal. "We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration," said Obama in his speech. "We need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears."
Call to Action
The president announced his plan in three parts. The first focuses on devoting more resources to border enforcement. This, Obama hopes, will help slow the amount of illegal entry into the country, and help speed up the return of those who do cross back over the U. S.-Mexico border.
Obama's second goal could have an economic impact. "I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed," he said. Immigrants who have been working illegally may now search for higher paying jobs, leading to a greater wage competition.
The third part of the plan called for fair and responsible action to deal with the estimated 11 million undocumented migrants that already live in the United States. Undocumented people who have been living in the United States for at least five years can avoid deportation for three years if they pay back taxes and pass a background check. "You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law," Obama said.
Commitment to Safety
Obama's plan was not delivered without opposition. House Speaker John Boehner is arguing that President Obama's moves to defer deportations will make illegal immigration worse. "The action by the president yesterday will only encourage more people to come here illegally and put their lives at risk," said Boehner.
The president made clear in his speech that, in addition to allowing immigrants to remain in the country after a certain amount of time, he would also focus on safety. His plan will also focus on deporting immigrants who recently crossed the border illegally, are suspected of gang activity, terrorism, or other threats to public safety.
Above all, Obama emphasized immigration as a shared commitment between all Americans. "My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants," he said. "We were strangers once, too."
No matter where you woke up this morning, you probably thought, it's too cold! You're right.
Jeff Masters is meteorology director at the online site Weather Underground. He says the low temperatures are normal for January, but not November. It's 15 degrees to 35 degrees below average over a big chunk of the country, thanks to some arctic air.
Temperatures fell to freezing or below in all 50 states early Wednesday morning, from the highest mountains of Hawaii to snow-covered Buffalo in New York.
A Severe Storm
Buffalo, New York, was hit hard with more than 6 feet of snow in some parts of the city. In response, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the western New York counties most impacted by the snow. The storm left residents stuck in their homes as officials tried to clear massive snow mounds before a second storm hits Wednesday night. Authorities say the storm is responsible for five deaths.
A 132-mile stretch of the state thruway in western New York remained closed as authorities try to rescue drivers stranded on a Buffalo-area section of the highway. Officials and state police did not provide information on how many people remained stranded.
Snow also fell in other Great Lake states, including northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; where up to two feet of snow blew ashore. Those areas will get a break today before late Wednesday into the morning Thursday.
What to Expect This Winter
The Farmers' Almanac has been published every year since 1818. It makes long-range weather predications and claims its predictions are accurate around 80% of the time. Those forecasts are based on a secret mathematical formula that considers factors like sunspots, tidal action, and the position of planets.
The 2014 prediction of a "C-O-L-D" winter was spot-on, given the polar vortex. The editors even correctly forecast that a snowstorm would hit at the same time the Super Bowl was taking place, in February. Fortunately, for the players and fans, the storm swept in the morning after the big game.
According to the 2015 edition of the Farmers' Almanac, this winter will be as bitterly cold and snowy as last winter. The guide predicts colder-than-normal and wetter-than-usual weather for three-quarters of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. "Shivery and shovelry are back," managing editor Sandi Duncan says. "We're calling for some frigid conditions, bitter conditions."
But, don't get ready to build a snowman just yet. Normal November temperatures are expected to return by Friday for much of the nation.
The nation celebrates Veterans Day on November 11 to honor all who have served in the military for the United States. Across America, various parades and ceremonies are held to celebrate the loyal services of our country's armed forces. Some schools will have special events, too. What will your classroom do to celebrate Veterans Day?
History of the Holiday
At 11:00 A. M. on November 11, 1918, World War I was officially declared over. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson set aside November 11, 1919 as Armistice Day in the United States. Armistice is a term used to describe a formal agreement or truce. Wilson's intention was to create a lasting peace after the war by remembering and honoring the sacrifices the military made during World War I.
Congress declared November 11 a national holiday in 1938. After a town in Kansas organized a local Veterans Day Parade, a Kansas representative proposed to change the holiday's title. President Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954.
Showing Appreciation
Today, federal celebrations of the holiday remain close to its origins. The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery, in Washington D. C. The ceremony begins at 11:00 a. m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a monument dedicated to military members who died in service and were unable to be identified. A parade of colors by veterans' organizations follows the ceremony, with remarks from the President and other government officials.
To help show veterans how much they appreciate their service and sacrifice, some schools are participating in a program called Take a Vet to School Day. An organization called Got Your 6 and TV channel HISTORY have teamed up for this initiative to connect veterans of all ages with students across the country. The program provides resources to teachers and students to gain a better understanding of our nation's history through a veteran's experiences.
Across the United States, voters went to the polls on Election Day and decided to give one party control of Congress. In January, the Republicans will have a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Republicans have controlled the House since 2011. Votes are still being counted in some races, but the Republicans gained at least 13 seats, which puts them on track to reach 246. That number of seats would give the party its biggest majority since World War II. All 435 members of the House serve two-year terms.
"We are humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us," said Representative John Boehner of Ohio. "But this is not a time for celebration. It's time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country." Boehner is expected to remain in the powerful position of Speaker of the House.
A Senate Majority
The key victory for the Republicans was in the Senate. The Democrats have controlled it since 2007. Republicans won a majority after gaining at least seven seats, bringing them to no less than 52 out of 100. Senators serve six-year terms.
In one of the most-watched races in the country, voters in Iowa elected Republican Joni Ernst, making her the state's first female senator. "We're taking the Iowa way all the way to Washington," Ernst told supporters.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will most likely become the Senate Majority Leader. In an interview with TIME, McConnell said his party's top priority is "to do everything we can to get America back to work."
Votes are still being counted in Alaska and Virginia. In Louisiana, the election was too close to call. The state will have a runoff on December 6 between Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and her Republican challenger, Representative Bill Cassidy.
Races for Governor
Republicans also did well in the gubernatorial races. Their candidates won the top job in states such as Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois, which often favor Democrats. The Republicans also held onto states including Kansas, Florida, and Wisconsin.
For Democrats, one bright spot was Pennsylvania, where Democrat Tom Wolf defeated Republican Governor Tom Corbett.
The Voters' Message
Surveys of voters showed that many think the country is headed in the wrong direction. They are unhappy with the state of the economy, and they disapprove of President Barack Obama's job performance. However, the surveys also show that both parties are viewed unfavorably by a majority of midterm voters.
Will a Republican-controlled Congress be able to work with President Obama, a Democrat? "We're going to sit down and talk to him," says McConnell, "and see what we might be able to agree upon."
The day after the election, President Obama spoke to reporters about the Republican victory, and the changes to come in Congress. "The American people sent a message," he said. "They want us to get the job done.... I'm eager to work with the new Congress to make the next two years as productive as possible."
Whipping winds and chilly temperatures tested New York City Marathon runners on Sunday. Despite the tough conditions, an estimated 50,000 people completed the 26.2-mile course. They wound their way from the starting line in Staten Island through Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx toward the finish line in Manhattan's Central Park.
Wilson Kipsang from Kenya won the marathon in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 59 seconds. Because of the wind, his time was the slowest winning time in New York since 1995. It was more than seven and a half minutes off the world record he set just over a year ago in Berlin. The runners adjusted carefully to 30 mph winds by sticking to a slow pace at the start. "It was very tactical," Kipsang said. "So it was not easy."
Mary Keitany, also from Kenya, won the women's title with a final time of 2:25:07. In her previous NYC Marathon, Keitany took an early lead but this year she held back. She and Kenya's Jemima Sumgong entered Central Park side by side, and Sumgong appeared to be pulling away with just over a mile left. But Keitany had one last burst left and won by 3 seconds. It was the tightest finish in the history of the women's race. "In the closing miles, my target was to win," Sumgong said, "but it was Mary's day."
