So John Kerry is it. In case you've been living under a rock since last night when he swept all but one state on Super Tuesday, Senator Kerry is going to be the Democratic candidate facing George Bush in November. In response to the nomination, the Bush campaign has begun spending some of their money buying re-election ads in key states in what could shape up to be a very tight race. The congressional Republicans have already started to plan votes that could potentially put Senator Kerry on what they see to be the loosing side of key issues such as gun control, abortion and gay rights.

The Passion of the Christ continues to set records, today beating the five-day box office record previously held by the third installment of Lord of the Rings with ticket sales of $125 million. Moviegoers in Georgia have complained that the number 666 is appearing on their tickets to see The Passion, though the theatres said that it was a random event caused by the computer that prints the tickets. And in case you missed it, here is a hypothetical blooper reel from the movie. In other movie news, Sony studios have already begun work on Spiderman 3, even though the sequel to the first Spiderman has yet to hit theatres.

The situation in Haiti continues to be problematic, as the rebel forces have become a de facto police force in the absence of international peacekeepers. One of the rebel leaders, Guy Philippe, has declared himself to be the new military chief amidst calls from the United States for the rebel groups to disarm themselves. Ottawa has revealed that it planned for a military intervention last week while attempting to broker a diplomatic solution between the former president and the opposition parties.

In brief:
- Research published in the journal of the American Medical Association has uncovered a non-invasive technique to test whether a fetus has genetic abnormalities.
- The Christian Science Monitor looks more in depth about the recent claim that there was water on Mars, while the New York Times reminds us that water does not necessarily equal life.
- Remember cold fusion? It might be back as Sonofusion.
- McDonalds is eliminating their supersized fries and drinks as they face pressure from potential lawsuits because of soaring obesity rates.
- A Deutche Welle editorial praises the new interim constitution in Iraq, comparing its development to post-WWII Germany.
- Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez has narrowly missed being recalled by a popular petition.
- The United Nations has issued a warning of possible human rights atrocities in Sudan.
- Despite being charged with violating New York's domestic relations law, the mayor of New Paltz, New York is continuing to marry same-sex couples.
- Governor Schwarzenegger has stated that he will accept sam-sex marriages if the voters and courts approve it.
- The construction Jewish settlements in the occupied territories have increased 35% over last year even amidst the talk of evacuating the Gaza Strip.
- The United Nations has issued a concern that Vancouver’s safe injection sites constitute a violation of international drug law.
- Don't try to microwave the new $20 bills -- they might explode!