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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
‘We can rest when we retire’: Rashford...
With 46 appearances for his club and his country in less than six months, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is pushing his body to the limit in a condensed soccer season like no other. He’d have it no other way. “It’s the life of a footballer — we can rest when we retire,” Rashford said Wednesday, a day before appearance No. 47 when United plays AC Milan in the highest-profile match in the Europa League’s last 16. “For now,...

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Virus-hit Dutch election enters final day; Rutte...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch voters cast their ballots Wednesday, practicing strict social distancing, at thousands of polling stations across the Netherlands on the final day of a general election overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. School gyms, churches, museums, concert halls and at least one windmill were pressed into service as voting centers by authorities looking for venues where people could vote safely amid rising infection rates. In Amsterdam, cyclists and drivers voted in a drive-thru facility at...

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US News unveils its list of 2021’s...
For car shoppers, parenthood means changing up that wish list. Safety becomes an even more important factor, as does convenience, and it’s through that lens that U.S. News & World Report evaluated 86 different vehicles for its list of the 2021 Best Cars for Families, released on Tuesday. “The winners of these awards have the best combination of safety, reliability, space, convenience and connectivity,” said Jamie Page Deaton, executive editor for U.S. News Best Cars. This year, Toyota won...

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What to expect as a first-time pandemic...
As vaccines go into arms, more and more people are expected to do something they put off last year due to COVID-19: travel. According to a survey done by travel company Expedia, almost half of the 2,200 people surveyed in December said widely available vaccines would make them comfortable traveling. Forty-two percent of Americans said news about vaccines makes them more hopeful about traveling this year, with some already choosing to book trips. When people arrive at airports or...

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Nobody comes for free in NFL free...
The term in use these days is “legal tampering.” Doesn’t seem sensible, and some might call it the “cheating period” instead. Regardless, on Monday, two days before the NFL’s 2021 business year begins, the 32 teams and agents for the players will be making deals. Lots of deals, even if they aren’t official until Wednesday. “I hate calling it the legal tampering period because that just seems like that’s a debacle of the English language,” Rams general manager Les...

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Doja Cat, DaBaby, Noah Cyrus lead fashion...
NEW YORK (AP) — Doja Cat went for neon feathers and a moto jacket-inspired leather dress zipped allll the way down and DaBaby brightened up the Grammys in a bright mustard and green floral suit as music’s big night Sunday offered a luxe fashion moment for the stars. Dressed in Roberto Cavalli, Doja Cat’s look included cat-claw zips on each arm. DaBaby, his mom, Linda by his side in red, rocked Dolce & Gabbana. “I want to be the...

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Cap constraints could limit Saints in free...
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-5) UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: QB Jameis Winston, DE Trey Hendrickson, DT Sheldon Rankins, LB Craig Robertson, DB PJ Williams, S Marcus Williams (franchise tag), DB Justin Hardee, DB Johnson Bademosi, S D.J. Swearinger, FB Michael Burton, RT James Hurst, WR Bennie Fowler, DB Ken Crawley, LB Alex Anzalone, WR Austin Carr. RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: C Will Clapp. NEEDS: The Saints were a deep team last season, so many of their potential losses in free agency will...

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NBA has a record day with 5...
An NBA-record five players had triple-doubles Saturday, including former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook in the same game. All-Stars James Harden, Julius Randle and Domantas Sabonis also had triple-doubles in victories by their teams. Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to help Milwaukee beat Washington 125-119. The two-time MVP helped the Bucks overcome 42 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds by Westbrook, who owns the NBA record with 42 triple-doubles in 2016-17. Triple-doubles have since...

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Livestream concert calendar for March 12-March 30
When I’m not in the WTOP traffic center, chances are you’ll find me out at a concert, which is why it’s been such an adjustment for me during COVID-19. What’s a music lover to do? Live concert streams! There is something for everyone, from national acts playing for charity to local faves trying to earn a living. Check out our roundup of options below and offer tips by emailing rkessler@wtop.com. March 12 5 p.m. – Rufus Wainwright presents A Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective:...

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The Latest: South Korea extends social distancing...
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is extending its current measures on social distancing for at least another two weeks as it struggles to slow coronavirus infections in the greater capital area. The measures include clamping down on private social gatherings of five or more people nationwide and prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants and bars in the Seoul metropolitan area after 10 p.m. Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a briefing Friday that health authorities will inspect...

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USA Basketball picks 57 players for men’s...
USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. Among the group: 16 players who have already won Olympic gold medals for the U.S., including three-time gold winner LeBron James and two-time gold medalists Kevin Durant and Chris Paul. The other past gold medalists under consideration for spots this summer are Harrison...

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Mickey Guyton, Keith Urban to host ACM...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country stars Mickey Guyton and Keith Urban are taking over as hosts for the Academy of Country Music Awards in April. With the announcement on Thursday by the ACM, dick clark productions and CBS, Guyton will make history as the first Black woman to host the country awards show. The show will air on CBS on April 18 from three Nashville music venues. Guyton is also performing at Grammy Awards on Sunday, where she will...

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Erivo on near-EGOT status: ‘I’m just going...
NEW YORK (AP) — “The Color Purple” turned into Grammy, Tony and Emmy gold for Cynthia Erivo. The performer’s brilliant performance in the Broadway revival won her the 2016 Tony for best actress in a musical. She performed songs from the play on the “Today” show, earning the Daytime Emmy for outstanding music performance in a daytime program. And the show’s soundtrack won best musical theater album at the 2017 Grammys. “I guess I didn’t expect to be this...

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FireEye CEO: Reckless Microsoft hack unusual for...
RESTON, Va. (AP) — Cyber sleuths have already blamed China for a hack that exposed tens of thousands of servers running its Exchange email program to potential hacks. The CEO of a prominent cybersecurity firm says it now seems clear China also unleashed an indiscriminate, automated second wave of hacking that opened the way for ransomware and other cyberattacks. The second wave, which began Feb. 26, is highly uncharacteristic of Beijing’s elite cyber spies and far exceeds the norms...

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ANALYSIS: Communist Party seeking China’s ‘rejuvenation’
BEIJING (AP) — The catchword “rejuvenation” has been tucked into the major speeches at China’s biggest political event of the year, the meeting of its 3,000-member legislature. It encapsulates the ruling Communist Party’s overriding long-term objective: To build the nation into a truly global power, one that commands respect from the rest of the world. That goal is intertwined with another one: retaining a hold on power. The party keeps a tight grip by censoring the digital space, controlling...

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