5 things you need to know Friday
1. Study: Gay men tan more and get more skin cancer
Gay and bisexual men in the United States are twice as likely as heterosexual men to get skin cancer, a new study shows. One reason: Gay and bisexual men are three times more likely to engage in indoor tanning, according to the study to be presented Friday at a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. Tanning, whether in the sun or in a tanning bed, can cause skin cancer, including melanoma, the most dangerous kind.
2. March Madness heats up with 16 games on tap
The NCAA tournament's round of 64 tipped off in exciting fashion Thursday, with a few bracket-busting upsets. So how about an encore? Sixteen second-round games are in the books. But another 16 are on tap for Friday. Top seeds Duke and Wisconsin will be in action, and underdogs Buffalo and Valparaiso will look to become Cinderellas in the Midwest Region.
3. All on this freaky Friday: Solar eclipse, Supermoon, spring equinox
What a week for skywatchers! The first day of spring brings a solar eclipse and a Supermoon. One caveat: The total eclipse won't be visible in the USA and will be seen only by folks on some rather remote islands in far northern Europe. But a partial solar eclipse will be visible across all of Europe, northern Africa and much of northern Asia, according to Space.com. This is the Earth's first — and only — total solar eclipse of 2015. Two other astronomical events will take place Friday: the spring (or vernal) equinox, which marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and a so-called Supermoon.
4. Spring is here, but we're not done with snowy weather
Speaking of the spring equinox, it means that spring is officially here. But don't pack away your scarf and gloves just yet, because wintry weather is hanging on for at least another day in the beleaguered Northeast. The swath of heaviest snow, 3-6 inches, will stretch from the West Virginia panhandle to western Maryland, central and eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and interior southeastern New York state,according to AccuWeather.
5. Police to release more details of Food Network finalist's death
Authorities are expected to reveal more details at a Friday news conference about the deaths of a celebrity chef, her husband and their unborn fetus in North Carolina. The suspect in the case appears to have ties to a teen's disappearance 15 years ago in a nearby town. Cristie Schoen Codd was a finalist on the "Next Food Network Star" TV show. A neighbor, Robert Jason Owens, is charged in her death and in the death of her husband, J.T. Codd, and their unborn fetus. Owens also was the main suspect in the disappearance of Zebb Quinn, an 18-year-old who vanished in 2000. Sheriff Van Duncan said he'll talk more about the cases in an afternoon news conference.
And, the essentials:
Weather: The first day of spring will feature more rain across the southern tier while a snowstorm pelts portions of the Northeast.
Stocks: Wall Street stock futures tilted higher.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch this weekend? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Glee's series finale, The Good Wife and HBO's comedies end their seasons.
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