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Pratt Engineers Hope to Spark Love of Science in Students

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Engineers from Pratt and Whitney are working to inspire local middle school students to pursue careers in science.

At East Granby Middle School, sixth graders built hovercrafts using balloons and discs.

"We’re basically going to make this float," said sixth-grader Sara Moore. "This is a cool day because our whole morning is about learning and experimenting."

It’s part of National Engineers Week. There’s specifically a push to get young girls interested in math and science.

“We find that in middle school many students turn away from STEM career thoughts because they don’t think that they’re good at math or science or it’s not cool to be an engineer so we try to provide role models to the students,” said Pratt and Whitney engineer, Jonna Gerken.

"I think that girls and boys do like science," said Victoria Damato, a sixth-grader. "Not just boys, it’s for girls and boys. I think girls can be engineers too."

For more information on National Engineers Week and the National Society of Professional Engineers, click here. 


Volunteer Organization Offers Free Tax Preparation

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With her children in tow, Dahemia Douet lined up with dozens of others at the Hartford library Saturday to get her taxes prepared by the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program or VITA.

The volunteer organization sets up across the state during tax season to help those making under $54,000 per year file for free by appointment. Saturday, they accepted walk-ins for their VITA Dollars and Sense Day.

“I paid the year before but once I discovered Vita I decided I’m not gonna pay again, why should I,” said Douet. “It’s very important. It saves us money where we could spend on groceries.”

The program is sponsored by the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Laura O’Keefe, the financial stability director for the Village for Families and Children, a key partner in the program, said she hopes to do more than just save families money.

“Help them to understand what their tax return is really about,” said O’Keefe. “It’s also an opportunity to help people think about their finances in a broader sense.”

The program helped more than 12,000 people in central and northeast Connecticut get back about $28 million in refunds last year alone.

“You know, those without the internet and knowledge of a computer, you know you need places like this for people to go to,” said Dawn Rioux.

The Hartford resident said she usually files on her own, filling out the paperwork by hand, but technology has taken over the tax business.

“Tax preparation is somewhat complicated, a little intimidating, so we’re able to help with that,” added O’Keefe.

VITA volunteers will continue to provide the free tax filing service through April 17, in the hopes of helping people move ahead and build a solid financial future.

Find the full list of locations here. To make an appointment, dial 211.

By the Numbers: A Curling Conquest, Big Air Stunner

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The team of “rejects” made curling history for the United States, a surprise win in big air’s Olympic debut, and a squirrel flirted with death on the slopes. Here are the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers:

5 The American men’s curling team, once known as “The Rejects,” celebrated its first gold medal after defeating Sweden, the top ranked team in the world. The captain, or skip, John Shuster scored an exceedingly rare five points in a period with his final rock in the eighth end — making the score 10-5 and assuring an almost certain win. Shuster had come back from such a dreadful performance at the Sochi Games that he was cut from the U.S.’s national high-performance program. The four-time Olympian returned to the Olympics with a new team — Tyler George, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner and alternate Joe Polo — and after they squeaked through the early games, defeated Sweden 10-7 in the fifth straight win over the best curlers in the world.

Shuster was a member of the only other U.S. curling team to win a medal, a bronze in Turin in 2006. Before the match, Mr. T made a good luck call and Diddy posted a good luck message online. President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, was in the audience along with the king of Sweden.

10 — A Canadian won the men’s big air in the event’s Olympic debut, just not the one everyone was expecting. Sebastien Toutant took the first-ever gold while teammates, Max Parrot and Mark McMorris, the event’s favorites, failed to medal after several falls. Toutant was ranked 10th at the end of the last World Cup season and had had back problems in the months before the Winter Games. He won with a combined score of 174.25 from his two best runs. “A couple of months ago I couldn’t even snowboard so it definitely feels great that I‘m able to ride at my best and to put the tricks down,” he told Reuters.

American Kyle Mack took the silver medal, a stunning comeback after a 10th-place finish in the qualifying. “The whole reason I wanted to do snowboarding is to bring style into snowboarding,” Mack said. “It's the main thing I've always worked at.” Great Britain’s Billy Morgan won the bronze. The U.S.'s Chris Corning finished fourth, and Red Gerard, the gold medal winner in the earlier slopestyle event, was right in fifth. Norway's Marcus Kleveland had already been eliminated in the qualifying round.