An Honored Tradition
The New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world's biggest and most popular marathon. Sunday was the 44th edition of the NYC Marathon. The race had its millionth finisher in history.
Meb Keflezighi won first place for American Men with a final time of 2:13:18. Desiree Linden won first place for American Women with 2:28:11. It was so windy that the wheelchair race started at the 3-mile mark because it was too dangerous to roll across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Kurt Fearnley won the Wheelchair Division with a time of 1:30:55. Alfredo De Los Santos won the Handcycle Category in 1:17:28.
Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia took ninth in the women's race after finishing as the runner-up at the last two NYC Marathons. She was seeking to become the first New Yorker to win the race in 40 years.
Winning Big
Keitany and Kipsang each earned $100,000 for winning the Men and Women's marathon title. Kipsang also clinched the $500,000 World Marathon Majors bonus with the victory.
At the end of the race, Kipsang decided it was a good time for his finishing kick. He had been saving his energy exactly for this moment. "I really trusted myself," he said.
Kipsang wound up beating Lelisa Desisa by 7 seconds.
Keitany, a two-time London Marathon champ, hadn't run a 26.2-mile race since 2012 because of the birth of her second child. "I worked hard for this opportunity," she said. "I'm happy because I have a victory today."
When Bill de Blasio ran for New York City mayor last year, he promised to end a controversial, citywide cell-phone ban in public schools, which is not equally enforced in all schools. Now, under his leadership, the city is preparing to end the ban. It will be replaced by a policy that allows phones inside schools but tells students to keep them packed away during class. That brings New York in line with the rules at other large school districts, such as Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Mayor de Blasio admitted to reporters recently that, in spite of the ban, his son, Dante, brings a mobile phone to his high school in Brooklyn, New York. "I think it is, for parents, very, very important to know how to reach their kids," de Blasio said.
Many schools like the one Dante goes to have a rule about enforcing the ban that says, "If we don't see it, we don't know about it." That means teachers are OK with students bringing in cell phones, as long as they stay out of sight and inside bags and pockets.
But at the 88 city schools with metal detectors, the ban has been strictly enforced. The detectors were installed to keep weapons out of schools, but the scanners can also detect cell phones. So students at these schools must leave their phones at home or pay someone to store it for them.
The End of a Ban -- and an Industry
The ban was put into place in 2007 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ending the ban will also likely end an industry that has sprung up near dozens of the schools that enforce the ban. Workers in vans that resemble food trucks store teens' cell phones and other devices for a dollar a day. Local bodegas and other businesses also offer similar services.
For students paying to store their phones, the costs add up. They can't wait for the ban to end. Adam Scully, 16, stores his phone at a Pure Loyalty Electronic Device Storage van parked near Washington Irving High School in Manhattan. "This costs a dollar every day and it's a pain to get in that line just so I can get my phone back so I can go home," Adam told the Associated Press. Adam says he chooses to store his phone rather than leave it at home in case his mom needs to contact him before or after school.
Critics of the ban say cell phones are important safety devices for kids during an emergency. They also say that enforcement of the ban is uneven and discriminatory. Where the ban is enforced, it puts a disadvantage on students who can't afford to pay to store their phones.
Before putting an official end to the cell-phone ban, city education officials are working on creating a new policy. It will include rules about not using the phones during class or to cheat on tests.
The phone-storage operators, who saw a need and created an industry to solve it, say they know their days are numbered. "There'll be a lot of people who will not be working. That's never a good thing," said David Perez, a Pure Loyalty employee.
Another van operator, who wouldn't give his name, says, "It's going to put me out of business, but what can I do?"
Dangerous situations called for dramatic rescues on Tuesday when torrential rainstorms hit Phoenix, Arizona, and the surrounding areas. The storm dumped several inches of rain in a short period of time. The National Weather Service reported the rainfall was more than the area had all last summer.
The Stormy State
Monsoon season in Arizona runs roughly from June to September, bringing with it powerful storms with heavy rain and whipping winds. The severe rainstorms form when winds shift and moisture produces radical changes in the weather.
Because the desert around Phoenix experiences little rain most of the year, the water had nowhere to go when severe rain started hitting the area on Tuesday.
"With so much rain falling so quickly, the water doesn't have a chance to soak into the hard-packed rocky soil," said meteorologist Gary Woodall of the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a flash flood warning for Phoenix and much of the surrounding areas on Tuesday, and residents watched as muddy waters flooded the area. 
"It's crazy. You'd think, how could the desert flood, but it really does," said Kathy Mascaro, a Phoenix area resident. "I've been here over 20 years and it has never flooded this bad."
Up to 8 inches of rain fell by midday in some of the mountainous regions along the main north-south freeway in Arizona. The town of New River, located outside of Phoenix, got hit with nearly 5 inches of rain from the storm. Places were flooding fast, and people tried to avoid the dangers that followed.
Evacuation Efforts
First responders replied throughout the day to emergency calls about the flooding of roads, buildings, and homes. "We've got units jumping from one car to the next to the next," Phoenix Fire Capt. Benjamin Santillan said.
A helicopter crew rescued two women and three dogs from a home outside of Phoenix that had been surrounded by swift-moving water. Motorists who were partially submerged in vehicles were pulled out and rescued by firefighters. Schools and parks were evacuated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety to eliminate potentially dangerous situations.
Despite the devastating water damage, there have been no reported deaths or major injuries. Sporadic storms were expected to continue across the Phoenix area for the next few days, according to the weather service.
Imagine being told not to drink, shower, or brush your teeth with tap water. That's what happened to residents of Toledo, Ohio, and parts of Michigan over the weekend after tap water coming from Lake Erie was found to be unsafe. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected.
The water ban began on Saturday. As a temporary solution, bottled water was trucked into the area and the Ohio National Guard was purifying water for residents. But by Monday morning, the ban had been lifted.
"Our water is safe," said Toledo mayor D. Michael Collins. "Families can return to normal life." To reassure people, he took a sip from a glass of the city's tap water.
Water Worries
Toledo is Ohio's fourth-largest city. News about the water ban came after tests at one water-treatment plant showed high levels of the toxin microcystin. Algae cause the toxin. Following the warning, Ohio Governor John Kasich declared a state of emergency.
Drinking the contaminated water could cause vomiting, cramps, and rashes, residents were told. Health officials said that children and those with weak immune systems should not shower or bathe in the water.
To try to solve the problem, city officials added carbon and chlorine to the water. Test results on Sunday showed that the toxins had probably reached a safe level, but Mayor Collins said two tests had come back "too close for comfort." It wasn't until Monday that the mayor announced that six new water samples had come back clean and safe to drink.
Planning for the Future
Tap water accounts for two-thirds of the drinking water consumed in homes across the U. S., according to a study released by the U. S. Department of Agriculture three years ago. Officials test the quality of the water to make sure it is healthy for people to drink.
During the emergency in Ohio and Michigan this weekend, officials began to talk about how to stop pollutants from fouling Lake Erie. The lake supplies drinking water for 11 million people, and the toxins that contaminated the region's drinking water didn't just suddenly appear.
Toledo mayor D. Michael Collins said that, going forward, scientists and political leaders need to come together and figure out how to address the algae problem in Lake Erie.
"It didn't get here overnight, and we're not getting out of this overnight," Collins said.
For now, though, it looks like the worst is over. By Monday morning, no serious illnesses had been reported as a result of the contaminated water.
Twenty high-school girls sit hunched in front of laptops around a table at AT&T's office in New York City. Riya Satara, 17, types a series of ones and zeros to adjust a paddleball game she's designing. She's trying to make the ball follow a certain path. It's her first week learning to codeCwriting the instructions that tell a computer what to do.
