Amid Mayoral Missteps, Irish Eyes Are Rolling in New York City  —  He wants to close schools for the Chinese New Year, has pledged fealty to an Israeli political group, sprinkles Spanish and Italian phrases into his speeches and speaks frequently of his wife's Caribbean heritage.

House Republican leaders craft their vision for an alternative to health-care law  —  House Republican leaders are adopting an agreed-upon conservative approach to fixing the nation's health-care system, in part to draw an election-year contrast with President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

That Old-Time Whistle  —  There are many negative things you can say about Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee and the G.O.P.'s de facto intellectual leader.  But you have to admit that he's a very articulate guy, an expert at sounding as if he knows what he's talking about.

State TV says Russia could turn US to ‘radioactive ash’  —  Moscow (AFP) - A leading anchor on Russian state television on Sunday described Russia as the only country capable of turning the United States into “radioactive ash”, in an incendiary comment at the height of tensions over the Crimea referendum.

MH370 flew as low as 1,500m to avoid detection, says paper  —  The Malaysian Insider - 11 hrs ago  —  As the search for the missing flight MH370 enters its 10th day with few clues as to its whereabouts, the New Straits Times said today the Boeing 777-200ER dropped 5,000 feet (1,500m) to evade commercial radar detection.

CNN Host Speculates Whether Malaysia Jet's Disappearance Was ‘Supernatural’ (VIDEO)  —  Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been missing for so long that CNN is speculating whether its disappearance had something to do with the “supernatural.”  —  After a commercial airline pilot had trouble explaining …

Joe Scarborough for President?  Sure, Why Not?  —  The MSNBC host has Beltway buzz for his flirtation with the 2016 presidential race.  Republican primary voters may be a different story.  —  NASHUA, N.H.—In the end, Joe Scarborough's name wasn't on the ballot for the presidential straw poll …

CIA suspends chief of Iran operations over workplace issues  —  Veteran officer Jonathan Bank is placed on leave amid a rebellion against his management style, current and former officials say.  —  Inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. (Saul Loeb / AFP-Getty Images)

We're young, but we aren't stupid  —  The White House is desperate to sign up Nevada's Millennials for Obamacare.  With the March 31 enrollment deadline closing fast, the latest figures show that only 22 percent of the state's Obamacare sign-ups are between ages 18 and 34.

The Hidden Rot in the Jobs Numbers  —  Hours worked are declining, resulting in the equivalent of a net loss of 100,000 jobs since September.  —  Most commentators viewed the February jobs report released on March 7 as good news, indicating that the labor market is on a favorable growth path.

Obama announces new sanctions on Russian officials  —  President Barack Obama directly sanctioned 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials Monday, the latest escalation in the ongoing crisis in Crimea — and the president's latest attempt to make good on his repeated threats of additional costs on Russians for the situation.

Mississippi Will Drug Test Welfare Recipients And Kick Them Out After Two Positive Results  —  Last week, Mississippi's state Senate passed a bill to drug test some welfare recipients after it passed the House earlier this year.  It's now waiting for a signature from Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who praised its passage.

Declaring victory, Crimean and Russian officials pledge fast integration  —  SIMFEROPOL, Crimea — With one exit poll showing that 93 percent of Crimeans voted to join Russia, and street celebrations under way, the peninsula's pro-Kremlin prime minister and a Russian nationalist politician pledged quick integration.

jan.biles@cjonline.comsteve.fry@cjonlin e.com  —  Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Sr., founder of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, is a patient at a hospice with unspecified health problems, a church spokesman confirmed Sunday.  —  That contrasts with Feb. 14 when church spokesman Steve Drain twice told …