Nation/World

First Watch: Beatlemania turns 50, the View from Mars, and Sochi

The 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter games officially kick off today at 11 a.m. EST. Despite concerns over Russia's preparations, the first day of events went off without a hitch, McClatchy's team reports from Sochi.

Ready or not, Russia welcomes world to Winter Games

With global spotlight on Sochi, human rights activists look for openings to challenge Russian law

For Olympic athletes, a comfortable place in Sochi to call home

Fifty years ago today, the Beatles set foot on American soil for the first time. Sunday marks the iconic English rock band's performance on CBS's Ed Sullivan show. The Ed Sullivan Theater, which now houses David Letterman, unveiled a special marquee to commemorate the event.

And finally, NASA's Mars rover marked a milestone yesterday. The mechanical space explorer tweeted its first photo of Earth from the surface of Mars, and it's little more than a speck in the distance. At the time of the photo, the Rover was 99 million miles away from Earth.

By Ali Watkins and Julie Moos

McClatchy Washington Bureau

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