Satara is attending summer camp with Girls Who Code. The national nonprofit encourages girls to enter the tech industry. This camp is just one of a half-dozen similar programs around the country offering coding classes for girls like Satara who have shied away from the subject. Many of the programs are supported by tech giants like Google.
"I can stand on a stage in front of 700 kids," says Satara. "But I was too scared to take a computer-science class where I would have been the only girl in a room of 19 guys."
Changing that mind-set is a national challenge. By 2020, there will be 1.4 million computing jobs, and not enough qualified graduates to fill them. That's why programs like Girls Who Code are trying to bring women into the industry. Today, only 12% of computer-science degrees go to women.
Girls Welcome
Girls Who Code started in 2012 with 20 girls in one classroom. Today, the program graduates 3,000 girls from clubs and camps across the country. Founder Reshma Saujani says 95% of graduates want to major in computer science in college.
Educators are trying to understand how to engage girls in computer science early. Some universities are now modeling their classes after those designed by Girls Who Code, which stresses the importance of solving real-world problems. The idea is that girls are interested in helping their communities. The program also assigns group projects because research shows that girls flourish when they work as a team.
But gender balance won't likely be reached until coding becomes a part of the school day. Currently 9 out of 10 schools in the U. S. don't offer computer science. The nonprofit Code.org aims to change that by offering coding classes as early as elementary school. China, Vietnam and Britain already offer such classes.
There's an App for That
Some developers aren't waiting for U. S. schools to catch up. The app Hopscotch teaches children as young as 8 how to build their own games with code. Hopscotch founder Jocelyn Leavitt says her male friends taught themselves programming when they were kids. They played sportsor war-themed video games and then re-created them.
"We wanted to tap into that desire to create something but make it more accessible to both boys and girls," she says.
So far it's a hit. More than 1.5 million projects have been coded with Hopscotch in the past year, about half by girls.
Riya Satara says if she'd learned coding earlier, she wouldn't have thought it was just for boys. Now she wants to spread her enthusiasm for tech by starting a Girls Who Code club at her school. And she's finally enrolling in a computer-science class.
Powerful storms and tornadoes have ripped through many parts of the U. S. in the recent days. In Tennessee, high winds, lightening, and heavy thunderstorms destroyed at least 10 homes and knocked down several power lines and trees on Sunday. There were no immediate deaths or injuries, authorities said.
On Monday, powerful storms blew through Massachusetts, causing extensive damage in the coastal city of Revere. The storms destroyed homes, and knocked out power for thousands of people. There were also no reports of immediate injuries.
A Stormy Season
It has been a very stormy week in many parts of the U. S.
On Thursday, two people in Cape Charles, Virginia were killed from a tornado that ripped through their campsite without warning. At least 20 others were injured. "It came in real quick," Easterville volunteer firefighter Brittney Eder told the AP, "The sky turned jet black."
On Sunday, some areas of Kentucky were hit with softball-sized hail. Hail was also reported in Michigan, and thousands in that state lost power following severe thunderstorms. There have been flooding and high winds in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In Connecticut, a small tornado touched down in the town of Wolcott on Sunday. There was extensive storm damage in other parts of the state as well.
Stormy Signals
Tornadoes are nature's most powerful storms. They can produce winds of up to 300 miles per hour, and often form suddenly. Typically, more than 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States each year. The National Weather Service has already recorded more than 185 twisters for 2014.
Tornadoes often form during giant storms called supercells. Inside a supercell, a spinning wind mass, called a mesocyclone, forms when warm air rises through cooler air that is blowing in a different direction. Tornadoes form out of mesocyclones -- but not every mesocyclone creates a tornado. Many tornadoes are black or brown from the dirt and dust they suck up through the vortex, or center.
Tips on Safety
The National Weather Service has issued these tips to help people prepare for a tornado:
Have a supply kit and action plan ready
Pay attention to weather forecasts
Take action when warnings are issued
In a tornado, go to a basement or the innermost room on the lowest level of a building
In a thunderstorm, go inside a building or car
Lakes have run dry, lawns have turned brown, and farmers have left land unplanted. The problems are a result of an extreme drought that has taken over nearly 80% of California. It is the state's worst drought in nearly 40 years. The conditions have led to wildfires and damage to animals' habitats. But too many residents are still not taking their state's drought seriously. 
Water regulators decided Tuesday to fine California residents up to $500 a day if they are seen wasting water. The fines will apply only to wasteful outdoor water use, such as washing a vehicle with excess water or hosing down sidewalks and driveways.
"Outdoor water waste is unacceptable in a time of drought," Felicia Marcus told TIME. She heads the State Water Resources Control Board. "We don't know when it's going to rain again... this is a dramatic action, but these are dramatic times."
Three Years and Counting
California has had a drought for three years. In January of this year, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. Residents were told that if it doesn't rain this winter, conditions in the state could get worse. Some farmers could see their wells run dry next year and communities could run out of drinking water. Yet too many California residents are not heeding the warnings. Water consumption in the state actually rose by 1% in May, according to a report from the board.
The board estimates that the new rules about water usage could save enough water to supply more than 3.5 million people for a year. Cities are free to decide how they will fine residents. Repeat violators could face the full $500-a-day fine. Others might receive warnings or smaller fines. The regulations will go into effect in early August. 
Marcus says the rules will send a message about how serious the situation is. "We were hoping for more voluntary conservation," she says. "We hope this will get people's attention."
California is not the only state affected by the drought. States in the southwestern part of the U. S. are seeing problems too. Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Nevada, has reached its lowest level since the 1930s. When the lake is full, it is about 1,296 feet above sea level. On Tuesday, the lake was about 1,082 feet above sea level, and the reservoir was about 39% full, according to Rose Davis. She is a spokeswoman for the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, a water-management agency, in Boulder City, Nevada.
"We projected this was coming," says Davis. "We are basically where we expected to be, given the dry winters in 2012 and 2013."
Las Vegas depends on Lake Meade for drinking water for its 2 million residents and 40 million tourists each year. If the lake drops 7 feet more, Nevada and Arizona could face cuts in their water delivery. But Davis does not expect that to happen. The bureau predicts there will be a small increase in the water level by January 2015.
Backyard barbecues. Boisterous parades. Bright, colorful firework displays. The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is anything but your average holiday.
A Historic Event
One of the most celebrated events in the United States, the Fourth marks the day that the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The written statement declared that the 13 North American colonies intended to separate from Britain. Penned by a committee headed by Thomas Jefferson, it signaled a break in colonial ties with Britain. Although representatives did not sign the declaration until August 1776, the Fourth of July stands as the official day to celebrate our nation's independence.
Until the declaration was signed, America was a part of the British Empire. But as the colonies grew, Americans felt that the British government was treating them unfairly. They felt that they were paying too much in taxes to Britain and thought the colonies should have a say in how things were governed.
By June 1776, Americans were tired of trying to work out an agreement with Britain. They were also tired of being told what to do, so they decided to write the Declaration of Independence.
The First Celebration
On July 8, 1776, the first celebration took place in Philadelphia. On that day, the declaration was read aloud, city bells rang, and bands played. That summer, many towns marked the historic event with a mock funeral for the King of England. This symbolized the death of the monarchy and ushered in the days of liberty. Hundreds of years later, the national holiday remains important, as a day to pay tribute to the United States of America -- its laws, heritage, history, and people.
A Patriotic Tradition
Many communities hold colorful parades complete with marching bands and patriotic speeches. Citizens hang American flags from their homes, and buildings are decorated in red, white, and blue. At night, booming firework displays, usually ending with a spectacular finale, can be seen at various parks and fairgrounds. Two of the biggest firework shows take place in Washington, D. C., on the National Mall, and in New York City, on the East River.
