“North Korea fires two short-range missiles” i

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early Thursday, according to the South Korean military, as already heightened tensions on the peninsula continued to worsen. The two missiles were fired from North Hwanghae province towards the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The South tracked the projectiles and is monitoring the situation. The launch is the latest saber rattling on the peninsula that roils with tension. The show of force follows a North Korean claim that it has miniaturized nuclear warheads to fit on ballistic missiles, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Tensions have heightened on the Korean peninsula. Around 17,000 U.S. military personnel and 300,000 South Korean troops are currently taking part in what the South Korean Defense Ministry described as the "largest ever" joint military exercises. North Korea on Sunday warned it would make a "pre-emptive and offensive nuclear strike" in response to the joint exercises. While Pyongyang often issues saber-rattling statements during annual U.S. and South Korean joint exercises, "this year the level of anger is much greater," says Mike Chinoy, a former CNN senior international correspondent."

In Other News  When Florida voters go to vote on March 15, the state's voting machines may once again be in the spotlight. Back in 2000, the nation's most spectacular elections meltdown took place in Florida thanks to the infamous paper butterfly ballots, ancient voting machines and poorly trained poll workers. The ensuing chaos led to a massive recount, a Supreme Court battle and a narrow victory for George W. Bush. Between the international scrutiny and federal funds, most Florida counties bought new voting machines after that. But almost 16 years later, this generation of machines is nearing the end of its life.  Couples shacking up together would no longer be breaking the law under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature. The Florida House on Wednesday voted to repeal the state's largely unenforced prohibition on cohabitation. Under a law that has been on the books since 1868, a man and woman living together could be fined $500 and locked up in jail for 60 days. According to 2014 census data, there are nearly 438,000 unmarried male-female couples among 7.3 million Florida households. Florida is one of only a handful of states that still has a law making cohabitation illegal.