Westchester Now

1) Watch some local moms behave like NFL linemen! The first-ever Westchester County Suburbia Roller Derby match is slated for Saturday in Yonkers. Check out Newsday's video profile of the skaters, and grab your tickets early through the team's website. You can even knock back beers in double time -- VIP ticket holders get "skatetress service" during the inaugural match. 2) Need a job and...

1) Welcome, Pope Francis! It took the papal conclave just two days to elect Cardinal Jorge Mario Begoglio as the 266th pope after his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, stepped down Feb. 28. Next up: The papal inauguration Mass, when observers will closely analyze everything about Pope Francis, from his choice of raiment to the words in his homily, for hints about the direction he may take the Catholic...

1) Blacks in Law Enforcement are planning to voice their outrage at Wednesday night's Mount Vernon City Council meeting over the recent firing of  Police Commissioner Carl Bell. The group will demand to know the reasons for Bell's February dismissal by Mayor Ernie Davis and ask the counsel why a white police officer who has cost the city more than $500,00 in lawsuit losses and settlements...

1) The Hudson Valley's reward for enduring one more day of lousy weather? A gorgeous weekend and an extra hour of sunlight. After Friday's expected soggy weather caps off a week of rain and snow, temperatures are expected to reach 50 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, just as daylight saving time goes into effect. 2) The much-hyped Wizard of Oz origin story, "Oz The Great and Powerful," opens...

1) A nor'easter is headed for the region, where it will combine with a cold-air mass moving south from Canada -- the perfect recipe for snow after two weeks of mostly mild weather. Is this winter's last gasp before spring? Although snow, sleet and rain could continue through Friday, forecasts say the storm should pass by Saturday, just in time for daylight saving time and an extra hour of sunshine....

Accuweather: Accuweather's app displays the temperature, wind speed and humidity on one clean home screen with a black background and white text. Everything's intuitive and easy to reach: Users can thumb-scroll through the forecast, and a bar at the bottom of the screen provides one-touch access to an extended forecast, video and real-time weather maps. Like the other major weather apps, Accuweather's...

Who's the most liberal Republican in congress?

It's Rep. Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook), according to the National Journal, which ranked lawmakers based on the votes they cast last year.

That might be a surprise to heartland conservatives, but it shouldn't raise an eyebrow among Gibson's constituents, which include people from liberal bastions like Woodstock, Saugerties and New Paltz. But...

What's a Jewish Christmas?

Urban Dictionary puts it concisely: "Chinese food and a movie. That's it."

For Jews, it long since has transitioned from a tradition to a cliche, and for good reason: For a long time, Chinese restaurants and movie theaters were among the very few places to remain open on Christmas day.

Here are some of the best local picks for Christmas Day:

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If you're reading this, congratulations are in order: An alien mothership didn't appear above New York City, massive fissures didn't rend the earth to swallow continents, we weren't smote by a vengeful god or wiped out by comet on a trajectory toward Earth.

The Mayans were wrong, or at least misunderstood. The world didn't end.

Believers thought the world would end at 6:11 a.m. today,...