5 things you need to know this weekend
Alaska, Hawaii and Washington Democrats caucus on Saturday
Washington has the biggest delegate haul (101!) of the three Democratic contests Saturday. This is a hotly contested state with Hillary Clinton dispatching both husband Bill and daughter Chelsea to campaign on her behalf this week, and there is no useful polling to show how it is leaning. Alaska (16 delegates) and Hawaii (25 delegates) also hold caucuses Saturday. Voters in Alaska and Washington meet in the morning, with Hawaii in the afternoon, so the last results will be rolling in after dinner on the East Coast.
Easter festivities get underway as Christians mark most holy day
Easter is Christianity’s most important holiday, as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ — a foundation of the Christian faith grounded in the teachings of the New Testament. For Catholics, Easter has even deeper meaning this year as it is being celebrated during the "Holy Year of Mercy," as proclaimed by Pope Francis. Religious and secular festivities are underway: The Great Peter Rabbit Hunt in England honors author Beatrix Potter, and over 65,000 eggs are hidden throughout Colorado’s Copper Mountain ski village and mountain. In need of some egg-spiration for the spring holiday? Look no further. Decorate your eggs with colored sand, galaxies and gold leaves.
March Madness: The road to the Final Four gets real
The NCAA tournament field is now down to just eight teams: Kansas, Villanova, Oregon, Oklahoma, Virginia, Notre Dame, Syracuse and North Carolina. Elite 8 action will begin Saturday with the crowing of the South and West region champions in Louisville and Anaheim, respectively. The other two regional finals will be played Sunday in Philadelphia (East) and Chicago (Midwest). You can track all the basketball action with Paste BN's bracket challenge.
Ireland marks centennial of deadly Easter Rising
One hundred years ago, a ragtag band of Irish nationalists battled the British army in central Dublin for six days in a failed attempt to win independence from the United Kingdom. The centennial of that "Easter Rising" revolt will be marked in the Irish capital on Easter Sunday with a parade and a reading of the rebels' mutinous proclamation, which beckons Ireland's people to fight "for her freedom." Yet unlike the Fourth of July, which all Americans recognize as the birth of their nation, the historical significance of Easter Rising is fading among the Irish as differences between Britain and Ireland have significantly declined.
Storms could douse Easter egg hunts
After days of stormy weather, snow will blow out of Denver area Saturday afternoon but leave behind a chill that will drop into the teens by Sunday morning, making a white Easter a reality here. As the system moves eastward, it isn't expected to have enough moisture to douse a 620-square-mile wildfire in Kansas and Oklahoma. By Sunday afternoon, the storm system will reach the Memphis area and hit some warmer, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating the potential for severe storms in eastern Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, West and Middle Tennessee, northwest Alabama and much of Mississippi.
Essentials:
On TV: Judy Garland is at her peak in Easter Parade. Also Sunday, a pair of Masterpieces return to PBS: Grantchester and Mr. Selfridge.
Need a break? Try playing some of our games.