After the referendum vote with 97% apparently voting in favor of joining Crimea to Russia. The Crimean government passed the law, changing its official currency to the rouble and even pushing its clock forward to match Moscow time. But so far president Putin is only recognizing the peninsular sovereignty, a move it alone triggered assets freezes and other economic sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials. The Obama administration called the vote illegal and said it would massive anomalies in balloting that edged up to the 97% figure. Gregory Warner, NPR News, Simferopol. 

 

In New York City, the annual varying the green in the world's largest celebration of Irish culture. Hundreds of thousands spectators lined Fifth Avenue to take a march there, including Joe Poll, a taxi driver from Dublin, who marveled at the scene of the events. 

"It's amazing there. You know, looking it now. It's now more we got. Air parade is on and it looks more competitive more responsive to the Irish natives deserve."

This year's parade also prompted the dispute between events' organizers and the gay activists. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and a sponsor against, both pulled out the event after the organizers said the marchers would not be permitted to carry gay rights signs or identify themselves as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. A similar dispute played out in Boston this year. 

 

US industrial production rebounded in February after falling the month before. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports. 

The Federal Reverse said overall industrial production rose by 0.6% last month, output the nation's factories was up 0.8%. In factory utilization was also up. output of autos, home electronics and chemicals are rose. The number suggests that the economy is beginning to recover after weeks of harsh winter weather in much of the country. Other data have shown that orders to manufacturers rose in February and so did retail spending. That could boost factory activity even more. US economy is expected to grow by about 2% during the first 3 months of the year and then pick up a bit as the year goes on. Jim Zarroli, NPR News. 

 

Brief downing earthquake took place in South California today, causing anxious moments but apparently no major injuries. Officials say the quake roiled through Los Angeles basin, registered the magnitude 4.4 with sending about 50 miles northwest of downtown specific center. 

 

An upstart in a week for Wall Street. The Dow gained 181 points today. 

 

You're listening to NPR. 

 

It's now been more than a week since a Malaysian jetliner with 239 passengers and crew vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. In the mystery what happened to the plane is only deepened. There is continue to be numerous theories about what might be fallen flight 777. The plane vanished March 8 has been an object of a global search, involving 25 countries and across enormous swath of land and sea. So far there're no sign of aircraft, wreckage otherwise has turn up. 

 

The first day of spring officially maybe this Thursday, but not very spring like across the Atlanta region of the country. In Virginia, state police responded a hundred weather-related accident after a winter storm began last night. 4 people were treated for serious injuries after a commercial bus overturned earlier this morning at I 95 near Stafford county.

 

There's an obit now for Mitch Leigh. NPR's Jennifer Ludden has that story. 

 

He was born Irwin Michnick in Brooklyn, New York in 1928 and became a highly successful jingle composer.

But it was a music based on Miguel de Cervantes' epic novel Don Quixote, which gave Mr. Leigh immortality. 

That show Man of La Mancha is @@ "The Impossible Dream" opened in 1965. It becomes a huge Broadway hit running for over 2,000 performances and winning 5 Tony Award, including the best score nod for Leigh. He continued to work advertising and wrote several other Broadway shows. For NPR News, I'm Jeff Landing in New York.