2 Ester Ledecka pulled off a rare Olympic double on Saturday, becoming the first woman to win gold in two sports at the same Winter Olympics. Ledecka returned to her best known sport, snowboarding, and won the parallel giant slalom to go with her shocking skiing victory in the Alpine super-G earlier in the Winter Games.


The Czech star, top-ranked on the snowboarding circuit but never a threat until now in skiing, outraced Selina Joerg of Germany to the line in the final and won by 0.46 seconds. Compare that to 0.01-second edge in the super-G race that left her and the rest of the field in shock.

She is the third athlete to win gold in two winter sports at the same Games, according to Gracenote Olympic, a company providing Olympic sports statistics. The last time was in 1928 in St. Moritz, when Norway’s Johan Groettumsbraaten won gold in both cross-country skiing and the Nordic combined. Four years earlier Thorleif Haug accomplished the same.

15 Japan’s Nana Takagi blasted past her opposition to win the first women’s mass start speedskating gold medal, ahead of Kim Bo-reum of South Korea. This is Takagi’s second gold medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics.

Irene Schouten of the Netherlands won bronze after skating too wide on the final corner and had to settle for bronze Saturday.

In the men’s event, top favorite Lee Seung-hoon skated unleashed a final sprint that no one could match to take gold for South Korea. He has now won five Olympic medals from 2010 through 2018.

This was South Korea’s first speedskating gold of the Pyeongchang Games, and its 15th medal overall, a new record. It won 14 medals in Vancouver in 2010, according to Gracenote Olympic.

Belgian inline skater Bart Swings took silver ahead of Koen Verweij of the Netherlands on Saturday.

5-3 Japan's women's curling team captured the country's first Olympic medal in the sport, a bronze. The match at Gangneung Curling Centre pit Japan against 2014 bronze medalist Great Britain. Japan won 5-3 in a tight game. 

No Japanese team, men, women or mixed doubles, had until now won an Olympic medal in curling. Great Britain's women's team took gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. 

Going for the gold are South Korea's "Garlic Girls," named for the garlic grown in their hometown. They've become a global sensation with their success though they likely don't know it. They've turned off their phones to keep distractions away. They will play Sweden tonight at 7:05 p.m. Watch live on NBCSN at 7:05 p.m. ET or on digital platforms.

2-1 Switzerland beat the top-seeded Austria in the Alpine team skiing event in its Olympic debut. With the Swiss leading 2-1, they locked up the win when Austrian Marco Schwarz skied out along the side-by-side parallel slalom course.

6-4 Canada took the bronze medal in hockey Saturday, beating the Czech Republic 6-4 for what would be an accomplishment for many players. But for the country said to have originated the modern-day sport and which already has nine hockey golds, it was a sore disappointment. Its defeat to the Russian team was described in the national media as a crushing loss and a dark day for Canadian hockey.

The gold medal match up between the Russian team and Germany will be played tonight at 11 p.m. ET. Because of a doping scandal that affected the country’s entire Olympic program, the Russian national team has been banned from these Olympics — and the competitors are called the Olympic Athletes from Russia name. Watch live on NBCSN beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday or on digital platforms.

7 Snowboarder Austria’s Daniela Ulbing just managed to dodge a grey squirrel that darted onto the slope during the heats for the women’s parallel giant slalom. Ulbing won her heat, and went on to finish 7th in the race. The squirrel ran free of the course. “When you think you’ve seen everything at the Olympic Winter Games...,” the announcer said. 

38 Norway leads the medals table with 13 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze. That breaks the record set at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics by the Americans, who won 37 medals.



Photo Credit: Natacha Pisarenko/AP
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Griswold Man Killed in Crash

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A Griswold man is dead after a crash on Stone Hill Road early Saturday morning.

Connecticut State Police said 27-year-old Kyle Emmerthal was driving near 270 Stone Hill Road around 12:30 a.m. when he went off the road and hit a stone wall and a tree.

Emmerthal was ejected from the vehicle. He was rushed to Backus Hospital where he died of his injuries.

No one else was in the vehicle at the time, police said.

Debris from the crash caused minor property damage.

The crash remains under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Man Killed in Shooting on Henry Street in Hartford

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A 37-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Hartford Saturday.

Police said the victim, who was not publicly identified, was found in his home on Henry Street around noon, suffering a gunshot wound to the neck. He was rushed to Hartford Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to police, there was some kind of scuffle outside the home that led up to the shooting. The victim returned to his home when he was shot.

