Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

by RACHEL ELBAUM In a case as eccentric as the man at the heart of it, the remains of the famed surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dalí were exhumed on Thursday night following a paternity claim by a tarot card reader. Dalí, who died in 1989 at the age of 84, is buried under the crystal dome of the Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres in the north of Spain, around 90 miles outside of Barcelona. His tomb lies where the theater's stage used stand. Read the full story here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/salvador-dal-s-remains-be-exhumed-paternity-test-n784721

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Read more here . This person: is mentioned in NBC's story. He is currently serving his life plus 40 years sentence at the Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, New York. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

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Police hunting for suspected cop-killer Eric Frein found two "fully functional" pipe bombs in the Pennsylvania woods. State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said the explosives could have been detonated by a tripwire or lighted fuse, which he said was consistent with Frein's "gutless efforts to kill and injure law enforcement from a distance." At a news conference this afternoon, Bivens said search teams have also found other supplies Frein "hastily" left behind but declined to describe them. He also called on Frein to give up, saying the search team is “not going anywhere.” Read more at NBC News.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

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Comedian Joan Rivers has died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, according to her daughter, Melissa Rivers. She was 81. "It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers," Melissa Rivers said in a prepared statement. "She passed peacefully at 1:17 p.m. surrounded by family and close friends." Watch Lester Holt's report here .

President Barack Obama next month will award the Medal of Honor to two Vietnam soldiers and a Union Army lieutenant for his heroics during the historic Pickett's Charge assault at the Battle of Gettysburg, the White House announced Tuesday. Read more here . Photo from Wikipedia The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Dollar Tree is buying rival discount store Family Dollar in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion. NBC says the deal comes amid pressure on Family Dollar by the activist investor Carl C. Icahn, who urged the company last month to explore a sale of itself. But Family Dollar said in a statement that it had been exploring strategic options since the winter. Under the terms of Monday’s deal, Dollar Tree will pay $74.50 for each share of Family Dollar. The bid is made up of $59.60 a share in cash and Dollar Tree stock worth about $14.90. Including debt, the deal values the target company at about $9.2 billion. The bid represents a premium of nearly 23 percent to Family Dollar’s closing price on Friday. There’s no word yet on whether Dollar Tree will convert the Bradford Family Dollar in Union Square into a Dollar Tree. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

New York's top court handed a victory to opponents of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas Monday by affirming the right of municipalities to ban the practice within their borders. The state Court of Appeals affirmed a midlevel appeals court ruling from last year that said the state oil and gas law doesn't trump the authority of local governments to control land use through zoning. The two fracking cases from two central New York towns have been closely watched by drillers hoping to tap into the state's piece of the Marcellus Shale formation and by environmentalists who fear water and air pollution. Both sides are still waiting to see whether a statewide moratorium on fracking in effect since July 2008 will be lifted. The court in a 5-2 decision stressed that it did not consider the merits of fracking, but only the "home rule" authority of municipalities to regulate their land use. The court said the towns of Dryden and Middlefield both acted properly. ~~ ...

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For continuing coverage on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy go to: http://www.nbcnews.com/ It includes video from Arlington National Cemetery and Dallas, as well as many stories and interactive features. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy The Olympic torch might not be windproof, but the Zippo lighter still is. On Sunday, shortly after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicked off the four-month-long torch relay for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, the flame, which had traveled to Moscow all the way from Athens, Greece, was extinguished in a wind gust outside the Kremlin. As the torchbearer, a former champion swimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan, noticed his torch’s lack of luminance, he hustled over to nearby onlooker, possibly part of the security detail, who deftly got things back on schedule with a quick flick of his Zippo lighter. Burning brightly once more, thanks to the dependable American classic, Karapetyan continued on his leg of the relay with no more incidents. “We’re always happy to provide a reliable flame in a moment of need,” said David Warfel, director of global marketing. “We hope that everyone along the relay route has their ...

Washington DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement regarding the incident today on the Capitol Grounds. “My office has received countless calls of concern regarding the incident on the Capitol Grounds today. I was walking outside of the Capitol when I heard a popping noise that sounded like gunfire and the Capitol Police quickly directed us to appropriate nearby shelter. Once the Capitol Police gave the ok, I returned to my office. My staff sheltered in place during the incident. I appreciate the concern of Pennsylvanians. I am grateful for the fast action and professionalism of the Capitol Police and my thoughts and prayers are with officer who was injured in the incident.” Read the story from NBC News here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: DC mayor says 12 fatalities ~~~ UPDATE: A man brandishing an assault rifle, shotgun and handgun opened fire Monday inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard — killing at least seven people and wounding at least five more, including two police officers, military officials and other authorities said. ~~~ UPDATE: Two suspected shooters "are down" at the Washington Navy Yard, according to Ed Zeigler, director of public affairs for Naval District Washington. Zeigler was not able to confirm whether the suspected gunmen had been taken into custody or killed. He also said there have been "multiple deaths" at the Navy Yard. ~~~ Four people are reportedly dead and several others are injured after a person opened fire at the U.S. Naval Yard in Washington, D.C. For continuing coverage go to NBCNews.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Flames are spreading rapidly along the boardwalk in Seaside Park at the Jersey Shore after a fire started at Kohr's Ice Cream shop. The fire, which started around 2:30 p.m., appears to be getting larger, as video from Skyforce10 shows dark, thick smoke and flames rising from several block along the boardwalk. Read more at NBC.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Wastewater from the controversial practice of fracking appears to be linked to all the earthquakes in a town in Ohio that had no known past quakes, research now reveals. For the full story go to NBCNews.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

NORRISTOWN, Pa. – D. Bruce Hanes, an elected county clerk in the suburbs of Philadelphia, has become something of a gay rights hero for granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of Pennsylvania law. But the Civil War buff and married father of two says he is only doing what’s right. “I don’t see myself as a crusader,” said Hanes, 66, who issues marriage licenses as Montgomery County's register of wills and clerk of the county orphan’s court. Read more at NBC.com . Jeff Fusco photo / Getty Images for NBC News The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Since 2005, the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin has called Scranton, Pennsylvania its TV home. Production of the NBC series The Office didn’t take place in Lackawanna County, but the constant references to local businesses and other real-life features of the region were a boost to locals over the sitcom’s 9-season run. Read more from Brad Christman here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

For continuing coverage on the news from Boston go to NBCNews.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947