Want to show your U. S. pride this Fourth of July? It's easy! First, put on your favorite red, white, and blue clothes. Next, ask your mom or dad to hang the flag outside your apartment or house, or line the driveway with mini flags. Then, find a holiday parade or festival in your neighborhood. And don't forget to map out a good spot in the park (or even in front of the TV) to watch those dazzling fireworks!
In the last eight years, millions of honeybees have disappeared. Now, the U. S.government is stepping in to help fight this problem. Last Friday, President Barack Obama announced the start of the Pollinator Health Task Force. This group will work on keeping the U. S. bee population healthy and strong, and will educate people about what they can do to help bees.
"The problem is serious and requires immediate attention," President Obama said in a statement. "It is critical to expand Federal efforts and take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore (bee) populations to healthy levels."
Bees are important because they are pollinators and help crops grow. Bees and other animals such as birds and bats pollinate flowering plants by moving grains of pollen from one plant to another. Through pollination, plants can grow seeds and fruit. 
Colony Collapse Disorder
In recent years, scientists have been studying why millions of bees have been leaving their hives and not returning, which is known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). Scientists believe that a fungus, a virus, pesticides, and parasites may be among the causes of this disorder.
The new Pollinator Health Task Force will partner with state and local agencies to protect honeybees, and develop new habitats for pollinators. It also plans to start a public education campaign to increase awareness of the importance pollinators, and steps that can be taken to protect them. The task force will reach out to individuals, businesses, schools libraries and museums. President Obama has requested $50 million in his 2015 budget to fight this problem.
Why We Need Bees
Even though many people may think bees are a nuisance, they are an important part of how we grow food in the U. S. At least 90 commercial crops including nuts, fruits and vegetables rely on honeybees for pollination. Honeybees are the "glue that holds our agricultural system together," wrote the journalist Hannah Nordaus in her book The Beekeeper's Lament.
Each year, bees provide more than $15 billion in value to the agricultural crops in the U. S., according to the White House. 
Obama noted that helping save the bee population will avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector, and will help protect the health of the environment.
The president also noted the population decline of Monarch butterflies, another important pollinator. The number of migrating Monarch butterflies sank to the lowest recorded population level in 2013-14. The task force will also work to bring their populations back to healthy levels.
Emergency workers are helping residents of a rural Nebraska town pick up the pieces after a tornado flattened homes and businesses earlier this week. The twister was part of a set of tornadoes that traveled side by side for an extended period time -- a rare weather event.
One of the tornadoes destroyed nearly all the buildings in Pilger, a 350-person farming town in northeast Nebraska. Many homes were reduced to debris or swept away. Two people were killed, and at least 19 were taken to the hospital.
"This is by far the worst thing I've ever seen as governor," said Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman. On Tuesday morning, he walked through Pilger to take in the damage, trailed by reporters.
Heineman declared a state of emergency, which dispatched the National Guard to help with cleanup. A shelter was set up in a nearby town for displaced residents.
Seeing Double
The twin twisters were about equal in size and a mile apart. They were part of a larger system that hit the central part of the U. S. on Monday. The pair roared for miles through northeast Nebraska before eventually uniting.
Nebraska State Climatologist Al Dutcher says the size and intensity of the dual tornadoes were rare. Usually, one tornado weakens and shrinks. But the twisters were strengthened by a lack of thunderstorms in the area. Thunderstorms compete with tornadoes for wind and moisture in the atmosphere.
"It speaks wonders about the amount of instability that was in the atmosphere," Dutcher told the Associated Press. "This was a highly [unpredictable] situation where once something got going, it really got going."
Tornadoes have continued to sweep the plains after Monday's storm. The National Weather Service received reports of tornadoes across five states on Tuesday. At least two large twisters formed in Nebraska. One slow-moving twister touched down about 45 miles from Pilger, according to weather.com.
In Pilger, the cleanup effort from Monday's storm damage will be massive. Still, Governor Heineman says he is confident the community will rebuild.
It was a rare moment at the Scripps National Spelling Bee -- one that hadn't happened since 1962. Two spellers remained standing at the end of the bee. Ansun Sujoe, 13, from Forth Worth, Texas, and Sriram Hathwar, 14, from Painted Post, New York, were declared co-champions. Each will win the grand prize, which includes a trophy and a $30,000 cash prize.
The tie was a fitting ending for the two winning spellers. As the confetti rained down on the stage, sharing the spotlight didn't seem to bother either champ. "I think we both know that the competition is against the dictionary and not against each other," Sriram told ESPN, which aired the bee live on May 29. "I'm happy to share this trophy with him."
Ansun, a rookie to the finals, agreed. "I was pretty happy when I made the finals, and now I'm even happier that I'm a co-champion," he said.
Spelling to the End
It takes some tough spelling to tie at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which took place over three days in National Harbor, Maryland. The national bee is open to students who have not graduated beyond eighth grade and are under 16 years old. Competitors qualify by winning a community spelling bee competition presented by a local sponsor.
This year's competition began Tuesday, May 27, with 281 spellers. By Thursday night, 12 spellers remained for the finals.
According to the rules of the Bee, when two or three spellers remain, the judges move to a final list of 25 difficult words. This year, the list included obscure words like "thymelici," "skandhas," and "sdrucciola."
The Bee almost had a different ending. In round 16, with the two spellers remaining, Sriram -- who placed third last year and was a favorite to win in his fifth year at the Bee -- misspelled his word. But then Ansun misspelled his word too, so both boys were back in the competition.
The spellers went on for six more rounds, until there weren't enough words left to declare one champion. Sriram's final word was "stichomythia," a theatrical word for dialogue delivered in alternating lines. Ansun's final word was "feuilleton," a feature section of a European newspaper or magazine.
Both Sriram and Ansun are of Indian descent. That makes this the seventh year in a row that an Indian-American speller has won the bee. Sriram, who likes to swim and play basketball, wants to be an ophthalmologist, or eye doctor. Ansun, a talented musician, wants to be an engineer.
The boys received praise from President Barack Obama via a message posted on the White House Twitter account: "Congrats to Ansun and Sriram, the incredible co-champs of the #ScrippsNationalSpellingBee. You make us all proud! Cbo [Barack Obama]."
Ever since it was completed, in 1885, the Washington Monument has been a favorite stop for visitors to Washington, D. C. But in 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the area. Parts of the stone tower were cracked and broken. For safety reasons, the monument was closed to visitors.
Complex repairs had to be made to the monument. Workers were on the job for 33 months. "We can't wait for visitors to come back to the monument," National Park Service spokesman Brian Hall told TFK. Now that the work is finally finished, that time has come. Starting today, May 12, people will be able to visit the Washington Monument once again. Visitors lined up in the early morning hours to get tickets to enter the monument. Though the tickets are free, they are necessary to control crowds.
A Tricky Fix
After the earthquake, engineers checked each stone in the 550-foot-tall monument, and found more than 150 cracks. The worst damage was at the very top, where the monument shook the most during the earthquake.
Repair work started at the top of the structure and moved downward. But first, a 500-ton framework of metal and wood had to be built around it for workers to climb on. Workers replaced stones and sealed cracks inside and outside the building. The repairs cost $15 million. Philanthropist David Rubenstein donated $7.5 million of the total repair cost. "[The monument] symbolizes many things for our country -- the freedoms, patriotism, George Washington, leadership," Rubenstein told the Associated Press. "So it's been moving to see how many people are affected by it."
High in the Sky
The Washington Monument is the tallest building in our nation's capital. Inside the monument, visitors can ride an elevator to the top. There is an observation area with windows that look down on the city. "It's an amazing experience to be able to see all of D. C. from one location," Hall said. "It's the best view in town."