Officers have recovered evidence on scene and have several suspects. Investigators believe the victim was known to the suspect. It is unclear if the incident was premeditated.

A family member of the victim was also taken to the hospital after punching a window and causing damage.

The Hartford Police Department Major Crimes unit and Crime Scene Division are investigating. Henry Street remains closed near Grandview Terrace.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Meriden Man Tried to Run Over Officer, Fled Police: CSP

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A Meriden man is accused of trying to run over a police officer and fleeing from police after an incident at Mohegan Sun Saturday.

Connecticut State Police said they arrested 22-year-old Justin Eccleston after a high-speed car chase.

State police said their involvement began when Mohegan Tribal Police reported that a suspect, later identified as Eccleston, in an assault investigation attempted to run over one of their officers with an SUV.

State police spotted the suspect’s vehicle on I-395 and followed it down Route 2 west. Police said the vehicle reached speeds over 100 mph while driving in a posted 55, and ran stop signs during the pursuit.

The suspect eventually exited the highways and crashed into a tree on Waterman Road in Lebanon. According to police, officers found a large amount of marijuana in the vehicle.

Eccleston was taken to the local hospital for possible injuries from the crash and arrested upon his release. He was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, engaging in pursuit, and drug charges. He was held on a $25,000 bond.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Read the Full Democratic House Intel Memo

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The Democrat's House Intelligence Committee memo, drafted to counter GOP allegations about abuse of government surveillance powers in the FBI's Russia probe, has been released. Read the full document below.



Photo Credit: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images, File

SOCT Celebrates 50th Anniversary at Annual Winter Games

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Special Olympics Connecticut is celebrating its 50th anniversary with almost 1,000 athletes and partners competing in the annual Winter Games.

This year’s games are being held at multiple locations across Hartford County on February 24 and February 25.

Floor hockey will take place at the Pratt and Whitney hanger on Saturday and Sunday.

There's also ice skating and speed skating in Simsbury and gymnastics in Plainville.

The public is encouraged to attend and cheer the athletes on throughout the weekend.

With temperatures expected to hit the 50s in the Hartford area Saturday, organizers struggled with the lack of snow and were forced to cancel the Alpine skiing and snowboarding events, and shorten the cross-country skiing. But that didn’t dampen the excitement at the Opening Ceremony in East Hartford.

Months of hard work and dedication went into organizing the games for the Special Olympics athletes. The annual Winter Games gives athletes of all abilities the chance to play sports and compete with their peers.

For more information and specific event information, click here. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

22-Year-Old Killed in Winchester, Mass. Library Stabbing

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One person was killed Saturday after a double stabbing in a public library in Winchester, Massachusetts.

The victim, a 22-year-old woman, has not been identified by police, and a man is in custody in connection with the stabbing.

Fire officials said the stabbing happened at the Winchester Public Library on Main Street around 10:30 a.m.

The second victim, identified only as a 77-year-old man, remains hospitalized. Police are saying the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to help the woman.

The man taken into custody has been identified as Jeffrey Yao, 23, of Winchester. According to police, Yao stabbed both victims with a 10-inch hunting blade. He was previously known to police.

Both victims were transported to an area hospital, said police. The 77-year-old victim was treated for a stab wound to his arm. The 22-year-old victim suffered numerous stab wounds to her head and upper torso, police said. She subsequently died from her injuries.

Investigators said the female victim had been sitting at a table when the suspect allegedly approached her unprovoked and stabbed her multiple times. According to the police, she tried to make her way to the front lobby to escape. A number of patrons came to her aid, at which point the 77-year-old victim was also stabbed, police said.

Yao is charged with murder and assault with attempt to murder. He is being held without bail pending his arraignment on Monday. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.

Police are investigating possible motives for the attack.

Hartford Firefighters Respond to 2 Fires; One May be Arson

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Hartford firefighters are battling two fires in the capital city Saturday evening, and authorities are looking into whether one of the incidents is arson.

Crews responded to a house fire near the intersection of Brook Street and Albany Avenue, as well as a fire at 363 Zion Street. Resources are strained and mutual aid has been requested, fire officials said.

Hartford Police Deputy Chief Brian Foley tweeted that detectives are looking into whether the Brook Street fire is arson.

Details were not immediately available.



Photo Credit: Randolph Calloway

For Gay Parents, First Comes the Baby, Then Debt

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For a heterosexual couple having a baby can be expensive but for gay couples having a baby means more than just hospital bills, NBC News reported. 

