Putin Asserts Right to Use Force in Eastern Ukraine  —  MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia emphasized on Thursday that the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament had authorized him to use military force if necessary in eastern Ukraine, and also stressed Russia's historical claim …

PAC to Shut Down After Name Draws Furor … A Texas political action committee called Boats 'N Hoes PAC will be just a memory by Thursday, according to the Republican political consultant who is the boss of the man who started it.  —  Houston consultant Allen Blakemore confirmed Wednesday evening …

The IRS Scandal's Smoking Gun?  —  A suspicious email could confirm Lois Lerner's culpability in recent IRS abuses.  —  In hot water  —  The so-called “smoking gun” proving the Internal Revenue Service played politics with conservative groups seeking official non-profit …

AFL-CIO chief calls Warren ‘prototype’ of good president  —  AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Tuesday that “it don't get no better” than Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) when it comes to possible holders of the Oval Office.  —  “In my opinion she is the prototype of a person …

Early Senate Polls Have Plenty to Tell Us About November  —  Republican Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is fighting for his political life — or is he?  The Senate minority leader is nearly tied in the polls with Democratic opponent Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Parent says daughter warned by teacher for carrying Bible at local school  —  (KMOV.com) - The mother of a Potosi High School student said a teacher went too far when her daughter was reprimanded for carrying a Bible around school.  —  Angela English says her daughter, Kiela …

Jews ordered to register in east Ukraine  —  Jews in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings were told they have to “register” with the Ukrainians who are trying to make the city become part of Russia, according to Israeli media.

‘X-Men’ Director Bryan Singer Accused of Sexually Assaulting Underage Boy  —  Lawsuit alleges Singer “manipulated his power” to exploit 17-year-old boy  —  “X-Men” director Bryan Singer is being accused of drugging, raping, and using his power to exploit a teenage boy in a lawsuit filed Wednesday …

Bergen Administrators Fear ‘Game of Thrones’ Quote, Censor Professor  —  Brace yourselves; censorship is coming!  —  Displaying a lack of both pop culture and First Amendment awareness, administrators at Bergen Community College in New Jersey placed Professor Francis Schmidt on leave this past January …

When ‘Liking’ a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue  —  Might downloading a 50-cent coupon for Cheerios cost you legal rights?  —  General Mills, the maker of cereals like Cheerios and Chex as well as brands like Bisquick and Betty Crocker, has quietly added language to its website …

The US is an oligarchy, study concludes  —  Report by researchers from Princeton and Northwestern universities suggests that US political system serves special interest organisations, instead of voters  —  The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens …

The Obama nominee warned about politicizing the census.  —  It must have seemed like a good idea at the time.  In February 2009 a new Democratic president reached across party lines and nominated a Republican senator, New Hampshire's Judd Gregg, as commerce secretary.

Progressives are wrong about the essence of the Constitution  —  In a 2006 interview, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said the Constitution is “basically about” one word — “democracy” — that appears in neither that document nor the Declaration of Independence.  Democracy is America's way of allocating political power.

Clinton vs. Bush: The real debate  —  OPINION l This past Sunday I joined a panel of distinguished pundits on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” and to the surprise of no viewers we spent a considerable amount of time discussing the prospects of a presidential race between Hillary Clinton …

An Indecent Burial  —  Twenty-five years ago this month, with the Supreme Court's support for the right to abortion shrinking rapidly, the justices heard a case from Missouri that invited them to disavow Roe v. Wade, the precedent that 16 years earlier had given women the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

Regulator Without Peer  —  By at least one measure, Obama surpasses all of his predecessors.  —  Anyone wondering why the U.S. economy can't seem to grow at its usual pace should examine one product category where production is booming: federal regulation.

Joe Biden posts Instagram selfie with Barack Obama  —  Not one to be left behind by a trend, US Vice President Joe Biden has joined Instagram and roped in a famous friend for his first selfie  —  The selfie trend shows no sign of slowing down after US Vice President Joe Biden got in on the act …

Your 2016 Republican Field, by the Odds  —  If you want to wager on who the 2016 Republican nominee will be and have only one choice, the best bet may be former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.  However, the odds overwhelmingly suggest the former governor won't win the nomination — assuming he even runs.