The monument is also a National Historic Landmark, meaning it is a structure officially honored by the American government for its important role in our nation's heritage.
The monument's home, the National Mall, is a large park with museums, statues, monuments, and gardens. Some of the monuments were built in memory of U. S. presidents. Others honor the men and women who served in our nation's armed forces. Museums on the Mall include the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Air and Space Museum, all telling different parts of American history.
Tales of sunken ships and buried treasure arent just written in storybooks. On Monday, May 5, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company that explores deep-ocean shipwrecks, announced the recovery of almost 1,000 ounces of gold from a ship that sank more than 150 years ago. The S.S. Central America was caught in a hurricane in 1857 that claimed 425 lives and thousands of pounds of gold. Expeditions to retrieve the lost treasure in the late 1980s and early 1990s recovered about $50 million worth of gold. Now Odyssey is hoping to find even more gold buried in the wreckage.
Lost at Sea
The S.S. Central America was a 280-foot wooden-hulled steamship launched in 1853, during the California Gold Rush era. While traveling from California to New York, with nearly 600 passengers and an estimated $400 million of gold bars and coins, the ship sailed into the path of a terrible hurricane. The Central America did not survive the storm, and sank 160 miles off the coast of South Carolina on September 12, 1857.
In addition to hundreds of crates of gold bars, the ship was carrying a large batch of newly-minted American $20 Double Eagle coins. Some of the travelers, fresh from their search for Californias natural treasure, were carrying golden nuggets and coins in their luggage. The impact of the wreckage was so severe, it contributed in part to the Panic of 1857, a time of great financial worry in United States caused by an economic decline.
Gold Marks the Spot
The Civil War followed shortly after the sinking of the Central America, and the lost treasure was soon forgotten by many. But, in 1980, an Ohio native named Tommy Thompson led a search for the ghost ship and its precious cargo. Thompson and his team, the Columbus-America Discovery Group, began conducting research to learn about the possible whereabouts of the lost steamship. They used sonar technologies that allowed them to scan the bottom of the ocean for debris and large objects. In 1988, the team struck gold. They found the long-lost Central America and began recovering its precious contents.
Legal disputes shut down Thompsons operation, and it wasnt until last month that Odyssey set out to retrieve the remainder of the ships treasure.  The new team, aboard a craft called the Odyssey Explorer, will remain at the site of the wreckage until later this summer. While we werent planning to recover gold so quickly, it did confirm that the site has not been disturbed since it was last visited 1991 and there is gold remaining, said Mark Gordon, Odysseys president and chief operating officer.
The newly-recovered gold includes five gold bars and two of the $20 Double Eagle gold coins. The gold bars weigh between 106 and 344 ounces. Though it is unclear how much more of the sunken fortune will be retrieved, this weeks recovery marks a monumental moment in maritime history. Whatever else lies on the ocean floor amongst the wreckage of the Central America may soon be uncovered. Like any tale of lost treasure, there may be an unexpected ending.
A wave of terrible tornadoes ripped through the Midwest and South? on Sunday. Arkansas was the hardest hit. The tornado that touched down 10 miles west of the capital, Little Rock, grew to about half a mile wide, and continued on the ground for about 80 miles. Another tornado started in Quapaw, Oklahoma, and crossed into Baxter Springs, Kansas. It destroyed as many as 70 homes and injured 34 people, state and county officials said.  As of Monday, the death toll had risen to 16 total for Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
The National Weather Service warned that the damaging storms would continue on Monday. The storms will include more tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail. The bad weather will strike in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Rescue teams are searching for survivors in the rubble left by the natural disaster. "Right now, the main focus is life safety," Brandon Morris, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, said. "We're trying to make sure everyone is accounted for."
The Strongest Storm
Vilonia and Mayflower were two towns hit hard by the tornado in Arkansas. Meteorologist Jeff Hood with the National Weather Service said the tornado that hit those towns would likely be rated as the nation's strongest twister to date this year. Before Sunday, the country had not had a tornado rated EF3 or higher since November 17. EF3 storms have winds greater than 136 mph.
"Based on some of the footage we've seen from Mayflower things were wrecked in a very significant way," Hood said. Utilities in the area must be shut off to prevent electrical fires from starting, he said.
Surviving the Twister
In the U.S., tornado season typically occurs from April to July. Tornadoes usually form during giant thunderstorms called supercells. During a tornado, the National Weather Service advises people to take shelter in a storm cellar, a basement, or the innermost room on the lowest level of a building.
Karla Ault, a Vilonia High School volleyball coach, said she sheltered in the school gymnasium as the storm approached. After it passed, her husband told her their home had been destroyed by the storm. "I'm just kind of numb, Ault said. It's just shock that you lost everything. All I've got now is just what I have on.
Among the ruins in Vilonia was a new $14 million intermediate school that had been set to open this fall. "There's just really nothing there anymore, Vilonia Schools Superintendent Frank Mitchell said. We're probably going to have to start all over again.
At a news conference in the Philippines, President Barack Obama promised the government would help in the recovery. "Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes," he said.
This morning, tens of thousands of runners took off from the starting line at the Boston Marathon, the first since last years tragic bombing. Supporters waved signs and cheered extra loudly along the 26.2-mile route for this years nearly 36,000 runners. "The energy here is amazing," said spectator Ashley De La Russo, a college student from Orlando, Florida. "I knew it was going to be a scream tunnel, but this is just unbelievable."
Two hours and eight minutes after setting off, American Meb Keflezighi was the first to cross the finish line in the mens race. Hes the first runner from the United States to win the Boston Marathon since 1985. The 38-year-old runner from San Diego, California, looked over his shoulder several times over the final mile. After realizing he wouldn't be beat by another runner, Keflezighi raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross.
In the womens race, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya defended her championship from last year. She completed the course in two hours and 18 minutes.
A Day of Tragedy
The Boston Marathon is held on Patriot's Day, a Massachusetts state holiday that marks the start of the Revolutionary War and the battles of Lexington and Concord, in 1775. The race, currently in its 118th year, is the oldest continually run marathon in the world.
On April 15, 2013, the race ended in tragedy. About five hours into the raceafter more than 17,000 of the 26,000 runners had already crossed the finish linetwo bombs exploded within seconds of each other near the end of the course.
Within minutes of the explosion, onlookers, volunteers, and emergency workers rushed to help those injured. Officials said their quick actions saved many lives. The incident killed three people and wounded more than 260 runners and spectators.
Authorities believe two brothers carried out the attack. One was killed after a shootout with police and the other is in jail and awaiting trial.
A Fresh Start
Officials worked all year to make sure todays race went smoothly. Extra security and cameras were posted along the route to keep everyone safe. Spectators requesting to stand near the starting and finish lines went through tight security checkpoints.
Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray said it had been a long and difficult year. "We're taking back our race," he said. "We're taking back the finish line."
Buses carrying the message Boston Strong dropped off runners at the starting line in the town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Sabrina Dello Russo, 38, of South Boston, was running her first marathon for a good friend, Roseann Sdoia, who was injured during last years race. "She is my inspiration from day one last year when I saw her in the [hospital], Dello Russo said. Every run I do, she is in the back of my head, and she will be keeping me going today."
First Lady Michelle Obama returns this afternoon from a weeklong trip to China. Along with her mother, Mrs. Marian Robinson, and two daughters, Malia and Sasha, Mrs. Obama visited some of the East Asian nations most important historical and cultural sites.