The average US hospital baby delivery can costs up to $3,800 according to a 2011 Agency for Healthcare Research report. But fertitlity treatments, surrogacy, legal fees and hospital care can costs more than 10 times the average delivery costs.

The Family Equality Council, an advocacy organization for LGBTQ families, said for gay couples the cost easily exceeds $100,000, NBC News reported. Legals fees are an additional costs depending on state laws. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Furlong

3 Deputies Didn't Enter Parkland School: Sources

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Three Broward sheriff's deputies remained outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when they could have gone inside the freshman building, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people and wounded six others, two law enforcement sources told NBC News.

The reason the deputies stayed outside is currently unclear. 

Scot Peterson, the school’s resource officer, allegedly waited outside while havoc erupted within. According to Brandon Huff, a student at Stoneman Douglas, Peterson “was just standing there,” pointing his firearm toward the building where Cruz was committing mass murder.

Huff said he sprinted to the freshman building after receiving a text message from his girlfriend, who told him there was a shooter in the building. When he got there, he saw Peterson with his gun.

“I thought he was aiming it at somebody and you could hear gunshots going off in the building, the freshman building, over and over,” he said.

Peterson resigned Thursday after Sheriff Scott Israel suspended him without pay. Israel also launched an internal affairs investigation into why Peterson did not do what he was trained to do: enter the building and confront an active school shooter.

The Sheriff’s Office has not yet confirmed or denied whether the allegations against the three officers are true, but Sheriff Scott Israel said they are currently investigating the claims, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

In a statement, the Coral Springs Police Department said they have yet to officially comment on the allegations.

“The Coral Springs Police Department is aware of media reports published regarding Broward Sheriff’s Deputies who responded to the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018,” the statement read. “The Coral Springs Police Department has not made any official statements to media regarding these allegations as it is still an open and active investigation being handled by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.”

The department continued to say there were numerous deputies and officers who responded to the incident, “whose actions were nothing short of heroic.”



Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

First Alert Nor'easter Possible End of Week

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A strong nor'easter could bring rain, snow, high winds and flooding to Connecticut by the end of the week.

NBC Connecticut's meteorologists have issued a First Alert for the storm, which is forecasted to begin Thursday.

Current models show Thursday starting off as gloomy and rainy, with the heavier rain and wind picking up on Thursday night and into Friday.

There is a threat of flooding along the shoreline as the storm moves through Connecticut.

The track of the storm will be key as to what parts of the state see some snow.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Microwave Mishap Prompts Evacuations at San Diego Airport

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Food burned inside a microwave in a break room at the San Diego International Airport prompted evacuations at Terminal 1 Saturday, fire officials confirmed.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) said the microwave mishap happened around 1:30 p.m. and led officials to evacuate travelers from the terminal in case of a fire emergency.

No one was hurt.

Some travelers posted about the evacuation on Twitter, with one woman adding, “Good thing it’s nice out.”

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Further details were not immediately released.



Photo Credit: Dean DeLisle
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Jonathan Harris Announces Run for Governor

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Former Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris has announced he is running for governor.

The Democrat launched an exploratory campaign last April. On Saturday he declared his run with a video announcement on his campaign website, followed by a press conference in West Hartford.

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Harris told supporters he will focus on job creation, economic development and education as the cornerstones of his campaign.

“Economic development will not only create jobs in our state, it will build the vibrant neighborhoods where millennials, who will build our future, want to live and work. We will create jobs in all of our communities, large and small, urban, suburban and rural, whose futures are now more intertwined and interdependent than ever,” Harris said.

Harris stepped down as DCP commissioner in April. He is also a former mayor of West Hartford and state senator. He said his previous experience proves he has a track record of working on these issues.

In addition to public service, Harris practiced law for 20 years. He also formed and operated a real estate and economic development business.

Other Democrats running include Ned Lamont, Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim and former Veterans Affairs Commissioner Sean Connolly. Middletown Mayor Dan Drew ended his run in January after struggling to raise money.



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Colchester Kindergartener Died of Flu Complications: Family

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Family members have identified the kindergartener from Colchester who passed away this week and said he died of complications from the flu.

Morgan Katzman Pappa, the child’s godmother, told NBC Connecticut that 6-year-old DeMarcus White tested positive and was diagnosed with the flu before his death. He died from complications Wednesday.

White was a student at Colchester Elementary School. School officials said school psychologists and social workers will be on hand at the school to provide support to students and staff for as long as needed.

