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.

President Obama, Vladimir Putin speak on Ukraine crisis  —  President Barack Obama held an hour-long telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday afternoon in an effort to resolve the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, according to the White House.

Issa apologizes, skirts censure  —  Vista rep says he has personally apologized for cutting off Rep. Elijah Cummings during hearing  —  A chastened Rep. Darrell Issa says he has apologized to a fellow senior lawmaker for abruptly cutting off his microphone during a hearing Wednesday …

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.

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:”

The Hammock Fallacy  —  Hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue.  So when you see something like the current scramble by Republicans to declare their deep concern for America's poor, it's a good sign, indicating a positive change in social norms.  Goodbye, sneering at the 47 percent; hello, fake compassion.

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.

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.

First Look: Game Passed Around Alamance Sheriff's Office  —  Within hundreds of pages of evidence form the the US Justice Department's suit are pictures of a video game.  —  CONNECT  —  BURLINGTON, N.C. - Within hundreds of pages of evidence from the the U-S Justice Department's suit …

Marco Rubio Fires Up CPAC with Speech Defining America's Post-Obama Foreign Policy  —  On Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) addressed the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference attendees with a fiery speech focused on redefining America's approach to foreign affairs.

Left as a warning to others, suspected ‘U.S. spy’ killed by al-Qaeda militants is chained to football goalposts after being shot dead  —  Al Qaeda militants have executed a Yemeni man accused of being an infiltrator and tied him to a football goal as a ‘warning’ to others, security officials say.

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.

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.

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 …