Touring China
The first stop on the trip was Beijing, Chinas capital and one of the largest cities in the world. Madame Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese president Xi Jinping, greeted Mrs. Obama and her family. They went on to visit Beijing Normal School, where students talked about their classwork and their day-to-day school schedule. This visit was a perfect opportunity to highlight the themes of my trip: the value of education and the importance of cultural exchanges between young people in different countries, said Mrs. Obama in a blog post.
The First Lady went on to visit some of Chinas most important landmarks and museums. While in Beijing, Mrs. Obama toured the Forbidden City, which for nearly 500 years served as the emperors home. Now, the ornate buildings and outdoor spaces serve as a museum open to the public.
She and her daughters also walked a section of the Great Wall of China, which is the longest man-made construction in the world. They reached this section of the wall by cable car but came back down the mountainside a different way on toboggans down a long, curving slide.
The next day, they toured the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Discovered in 1976, the 6,000 life-size statues made of terra-cotta clay are remnants of Han dynasty, which ruled China from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D.
The First Lady concluded her time in China at the Chengdu Panda Base. The base serves as a breeding and research center for Pandas, and spans nearly 600 miles of natural habitat for the bears.  Mrs. Obama even got the chance to meet some Panda cubs. They were so tinylike stuffed animalsand later, I got the chance to hold one of these little guys! she wrote on her blog.
Global Classrooms
The entire trip was documented on various social media outlets. In addition to her travel blog on the White House site, Mrs. Obama shared photos on Instagram and answered questions from students on Twitter. Outside the Terracotta Warriors Museum, she replied to TIME For Kids readers from Lisa Debos First Grade Class at McAlpine Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mrs. Obamas trip to China had a strong focus on education. Part of her mission was to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange, and how young people in different countries can learn from each another. She spoke about the importance of learning new languages, understanding and respecting different cultures, and how technology can make global connections for young students possible. 
The First Lady has made many trips around the world, advocating for young students and children. Her work continues to create understanding and acceptance between cultures, and bring together classrooms around the world.
A Focus on Education and Health
In addition to work for education, Mrs. Obamas Lets Move campaign has been one of her main focuses as First Lady. The program encourages kids to eat well and exercise for a healthier lifestyle. This year, she is hosting a Kids' "State Dinner." The event is part of a contest that challenges kids ages 8 to 12 to create a healthy recipe. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge will select one winner from each state, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories, to travel to Washington, D.C. and join the First Lady for the special celebration. Applicants have until April 5 to submit their recipes.
Cleanup crews are rushing to clean up after an oil spill in Texass busy Houston Ship Channel. On Saturday, a barge carrying about 900,000 gallons of heavy oil collided with a ship and leaked as much as 168,000 gallons of its cargo into the waterway.
Black tar-like globs and a dark line of sticky oil have spread to the shoreline of Texas. On the day after the spill, oil had already spread 12 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Brian Penoyer, commander of the Coast Guard at Houston-Galveston, said currents, tides, and wind were scattering the spill. Containment was never a possibility in this case," he said. "This is a significant spill.
More than 380 people have been working to remove the oil and protect animals in the area. On Monday, the Coast Guard said it planned on sending 24 ships to skim the oil from the water. But scientists and environmentalists worry about the damage the slick could have on wildlife.
Bad Timing for Birds
Environmental groups said the spill happened at a very bad time for birds. The channel in Texas City has an important shorebird habitat. Just to the east of the spill is a bird sanctuary that attracts 50,000 to 70,000 shorebirds each year. "The timing really couldn't be much worse since we're approaching the peak shorebird migration season," said Richard Gibbons, conservation director of the Houston Audubon Society.
As of Sunday afternoon, fewer than 10 oiled birds had been found and moved to a wildlife rehabilitation center, according to the Coast Guard. The Texas General Land Office also set up a bird trailer to quickly treat sick birds found in the area.
Clean-Up Efforts
The Houston Ship Channel is a busy waterway. On Monday, it was shut down for the third day in a row, causing a traffic jam on the water. As many as 60 vessels were backed up, both trying to get in and get out. Two cruise ships were allowed through. But some cruise ships are still delayed, stranding passengers. The Coast Guard said there is no set time for the port to reopen.
In the meantime, the barge that caused the slick has been moved to a shipyard to prevent more oil from spilling, according to a government statement. Kirby Inland Marine Corporation owns the barge. The companys Executive Vice President Jim Guidry said they would take responsibility for the costs. "We're very concerned. We're focused on cleaning up," he said.
The Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating what happened. Penoyer, of the Coast Guard, said uncovering all the facts will take time because it is a complex situation. In a press release on Sunday, Texas Governor Rick Perry said the state of Texas will continue to work to make sure the spill is cleaned up. "We are thankful to the responders and personnel who are working diligently to respond to this situation," he stated.
You may think kids are getting more homework than ever before. If so, think again. A new study released by Brookings Brown Center on Education Policy shows that todays students have no more homework than their parents did when they were in school. Numerous articles and reports over the past few decades have suggested Americas schools are overloading kids with more and more homework. But the Brookings study argues the opposite: homework loads have not changed over the past 30 years.
Study in Numbers
The studys author, Tom Loveless, reviewed surveys taken by kids and parents about how much homework young students have. The results showed that the typical elementary student has 30-45 minutes of homework each night. The average high-schooler has about an hour. These numbers have remained the same since 1984.
In a set of guidelines published by the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the amount of time students should spent on homework is their grade level multiplied by ten minutes. For example, a third-grader should have 30 minutes of homework, a fifth-grader 50 minutes, and so on. Loveless, who was a sixth-grade teacher in the 1980s, says this system has stayed consistent into the 21st century.
One change that occurred over the past three decades, however, is among 9-year-oldsthe average age of a third-grader. In 1984, more 9-year-olds had no homework at all, versus today. Whats happened is, there were a number of kids at age 9 who had no homework [in 1984], but now that number does have some homework, Loveless told TFK. Though it is a little amount of work, it is still an increase in the amount of time spent on homework [for third-graders].
Homework Helps
Homework is an important part of a students education. Some teachers argue that homework prepares kids for state tests and for college. They worry that a lighter homework load will put kids at a disadvantage. "Homework has benefits that go well beyond what's going on in school," says Harris Cooper, a University of Missouri psychology professor who has studied homework's effect on test scores. Kids learn to be organized, manage their time and master new skills without a teacher's help.
Teachers give two reasons for assigning a lot of homework. First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. Second, they know many parents want their children to be able to get into the nation's best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure students are learning at their full capacity.
People who favor homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits, and recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school.
When the United States Congress created Yellowstone National Park, in 1872, the goal was to set aside a place where Americans could enjoy the beauty of nature for years to come. Now, 142 years later, there are hundreds of national parks across the country, and technology is changing the way people experience them. Should park visitors be able to use cell phones, or should their use be restricted?
Connectivity presents a real challenge to all of us, Al Nash told TFK. He is a public affairs officer at Yellowstone National Park. He says cell phone service at Yellowstone is available in parts of the park with stores and campgrounds. This makes it easy for visitors to share photos of their trip on social networking sites and to stay in touch with friends and family members. If a park visitor is hurt or in danger, cell phones make it easier to get help, he adds. Some say the ability to download apps that provide information about plants and animals in the park can enrich a visitors experience.
Others say cell phones distract from peoples enjoyment of our national parks. In their view, cell-phone towers are an eyesore, and theyd rather hear the sound of birds chirping than the ring of an incoming call or the ping of an email notification. Can you imagine looking out a tranquil lake or field of grass only to be disrupted by a person shouting into their phone, Can you hear me now?
Nash says Yellowstone tries to strike a balance. Ultimately, our job is to provide for visitor understanding and enjoyment while protecting what people find special about Yellowstone, and one of those things thats special is the ability to get away from the hustle and bustle of ones daily life.