Calling hours for White will be 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday night at the Aurora McCarthy Funeral Home in Colchester. The funeral will be private.

White's death comes in addition to the 97 deaths related to the flu reported in Connecticut between Aug. 27 and Feb. 17.




Photo Credit: Family Photo/ NBC Connecticut

Wintry Mix Could Cause Icing Issues in Northern CT Sunday

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Winter weather advisories have been issued for parts of northern Connecticut ahead of a wintry mix moving in Sunday morning.

Sunday morning rain develops, moving in from the west in the early morning hours. Areas north of Hartford will see more of a wintry mix with some icing possible in the hills. It changes over to a cold rain, though there could be some stubborn spots of ice up north. The rest of the state should see a quick changeover to rain.

Winter weather advisories have been issued for Hartford, Litchfield, Tolland and Windham counties for 1 a.m. through 1 p.m. Sunday.

Temperatures are expected in the mid-30s inland and into the 40s along the shoreline.

On Monday temperatures creep back up into the 50s.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Golden Feeling: Emotions from Team USA After Winning Gold

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Chloe Kim wiped away a tear as she stood on the podium after winning a gold medal in the women's halfpipe. John Landsteiner of the U.S. men's curling team thanked Mr. T after winning gold. David Wise, gold medalist in men's skiing halfpipe, invited his kids onto the podium, then posted a video.

The reactions of athletes winning a gold medal at the Olympics represent some of the best moments at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. 

"I hate crying but I'll give myself a pass for this one," Kim wrote in the caption to the post-gold photo collage, which including her wiping away a tear. "Thank you everyone for the love! Stoked to bring home the gold."

During the U.S. curling team's run to America's first ever curling gold medal, the team picked up an unexpected fan: Mr. T. Before the gold medal match against Sweden, Mr. T called the team and gave them a pep talk. 

Landsteiner's first tweet following the gold win was: "Thank you @MrT!!!!"

Three-time Olympian Shaun White's comeback success in Pyeongchang after failing to medal four years ago in Sochi was highly anticipated. After his gold medal performance, White posted just three words to Twitter plus emoticons, "WE DID IT"

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Wise shared the podium with his children after taking the gold medal in ski halfpipe for the second consecutive Olympics. Wise posted a video to Twitter of his two children joining him on the podium as he held his skis and the American flag. 

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Hilary Knight of the women's hockey team helped to end America's 20 year drought from hockey gold after beating Canada. Knight posted a selfie with her teammate and medal, and other photos, to celebrate.

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After winning gold in the giant slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin shared what she was thinking as she smiled for the cameras. She posted a Getty image of herself holding the American flag and tweeted: "Stars in the right hand, stripes in the left.. make sure it’s right side up.." 

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Red Gerard, who won the United States' first gold medal of the games in snowboarding slopestyle, posted about his feelings on Instagram following the awards ceremony: "The last 24 hours have been so much more amazing than I can even explain. Speechless. Olympic �� BABY."



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Winter Olympics Close With Rocking Ceremony in Pyeongchang

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Watch NBC's coverage of the Olympic closing ceremony in primetime on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games came to a close Sunday in Pyeongchang with a colorful, firework-filled show that featured Korean pop, high-tech dancing and even a little bit of politics before the Olympic flag was passed to Beijing, host of the 2022 Winter Games.

The final medals of the Games were handed out and the coordinated drone show that was a highlight of the opening ceremony returned, this time live over the stadium. When the Chinese delegation took over the Olympic flag, two glowing pandas slid across the floor of the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. After the cauldron was extinguished, a DJ led the stadium in a dance party as fireworks went off.

The ceremony caps two weeks of games played under the threat of nuclear conflict between the host nation, South Korea, and its brutally authoritarian neighbor to the north. Yet the Olympics also featured some of the most hopeful signs of diplomacy since war was declared between North and South in 1950, as their athletes marched together in the opening ceremony and competed as one team in women's hockey. South Korean President Moon Jae-in was invited to visit the north, and Sunday, Moon's office said Pyongyang is ready to hold talks with the United States.

The Korean athletes marched under separate flags for the closing ceremony, but IOC President Thomas Bach credited their joint march in the opening ceremony with embodying faith in a peaceful future.

"You have shown how sport brings people together in our very fragile world. You have shown how sport builds bridges," Bach said.

