How the Ukraine crisis ends  —  Henry A. Kissinger was secretary of state from 1973 to 1977.  —  Public discussion on Ukraine is all about confrontation.  But do we know where we are going?  In my life, I have seen four wars begun with great enthusiasm and public support …

Bernie Sanders: ‘I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States’  —  Bernie Sanders says he is “prepared to run for president of the United States.”  That's not a formal announcement.  A lot can change between now and 2016, and the populist senator from Vermont bristles at the whole notion of a permanent campaign.

McCain Least Popular Senator in Country  —PPP's newest Arizona poll finds that John McCain is unpopular with Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike and has now become the least popular Senator in the country.  Only 30% of Arizonans approve of the job McCain is doing to 54% who disapprove.

What would Salon think of an article called, 'Why I can't stand Asian musicians who play Beethoven'?  —  In this file photo, cellist Yo-Yo Ma (left) and Condoleezza Rice (right) hold hands after playing a duet during the National Endowment for the Arts National Medal of Arts Awards ceremony …

Black caucus wants Issa stripped of committee chairmanship  —  In a strongly worded letter to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), the Congressional Black Caucus called for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to be stripped of his House committee chairmanship after he abruptly ended …

New health insurance marketplaces signing up few uninsured Americans, two surveys find  —  The new health insurance marketplaces appear to be making little headway in signing up Americans who lack insurance, the Affordable Care Act's central goal, according to a pair of new surveys.

Army's top sex assault prosecutor suspended after assault allegation … WASHINGTON — The top Army prosecutor for sexual assault cases has been suspended after a lawyer who worked for him recently reported he'd groped her and tried to kiss her at a sexual-assault legal conference more than two years ago.

CPAC 2014: Chris Christie jabs Barack Obama, media  —  NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at the media and blasted President Barack Obama's leadership during Thursday's gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference, his first major speech to a crowd …

Donald Trump Thinks Jimmy Carter Is Dead  —  Real estate mogul Donald Trump seems to think former President Jimmy Carter is dead.  —  Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Trump referred to the former president as the “late, great Jimmy Carter:”

Kirsten Gillibrand's sexual assault bill derailed  —  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand came up short Thursday in her yearlong campaign to overhaul military sexual assault policies, falling five votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.  —  The New York Democrat's bill that would have removed …

Dalai Lama Opens Senate Session With Prayer  —  By DONNA CASSATA Associated Press And on Thursday, the Dalai Lama prayed in the U.S. Senate.  —  With dozen of lawmakers listening raptly, the Nobel laureate from Tibet opened the session with his favorite prayer and words of advice.

A New Thing on Netflix  —  House of Cards is not a conservative show—except when it is.  —  House of Cards, the Netflix series about a lethally unscrupulous Washington politician, is a wonderful show, but it does sometimes stretch the limits of credulity.

How Nate Silver Hires  —  Forget H.R. The ESPN stats star uses a graph to measure his future employees  —  Read about Nate Silver and his plans for FiveThirtyEight at ESPN in the March 17 issue of TIME.  —  Since joining ESPN in late July, Nate Silver has spent an estimated 90% …

Number of Americans Saying ACA Has Hurt Them Inches Up  —  Stark contrast along party lines on whether the law has helped or hurt  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although several parts of the Affordable Care Act have yet to be implemented, 23% of Americans say the healthcare law has hurt them or their families …

Mitch McConnell Brandishes Gun at CPAC  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., came onto the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference today brandishing some touch a long gun.  —  McConnell held the rifle over his head and the CPAC crowd loved it.  —  (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

Paul Ryan: Free School Lunch Means Poor Parents Don't Care About Kids  —  Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Thursday that liberals don't understand disadvantaged students would rather have parents who care for them than a free lunch at school.  —  Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference …

Michigan Senate election 2014: Gary Peters gets new campaign chief  —  With Michigan looming as a now key Senate race, Democratic Rep. Gary Peters, who is locked in a tight battle with Republican Terri Lynn Land, has replaced his campaign manager.  —  Paul Tencher, who ran …

Feds try to contact former top Christie aide, family  —  (CNN) - A federal investigator tried contacting a former top deputy to Gov. Chris Christie as well as members of her family as part of its investigation into a political scandal roiling his administration, court papers showed on Thursday.