What do you think? Should national parks allow the use of cell phones? Or should park visitors focus on nature, not technology?
On Monday, the nation celebrates Presidents' Day. Or is it George Washingtons Birthday? What about Abraham Lincoln? Confused yet? Everyone agrees that Monday is a holiday, but what should we call it? Some government offices call it Presidents' Day. Others say the holiday is officially Washington's Birthday.
The History Behind Presidents' Day
George Washington was elected the countrys first President on April 30, 1789. Soon after, Americans began publicly celebrating his birthday.
Presidential historians say the actual date of George Washington's birth is February 11, 1732. A change in the calendar system 20 years later shifted all dates 11 days ahead, making Washington's birthday February 22. In 1879, Congress made Washingtons birthday an official federal holiday. It was the first federal holiday to celebrate an individuals birth date.
In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act, which moved the holiday to the third Monday in February. The new law did not change the holiday's name. It was still called Washington's Birthday, even though some lawmakers wanted to call it Presidents' Day to include Abraham Lincoln. Lincolns actual birthday is February 12.
The Great Presidential Debate
Many people agree that the holiday should celebrate all past Presidents. They feel Lincoln should be honored for his role in preserving the nation during the Civil War and helping to free slaves. Others feel the holiday should only honor Washington, the country's first President. They say shifting the focus away from Washington would mean future generations of kids would not know about the Father of Our Country.
Laws have been introduced in Congress over the years to require use of the term "George Washington's Birthday," but none of those laws have passed. Meanwhile, many state governments and school districts now use the term Presidents Day. Many stores also use it to promote holiday sales.
On January 28, President Barack Obama addressed the nation in his annual State of the Union speech. It is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong, he said. To the members of Congress and the Cabinet, Supreme Court Justices, guests in the chamber of the House of Representatives, and TV viewers, he said: Lets make this a year of action.
The U.S. Constitution requires the president to report regularly to Congress. Many presidents see the speech as an opportunity to set their goals and inspire the nation. In his 65-minute address, Obama strongly urged Democrats and Republicans to work together for the good of the nation. He vowed to move forward with or without the support of everyone in Washington. Im eager to work with all of you, he said. But America does not stand stilland neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, thats what Im going to do.
He wants to raise the minimum wage for some federal workers, create a new way for people to save for retirement, and encourage the use of alternative fuels for the good of the environment.
Following the presidents speech, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state spoke for Republicans. The presidents policies are making peoples lives harder, she said. Republicans have plans to close the gap.
A Special Guest
In his speech, Obama spoke about bringing the war in Afghanistan to an end. In tight-knit communities all across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, and give thanks for being home from a war that after 12 years is finally coming to an end, he said.
The president honored a hero, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg, who was badly injured by a bomb while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. The Sergeant sat with First Lady Michelle Obama, and the audience rose to their feet to applaud him when the president told his story. Like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit, said Obama.
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been suspended for the entire 2014 baseball season. On Saturday, January 11, arbitrator Fredric Horowitz issued Rodriguezs punishment for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The suspension came as a result of an investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB). The MLB has strict rules against the use of these substances. Rodriguez is the most well-known player to violate baseballs drug ban.
Rules of the Game
The MLB has accused Rodriguez, often called A-Rod, of using performance-enhancing drugs from 2009-2012. This makes him a repeat offender: five years ago he admitted to the use of drugs while with the Texas Rangers. Saturdays ruling is the most severe punishment in the history of baseball's drug agreement. The 14-time All-Star will lose over $22 million of his $25 million salary.
Rodriguez began his Major League Baseball career in 1993 when the Seattle Mariners selected him as the first overall pick in the MLB draft. He was just 18 years old when made his debut with the team. Rodriguez went on to play for the Texas Rangers in 2001, where he received a 10-year, $252 million contract. It was the highest-paying contract ever given to an athlete at the time. During his time with the Rangers, Rodriguez received a Most Valuable Player (MVP) honor. After the 2003 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees. With the Yankees, Rodriguez received two more MVP honors, hitting his 500th home run in 2007.
Off the Field
Though he is considered one of the greatest in the sport, Rodriguezs successful baseball career has become overshadowed by his use of illegal drugs. He is permitted to participate in spring training with the New York Yankees and to play in exhibition games, but it is likely that the Yankees may tell him not to do so. Rodriguezs contract with the Yankees extends through the 2017 season. He wont be eligible to return to the field until 2015.
Are they going to fly?
That was a popular question leading up to Macys 87th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The spectacle is held every year in New York City on Thanksgiving morning. But on Thursday, parade officials were concerned that winds would be too strong to safety fly the enormous balloons that the parade has become famous for.
Macys has staged a Thanksgiving Day Parade every year since 1924, except for three years during World War II. The very first parade was staged by Macys employees. Many of the workers were immigrants and wanted a way to celebrate the American holiday. It has become one of the most recognized parades in the world. To many, the event marks the official start of the holiday season.
The parade includes famous celebrities, singers, dancers, musicians, marching bands, beautifully decorated floats, and of course, giant balloons. The 16 balloons this year ranged from classics like Snoopy and Mickey Mouse, to newer ones like Toothless from How to Train your Dragon and Finn and Jake from Adventure Time.
Josh Wisotsky, from New Jersey, is a ninth-year balloon handler for the parade. Balloon handlers keep a tight grip on balloon strings while they walk them down the streets of Manhattan. Its actually the most exciting day of the year for me, he told TFK. I look forward to getting my envelope in the mail that says what balloon Im going to be handling.
In past parades, Wisotsky has handled balloons such as a Yellow Elf and Scooby-Doo. But this year he was leading the parade as one of the handlers for Macys Golden Star balloon. Were going to have a good time, Josh said. Even if balloons dont fly, you still have clowns and floats.
High Hopes
On Thursday, thousands of people lined the streets of Manhattan to catch a glimpse of the giant balloons soaring by. Some in the crowd lifted small children onto their shoulders to get a better view. Since it was a chilly 30 degrees, spectators bundled up to brave the cold and windy conditions.
High-school senior Karley, from Cincinnati, Ohio, performed in the parade with her schools marching band, The Lakota West Marching Firebirds. She told TFK it was her first time in New York City. Whether or not the balloons flew, she said, she was excited to visit the Big Apple. It [is] everything I expected and more, she told TFK.
This year, the East Coast was hit with a powerful storm on the day before Thanksgiving. The holiday was cold, damp, and extremely windy. New York City rules state that if winds exceed 23 miles per hour (m.p.h.) and gusts exceed 34 m.p.h., balloons are not allowed to fly. That rule came into place in 1997, when a Cat in the Hat balloon tipped over a light pole.
Balloons have only been grounded once in the parade's history, in 1971, when bad weather kept them from flying. Kids across the country were upset because the Underdog balloon and the Smokey the Bear balloon didnt take off.
But on Thursday, just before 9 a.m., parade officials announced balloons would fly. Deborah, 6, from New Jersey, told TFK she was excited to hear the news. Deborah is fighting cancer and said it was a dream of hers to make it to the famous parade.  Santa was my favorite part of the parade, she told TFK. And I had so much fun!
Winter has arrived. A fierce storm tore through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and other parts of the Southwest on Sunday, November 24, creating dangerous conditions on roads and airport runways. The wicked weather is responsible for at least eight deaths and has left thousands of people stranded as they prepare for one of the busiest travel days of the year. Its certainly going to be a travel impact as we see the first few people making their way for Thanksgiving, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw.
A Wicked Wintry Mix
Residents in the Southern Plains and Southern Rockies woke up to a wintry mix yesterday morning. Rain and sleet began falling north of Dallas, Texas, by midday. Parts of Oklahoma were issued a winter storm warning after several inches of snow fell in the southwestern region. Flagstaff, a city in northern Arizona, had 11 inches of snow early Sunday. Central areas of the state experienced between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches of rain while the storm raged on. Regions in higher elevations in New Mexico experience near whiteout storm conditions.