The closing ceremony opened with a phalanx of paint-splattered cross-country skiers gliding across the floor, where they danced and formed the Olympic rings. Soon, a teenager was shredding guitar to a song played by traditional Korean and modern rock instruments as dancers in glowing costumes that recalled the movie "Tron" performed under the Olympic cauldron.

Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins carried the American flag out at the stadium, following the remarkable upset victory she and Kikkan Randall achieved in the women's team sprint, the United States' first gold in cross-country skiing in 42 years.

Tonga's famous flagbearer, Pita Taufatofua, once again held the country's flag aloft, though he wasn't topless like in the opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang and Rio — until he, Lindsey Vonn and other athletes returned to the spotlight at the end of the ceremony to help bring the Olympic Games to a close with a finger heart gesture.

Taufatofua was one of several callbacks to the opening ceremony. The coordinated drones formed the shape of the mascot Soohorang surrounded by a heart. According to reports on social media, even the impersonaters of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump were back.

The athletes marched into the stadium en masse, waving flags as a band played jaunty music. The team of Russian athletes was not allowed to march under the Russian flag after the International Olympic Committee decided to uphold a doping ban.


The final medals of the Pyeongchang Games were handed out, to the winners of the long-distance mass start cross-country skiing races.

American athletes 23 won medals at the Olympics, the fourth-most of the Olympics, including nine gold. Norway won 39 medals — the most at any Winter Olympics. Germany and Canada came second and third in the medal standings.

These Games saw breakout performances from athletes as young as teenagers, like 15-year-old Russian figure skating champion Alina Zagitova and 17-year-old gold medal-winning American snowboarders Chloe Kim and Red Gerard, and as old as 35, like U.S. curling skip John Shuster, who guided his team to new heights with five straight wins.

The American medal hual was disappointing, especially in the marquee event of figure skating — Team USA won bronze in the team event and ice dancing, but no individual medals. But there were other highlights, including the first American women's hockey victory since 1998 and Gus Kenworthy, one of the team's first publically out Winter Olympians, sharing a kiss with his boyfriend that was broadcast on TV.


Politics were not as present in the closing ceremony as at the opening, where U.S. Vice President Mike Pence didn't stand when the unified Korean team marched into the stadium. Nor did he shake hands with the sister of dictator Kim Jong Un, who was seated nearby.

President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, led the American delegation to the closing ceremony. The North Korean delegation was led by Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the ruling party's central committee and a former head of the North's military intelligence accused of masterminding a deadly attack on a South Korean warship.

Trump sat near Kim, but wasn't seen interacting with him. Kim stood for the South Korean national anthem.


Korean pop stars were the show-stopping heart of the closing ceremony, with singer CL rapping with flames shooting off around her and boy band EXO riding into the stadium on ATVs.

At the next Winter Games, Beijing may be able to upstage the ceremonies in Pyeongchang. Its performances at the 2008 Summer Games were highly choreographed spectacles remembered as some of the greatest in Olympic history.



Photo Credit: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
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USA's Kenworthy Bashes Ivanka Trump During Closing Ceremony

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For two weeks in Pyeongchang, the Winter Olympics have mostly served as a respite from the daily grind of politics back in the United States. For at least one Team USA athlete, that changed leading up to and during the closing ceremony.

Gus Kenworthy, a freestyle skier from Colorado who finished 12th in the ski slopestyle event, fired off two pointed tweets Sunday night in South Korea.

After the Olympic Athletes from Russia beat Germany in the men's hockey gold medal game, Kenworthy retweeted a Los Angeles Times story with the comment, "Russia's biggest win since the 2016 US Presidential election!"

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Hours later, after the opening ceremony had begun, he tweeted a photo of Team USA athletes preparing to enter the stadium, with this message: "So proud of all these people! Everybody here has worked so hard to make it to the Olympics and have the opportunity to walk in the closing ceremony! Well... Everyone except Ivanka. Honestly, tf is she doing here??"

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Kenworthy, who won silver in slopestyle four years ago in Sochi, was referring to Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump. Ivanka Trump, now a senior advisor to the president, is leading the official U.S. government delegation to the closing ceremony.

Before attending the closing ceremony, Trump watched Team USA win the gold medal in the men's curling competition. She also watched the bobsled finals and the mass start speedspkating.

“I’m so excited to be here," Ivanka Trump said in a statement to reporters. "It’s just so incredibly inspiring. It’s been an amazing couple of days, and such an honor and privilege to be here with our allies in South Korea and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished as a culture, a society economically and, of course, in sport."

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