Putin's Ukraine Gambit  —  Henry Kissinger once pointed out that since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year.  All undone, of course, by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian president Vladimir Putin called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century.”

Strassel: All the President's IRS Agents  —  The targeting of groups opposed to the Democratic agenda has not ended—it's gotten worse.  —  Few presidents understand the power of speech better than Barack Obama, and even fewer the power of denying it to others.

An Unhappy 5th Birthday For The Tea Party … Five years after the Republican Party birthed the tea party movement, mother and child have never been more at odds.  —  The tension between “establishment” Republicans and tea party activists was on full display today at a 5th Anniversary event in Washington.

O'Reilly To Valerie Jarrett: Get ‘Gangsta Rappers’ To ‘Knock It Off’ (VIDEO)  —  Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Thursday advised Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett to get “gangsta rappers” like Jay Z and Kanye West to say their behavior is wrong if the White House really wants to improve minority communities.

COURT: SCHOOL CAN BAN US FLAG SHIRTS FOR SAFETY  —  You are here  —  Home » General news » Court: School can ban US flag shirts for safety  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials at a Northern California high school acted appropriately when they ordered students wearing American flag T-shirts …

House votes to overhaul federal reg process  —  The House on Thursday approved legislation that would force federal agencies to be more transparent about pending regulations, and make them choose regulatory alternatives that impose the smallest cost possible on companies.

GOP blocks veterans bill  —  Senate Republicans stopped Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans.  —  In a 56-41 vote Thursday, the motion to waive a budget point of order against the bill failed, as Democrats fell short …

Fundraiser with Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, Charlie Baker hits snag, changes venues  —  Thursday night's Republican Governors Association fundraiser featuring New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 presidential nominee …

Changes (Personal/Professional)  —  Some news: I have informed Princeton that I will be retiring at the end of next academic year, that is, in June 2015.  In August 2015 I will join the faculty of the Graduate Center, City University of New York, as a professor in the Ph.D. program in economics.

Where Time Comes From  —  The time that ends up on your smartphone—and that synchronizes GPS, military operations, financial transactions, and internet communications—originates in a set of atomic clocks on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory.  Dr. Demetrios Matsakis, Chief Scientist for USNO's Time Services, gives a tour.

Outrage Over Sexist Remarks Turns Into a Political Fund-Raising Tool  —  In the past few months, Republicans have called Wendy Davis, a Democratic candidate for Texas governor, “Abortion Barbie,” likened Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Senate candidate from Kentucky, to an “empty dress,” …

Baghdad motorbike blast, other attacks kill 52 in Iraq  —  (Reuters) - At least 52 people were killed Wednesday as a motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated in Baghdad's Sadr City and militants targeted mostly Shi'ite neighborhoods around the country.  —  The motorcycle was parked …

Federal Budget Deficit Falls to Smallest Level Since 2008  —  The Treasury Department reported Thursday that the federal government's deficit was $680 billion in the last fiscal year, $409 billion less than in 2012, largely because of increased revenue.  —  WASHINGTON — Closing the books …

America plays its role in a changing world right  —  As America navigates a changing world, the people who seem to be having the greatest difficulty with the adjustment are the country's pundits.  Over the past few weeks, a new conventional wisdom has congealed on the op-ed pages …

Now on your restaurant bill: Obamacare fee  —  Several restaurants in a Florida chain are asking customers to help foot the bill for Obamacare.  —  Diners at eight Gator's Dockside casual eateries are finding a 1% Affordable Care Act surcharge on their tabs, which comes to 15 cents on a typical $15 lunch tab.

GOP's “religious liberty” scam just died: Why Brewer's veto is so momentous  —  Back in 2012, a full two years before conservatives insisted that religious freedom entailed the right to discriminate against gay people or gay spouses in both private and public workplaces …

Business and the Minimum Wage  —  Much of the discussion about the Democratic proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2016 has rightly focused on the workers who will clearly benefit from the move.  But what about businesses?  How would higher wages affect them?

Noonan: America and the Aggressive Left  —  Half the country feels—and is—beset by government.  That's not progress.  —  The constant mischief of the progressive left is hurting the nation's morale.  There are few areas of national life left in which they are not busy, and few in which they're not making it worse.