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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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:”

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.

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% …

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.

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 …

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)

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 …

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 …

Why most conservatives are secretly liberals  —  A couple months ago, a Gallup poll recorded a small uptick in the percentage of Americans who identify as “liberal” — to 23 percent, or what Gallup, eliding the margin of error in the poll, called a “new high.”

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 …

National Council of La Raza abandons smart immigration strategy  —  You could almost hear a crack in the immigration-activist universe as Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), called President Obama the “deporter-in-chief.”  —  Murguia has been on the front lines fighting for immigration reform for years.

Dems slam Darrell Issa in resolution  —  House Democrats offered a motion on Thursday slamming Rep. Darrell Issa for cutting off Democrats during a hearing on Wednesday, their latest political assault on the controversial California Republican.  —  Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) …

Fury Erupts Over Racially-Charged Tweets After Westchester High School Basketball Game  —  MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Some high school students in Westchester County were under fire Wednesday evening, after their basketball team lost a close game.  —  As CBS 2's Don Champion reported …