This mix of rain, snow, and sleet has caused hundreds of car accidents, several of them fatal. Ice and snow on runways forced Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, in Texas, to cancel more than 300 flights. Though the airport has deicers ready for use, the storms next move is difficult to predict. Its slow moving and its sort of bringing its energy out in pieces, Bradshaw said. Its hard to time these as they come across with a great deal of accuracy.
Travel Trouble
According to travel organization AAA, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period for 2013 is defined as Wednesday, November 27, to Sunday, December 1. About 43.4 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, AAA said in a press release. Cancellations in Fort Worth are forcing fliers to find travel alternatives, causing a backup in the entire air-travel system.
Meteorologists predict the storm to move east as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, with the worst weather expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dozens of tornadoes and heavy thunderstorms swept across the Midwest on Sunday, bringing damaging winds to 12 states, from Missouri and Tennessee up through western New York. The band of storms flattened neighborhoods, flipped over cars, and uprooted trees.
Illinois was hit hardest. At least six people there were killed and dozens more were injured. Trees and debris from the storm brought down power lines and left roads impassible. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared seven counties disaster areas.
In the western Illinois town of Washington, a tornado with wind speeds of at least 170 miles per hour cut a path from one side of town to the other, destroying homes and businesses. The whole neighborhoods gone, resident Michael Perdun told the Associated Press. The wall of my fireplace is all that is left of my house.
Washington Mayor Gary Manier estimated that 250 to 500 homes were damaged or destroyed in the storm. Everybodys without power, but some people are without everything, Manier told reporters while standing in the parking lot of a destroyed auto parts store. The Illinois National Guard assisted emergency crews as cleanup efforts got underway in the town early Monday.
The Power of Nature
The storms, all belonging to the same system, were unusually powerful for this late in the year. They were caused by strong winds combined with temperatures in the 60s and 70s, says weather service meteorologist Matt Friedlein.
Twisters usually form during giant thunderstorms called supercells. Many tornadoes are black or brown from the dust and dirt they suck up as they move across the land. During a tornado, the National Weather Service advises people to take shelter in a storm cellar, a basement, or the innermost room on the lowest level of a building.
Damage from the storm was widespread. In Michigan, two people were killed and 500,000 homes and businesses lost power. In Indiana, 12 counties reported either tornadoes or storm damage and tens of thousands of homes went dark.
Governor Quinn promised help to storm victims in his state. Were all in this together, Quinn said.
Is it wrong for sports teams to use American Indian names, mascots, and images? Ray Halbritter, the representative of the Oneida Indian Nation, thinks the professional football team in Washington, D.C., the Redskins, should change its name. He says the name is offensive to Native Americans. The teams owner, Dan Snyder, disagrees. He has publicly stated that he will not change the name. Here are the two points of view.
Change the Name!
Words can hurt. Just ask the estimated 3.2 million children who are bullied each year in the United States. For adults, too, words often cause anguish.
The word redskin has been around far too long, and its time to retire it for good. Its hard to believe that Washingtons NFL team continues to use this name, even though its the sort of slur that would never be used in polite conversation.
Redskins is defined in the dictionary as an offensive label for Native Americansthat was used against them when they were forcibly removed from their lands at gunpoint. To most American Indians, the R-word is a hurtful reminder of past injustices.
Several weeks ago, the Oneida Indian Nation launched a national campaign called Change the Mascot, urging Washingtons NFL team to stop using the R-word. Members of Congress, leading journalists, and respected tribal leaders have joined us and called upon the team to do the right thing. Even President Barack Obama has weighed in. He is the first sitting president to speak out against the teams offensive name.
Kids Lead the Way
Our efforts were inspired by students at Cooperstown Central Middle and High School in upstate New York. Earlier this year, they moved to right a wrong by changing their teams nickname from the racially insensitive Redskins to the Hawkeyes.
It was a bold and courageous step that sets a fine example for what the NFL and the owner of Washingtons team should do. By changing their nickname, the students at Cooperstown showed us not only what can be done, but also what should be done. It demonstrates that the kids of today can make a real difference in building a better tomorrow.    
By Ray Halbritter
Keep the Name!
The professional football team known today as the Washington Redskins got its start in 1932. The team was located in Massachusetts and known as the Boston Braves. In 1933, the team was renamed the Redskins. Four years later, the Redskins moved to Washington, D.C.
In a written public statement, the Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, said that, out of respect for the teams history and traditions, he would not change the name. Our past isnt just where we came fromits who we are, Snyder wrote. He noted that when the team first adopted the name, four players and our head coach were Native Americans. The name was never a label. It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor.
Snyder described the name as a symbol of everything we stand for: strength, courage, pride, and respectthe same values we know guide Native Americans and which are embedded throughout their rich history as the original Americans.
The Public Weighs In
Snyder wrote that he respects the feelings of those who are offended by the name of the team. But he added, I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too. He mentioned that the Annenberg Public Policy Center conducted a poll of nearly 1,000 people across the country identifying themselves as Native Americans. When asked if they considered the teams name offensive, 90% answered no.
Snyder also mentioned an April 2013 Associated Press survey, in which 79% of those polled stated the team should not change its name. Only 11% believed the name should be retired. We are proud of our team and the passion of our loyal fans, wrote Snyder. We cannot ignore our 81-year history or the strong feelings of most of our fans, as well as Native Americans throughout the country.      
Reported by Glenn Greenberg
Athletes from around the world hit the ground running for the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3. This is the first time in more than a year that runners have raced through the five boroughs. Last years marathon was canceled in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. This year, a record 50,740 runners took part in the celebrated 26.2-mile race.
Kenyas Priscah Jeptoo, 29, won the title for the womens race. She crossed the finish line at 2:25:07 and maintained an overall pace of 5:33 per mile. Jeptoo beat Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba with an impressive final kick. In 2011, the last time the NYC Marathon was held, Deba, 26, also finished second.
In the mens race, Kenyas Geoffrey Mutai, 32, came in first at 2:08:24. He pulled away from his fellow countryman Stanley Biwott in the last few miles to take the lead. Mutai broke the course record in 2011.  "To win this course twice, it's not easy," Mutai said. "For me, it's a glory."
Paralympic track medalist Tatyana McFadden, 24, won the wheelchair portion in 1:59:13 with a mile pace of 4:33. This was McFaddens fourth win this yearshe also won the London, Boston, and Chicago marathons. No other athlete has won those four competitions in a years span. She is the first person to complete a wheelchair marathon Grand Slam.
Tightened Security
Marathon officials ramped up security efforts in New York for the 2013 race in response to Aprils Boston Marathon bombing. Barricades blocked off much of Central park, and fans waited in bag-check lines to get in. Along with surveillance helicopters, about 1,500 cameras were installed along the marathon route to watch activity. Bomb-sniffing dogs were on site to alert police of any nearby danger. And scuba divers scanned bridges and shorelines to make sure they were safe for runners. Security was tight from the moment crowds arrived. But runners, professional and amateur, said they felt safe on the course.
On a day that normally fills the city with joy and celebration, the success of Sunday's New York City Marathon was also surrounded by feelings of relief and hope. To honor Boston victims, this years course lines included yellowthe color of the Boston route.
Near the NYC finish line, Ashley O'Brien from Brooklyn was ready with a bullhorn to cheer on runners. She got teary-eyed remembering the events of the past year.
"It's a nice time to all come back together," she said. "You still remember why it was canceled last year and you remember Boston. So it's a little bittersweet."