The Tar Heels probably are going to win the national championship. MORE: Kevin Stallings to Pitt? Ludicrous | Coach Carter calls out Coach K | Bracket update “If they play like that, even remotely close to that, then they’re going to be very, very hard to beat,” Indiana coach Tom Crean said in his postgame press conference. “And I hope they do.” It’s not just that the top-seeded Tar Heels beat fifth-seeded Indiana, 101-86, on Friday night in the Sweet 16....

In the past seven days, the state has recorded more than 2,200 new cases of COVID-19. Given its relatively small population of around 760,000 it has the highest rate of infections of any state in the country over this period—299 per 100,000 people—as of Friday, according to The New York Times coronavirus map. On Wednesday, North Dakota had a 14-day average of 295 cases per day—the highest level of the pandemic, according to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDH)....

Speaking with NK News, Kim Dong Chul said he spied for the CIA for around six years before being caught and sent to a labor camp, where he suffered torture at the hands of his North Korean guards. Kim—who once lived in Virginia but was living in China before his arrest—was one of three U.S. citizens released in a 2018 amnesty secured in negotiations between the Trump administration and Kim Jong Un’s regime, amid an unexpected thaw in relations between the long-time adversaries....

The Russian embassy in Pyongyang was among other diplomatic missions to be notified of the city’s five-day “special anti-epidemic period” on Tuesday, according to a Facebook post. The lockdown began on January 25 and was scheduled to last until midnight on Sunday. The government notice, issued by North Korea’s foreign ministry, said emergency measures were being taken in light of an “increase in the number of recurrent influenza and other respiratory diseases during the winter period,” according to the Russian translation....

Official Korean Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun published the image Thursday alongside a description of what it called a “newly-developed new-type tactical guided projectile” tested a day earlier in a launch overseen by ruling Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee Secretary Ri Pyong Chol and other officials. The weapon’s warhead was said to have been “improved to be 2.5 tons with the use of the core technology of tactical guided projectile that was already developed....

As the 76 eligible players prepare to decide on representation, the university has barred reporters from the campus. Players at spring practice either shrugged off questions or avoided them, according to the Chicago Tribune. And that's fine. It's a private institution, and Northwestern players deserve the right to make personal choices. What reports are saying is, Friday's vote is not a lock for either the College Athletes Players Association or the non-union segment....

The Louisiana Department of Health said in a Saturday news release that the cruise ship Breakaway had stopped in the three countries before returning to New Orleans, adding to fears of a possible outbreak among not only those on the ship but also those on land they came in contact with. According to Louisiana state health officials, at least 10 people tested positive on the ship that carried over 3,200 crew members and passengers....

It’s difficult and perhaps even distasteful to find much positive business news in the economic pandemonium stemming from the terrorist hijackings. Nevertheless, a handful of once obscure high-tech companies are suddenly in hot demand because of the new interest in security. Airports and agencies like the FAA, under fire for laxness, are now rushing to contact firms peddling biometric technology, which authenticates identity by measuring physical characteristics like fingerprints. Meanwhile, firms that safeguard business data, or that provide alternatives to air travel, are watching as their stock prices rise while the markets plummet....

Many people are currently waiting on the payments and the IRS has given some indication of the timing of stimulus checks, but it’s not possible to be entirely certain at this stage when an individual will be paid. The IRS and the Treasury Department have already sent electronic transfers to bank accounts to the value of $242 billion as of March 17 but other recipients will have to wait for checks or EIP (Economic Impact Payment) cards to be mailed to them....

In both men’s and women’s rooms, sinks were more likely than toilet seats to harbor E. coli bacteria. Salmonella was found on faucets, but not the floors or toilets, of one restroom in 10. Bathrooms with only one stall, or with more than three, were dirtiest, possibly because they had the most traffic. No word yet on unisex-bathroom health risks.

They must hope the Chase leaders' crews somehow drop a lug nut on a pivotal pit stop — or better yet, Kenseth or Johnson have an engine piece break and ruin their day. It’s like the St. Louis Cardinals hoping that the Boston Red Sox would have more poor throws to third base. It could happen, but no one would bet their house on it. The top NASCAR teams often don’t make mistakes....

FIFA 17 pays tribute to Chapecoense Jose Mourinho throws his hands up as he twirls around in despair at his full-back’s decision not to exploit the opportunity which had arisen. As Feyenoord break, Shaw then holds his position up against Jens Toornstra before suddenly racing towards the breaking Rick Karsdorp and leaving Toornstra free to collect a simple pass and run at United’s now exposed left side. Shaw slips as he finds himself in no man’s land and Mourinho wears an exasperated expression as he points his right palm towards the prone England man on the floor....

A virus is just another computer program, created by talented–but malevolent–computer masters. “Some of the best and brightest programmers have put on black hats, " says antivirus pioneer John McAfee. He’s baffled by their motivation. “What makes some people pick up a baseball bat and break automobile windows instead of hitting balls? Viruses are transmitted either by shared disks (as was Michelangelo) or over telephone lines. The virus program hides in a computer until, activated by a date, a time, or some other trigger, it springs to life....

An uptick in COVID-19 cases overwhelmed hospitals in Yakima County leaving no beds available for the influx of patients. The Yakima Health District announced on June 19 that multiple people were waiting for hospital beds, even after 17 patients had been transferred out of the county. “The health care system, because of COVID-19 infections, is so stressed, that there is no room at the hospital in Yakima County. There are no rooms available to people for this treatment in Yakima County,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said....

Kalyapin, a founder of the nonprofit Committee Against Torture in Russia (now called Crew Against Torture), is a member of the Human Rights Council, per AFP. The council said on Telegram that Kalyapin was attacked Wednesday night in the Nizhny Novgorod region by an “unknown” person who tried to “cut his face and strangle him,” before the activist was able to call the police. Kalyapin told RIA Novosti news agency that the attacker came to a birthday party and introduced himself as a police officer, AFP reported....

Crawford went down on the Fighting Irish’s first defensive drive when he forced a fumble after getting beaten in coverage. Crawford tore his Achilles on the play, which was ruled Nevada ball after review. Bad luck has followed Crawford to start his college career. The talented defensive back suffered a torn ACL in training camp last season, and will now miss the majority of his sophomore campaign with another serious injury....

But experts have pointed to an additional interesting tidbit in the research: This new vaccine may cause fewer side effects than those currently available in the U.S. Based on their data, the Novavax vaccine has a significantly lower rate of side effects compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The symptoms commonly reported were similar to those already associated with COVID-19 vaccines like fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. The company plans to file for U....

For years tasting menus were confined to a tiny upper crust of classical French restaurants. At 8-year-old Aqua in San Francisco’s financial district, executive chef Michael Mina says the popularity of tasting menus tracks the economy; around the time the Dow crossed 6000 he added one at lunch for “people who want to impress the people they’re with.” The compendious Zagat guide to New York restaurants began keeping track of tasting menus only in 1996, when it listed fewer than 30 of them; the 1999 version lists more than 80, at prices ranging from $27 per person to $120....

The corset, that icon of over-the-top femininity, is squeezing its way back into the wardrobes of women seeking a quick fix for a less-than-perfect figure. And not just as underwear. Body-conscious women are lacing up for formal occasions, to go out clubbing–even pairing up corsets with jeans for an expedition to the mall. Designers like Versace, Ungaro, Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren have seized on the trend, turning out corset dresses and tops in rich brocades, satin and lace....