The UN says civilians continue to bear the brunt of violence in Syria, this was the assessment made by the head of the United Nations-appointed panel probing human rights abuses in the country, noting that the use of force by the military against armed groups has often led to collective punishment.

Those killed over the past year since the pro-democracy uprising began include more than 500 children, Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told the UN Human Right Council in Geneva.

The calendar says we're in March, but these temperatures feel more like May.

On the heels of the fourth-warmest winter on record, unseasonably high temperatures this week will soar to as much as 35 degrees higher than expected, while hundreds of weather records will be likely set from the nation' Midwest to the Northeast.

When it comes to flowers and plants, the warmth will accelerate spring.
This weather pattern has already begun in some spots: For example, here in NYC, temperatures peaked at 71 degrees, tying a record that had stood since 1890.

NYC Council to urge Congress to reject H.R. 7, keep transit funding intact. Efforts are underway in Washington to derail funding for mass transit in H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012. As proposed, this legislation would remove dedicated funding for mass transit around the nation. Since the Reagan Administration, the Highway Trust Fund has been used to provide capital dollars to transit agencies. The legislation, as written, could cost the MTA more than a billion dollars annually.

New Rochelle retained its ranking as one of the five safest cities among cities its size nationally in 2010, according to the 2011 Annual Report released this week by the New Rochelle Police Department. The City was the 5th safest city nationwide out of 60 cities with comparable population. This marks the eleventh consecutive year as one of the five safest. Additionally, the City of New Rochelle has the lowest crime rate among similar municipalities in Westchester County and New York State.