"The first step in our urgent work together to protect Lake Erie from toxic algae, harmful algal blooms and other effects of nutrient runoff is to establish these important phosphorus limits," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. Scientists say fertilizers and livestock manure from the region's farms are the primary generators of the type of phosphorus that feed harmful algae, although sewage from urban treatment plants and failed septic tanks also contributes.   read more

Yosemite officials say signs at the soon-to-be-rebranded locations won't be taken down when their new names take effect Tuesday -- only covered up, so that the old monikers might return. The short-term signage will identify the Ahwahnee Hotel -- which was built in the 1920s as grand destination that could host presidents and dignitaries, and is believed to trace its name to the local Indian population -- as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, a shift some guests regard as sacrilege.   read more

Rosenworcel cited research showing that 7 in 10 teachers now assign homework that requires web access. Yet one-third of kindergartners through 12th graders in the U.S., mostly from low-income and rural households, are unable to go online from home. The Obama administration announced its own program to help address the problem, deploying free and affordable broadband into public housing. The Lifelline plan has drawn strong criticism from some Republicans.   read more

Coming days before an Academy Awards where a second straight year of all-white acting nominees has enflamed an industry-wide crisis, the report offers sobering statistics that further evidence a deep discrepancy between Hollywood and the American population in gender, race and ethnicity. The portrait is one of pervasive underrepresentation, no matter the media platform, from CEOs to minor characters. "The landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed," the study concludes.   read more

Intelligence agencies later scrubbed Jinx’s statements from an online transcript that had been available to the public on a government website. Schulz told Judge Army Colonel James Pohl that the transcripts were judicial records made in open court and the public had a constitutional right to view them. Chief Prosecutor Martins said the transcript was not an official judicial record but a draft. He said experts determined Jinx’s statements would be damaging to national security.   read more

U.S. officials say the techniques they propose pose no risk to the privacy of other iPhone users. Security experts say it's not so simple. "It's a very dangerous proposition to claim that this capability could not be re-used," said Virtru's Ackerly. Apple says it's unrealistic to think that governments won't ask to use the same program again in other cases. Experts echoed that concern, and also say it may simply be impossible to keep the program from falling into the wrong hands.   read more

All five defendants contend they were tortured in secret CIA prisons. Chief Prosecutor Brigadier General Mark Martins promised to deliver more than 1,000 pages of documents for judicial review by March 22. Defense attorneys criticized the prosecution's plan, saying it gives the government too much power to pick and choose what evidence is relevant. "This is by far the most restrictive discovery regime I have ever seen in my career," said defense attorney Cheryl Bormann.   read more

White supremacists have said they are encouraged by the success of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has referred to Mexicans as "rapists" and called for a ban on all Muslim immigrants. The San Bernardino massacre spurred a wave of vandalism and harassment directed at U.S. Muslims. At least 52 people were killed by domestic extremists, the highest figure since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.   read more

"Whether the sign in question says 'no Muslims' or whether it says 'no coloreds' or whether it says 'no women' or 'no Christians' or 'no Buddhists' ... it is just as un-American and fundamentally it is just as wrong," Henderson said. Claims of discrimination by business owners against Muslims have been reported in numerous states. "It's one of those issues that's tied to the overall rise of anti-Muslim bigotry in our society," Hooper said.   read more

A majority of Democrats said they wanted someone pragmatic and willing to compromise, with 53% of Republicans saying they wanted someone ideologically pure. Despite its polarizing effect, the Supreme Court issue does not appear to be a priority for voters surveyed. More Americans think the executive and legislative branches of government wield greater influence than the judiciary, and fewer than 10% thought nominating justices to the high court was a presidential duty most relevant to them.   read more

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker signed two bills into law on Thursday that block federal funding from Planned Parenthood and could cost the local organization millions of dollars. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin could lose about $7.5 million a year because of the measures, an organization spokeswoman said. Texas, Louisiana other Republican-controlled states have tried to halt funding for the reproductive health organization.   read more

Facebook said it condemns terrorism but will "fight aggressively" against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems. "These demands would create a chilling precedent and obstruct companies' efforts to secure their products,"the statement said. Google CEO Sundar Pichai also voiced support for Apple. "Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users' privacy," Pichai wrote, adding that the case "could be a troubling precedent."   read more

When Sen. McConnell said the next president, rather than Obama, should select a successor to Scalia, his words struck a familiar and painful chord with many black voters. “Our president...has been disrespected from day one,” said Carol Richardson. “The words that have been said, the things the Republicans have done they’d have never have done to another president.” Said Rep. G.K. Butterfield: “It’s more than a political motive — it has a smell of racism."   read more

"I do not believe handguns belong on a university campus, so this decision has been the greatest challenge of my presidency to date," University of Texas President Gregory Fenves said. Professors protested the law with some saying they feared discussing grades with a pistol-packing student, while others said youths and firearms were a deadly combination. "As a professor, I understand the deep concerns raised by so many. However, as president, I have an obligation to uphold the law," he said.   read more

Written by Rep. Ann Coody, the bill states: "the Legislature hereby affirms that it is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma to make a value judgment favoring childbirth over abortion." Rep. Emily Virgin and Rep. Jason Dunnington asked Coody why the bill did not address sex education. "There is only one sure prevention of pregnancy, and that's not to cause it in the first place," Coody responded.   read more

The report found care at the hospital, which treats 40,000 veterans, had been cut to save money, and described surgical instruments delivered to operating rooms contaminated with blood and bone debris from previous surgeries. The report also alleged a top hospital official was improperly drawing two salaries and had prescribed controlled pain medication to the spouse of the regional director without a valid license. The VA declined to comment directly on the allegations.   read more