Bolton: US Sanctions Against Russia 'So Weak It's Embarrassing'

The sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States in response to their invasion of Crimea were "so weak that it's embarrassing," and would have no effect on future threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, said former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.

"I mean, naming 11 individuals and imposing visa restrictions on them and freezing their assets in the United States — it is nothing in the big picture," Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox News' "America's News HQ" on Monday.

The sanctions were especially timid, Bolton explained, since Putin had "put thousands of Russian troops across an international border" and held a "Soviet-style" referendum in Crimea, where 97 percent of voters cast ballots Sunday to return to Russian rule. On Monday, the Crimean parliament formally requested that Russia annex the breakaway peninsula.

President Barack Obama announced Monday the United States would impose sanctions against Russia, expanding them to include freezing the assets of several Russian officials. Bolton said the officials targeted were "not the big economic oligarchs of Russia."

Bolton indicated the U.S. response would work to embolden the Russian president to "get a government in [Ukraine] that's subservient to his wishes."

"I think this simply reinforces, in Putin's mind, that he has the high cards. He has the upper hand. And he's going to continue to do what he's been doing," he said.

Bolton suggested the way to get Putin's attention would be to "stop their banks from doing business in the United States, freeze every asset you can find." He said the sanctions merely showed Putin "he's dealing with people who have a real sense of their own weakness."

Obama Imposes Sanctions on 11 Russians, Ukrainians Over Crimea Move

In the most comprehensive sanctions against Russia since the end of the Cold War, President Barack Obama on Monday froze the U.S. assets of seven Russian officials, including top advisers to President Vladimir Putin, for their support of Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine. Obama said he was moving to "increase the cost" to Russia, and he warned that more people could face financial punishment.
"If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," Obama said. He added in a brief statement from the White House that he still believes there could be a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and that the sanctions can be calibrated based on whether Russia escalates or pulls back in its involvement.
The Treasury Department also is imposing sanctions on four Ukrainians — including former President Viktor Yanukovych and others who have supported Crimea's separation — under existing authority under a previous Obama order. Senior administration officials also said they are developing evidence against individuals in the arms industry and those they described as "Russian government cronies" to target their assets.
The administration officials said Putin wasn't sanctioned despite his support of the Crimean referendum because the United States doesn't usually begin with heads of state. But the officials, speaking to reporters on a conference call on the condition they not be quoted by name, say those sanctioned are very close to Putin and that the sanctions are "designed to hit close to home."
The U.S. announcement came shortly after the European Union announced travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people they have linked to the unrest in Crimea. Obama administration officials say there is some overlap between the United States and European list, which wasn't immediately made public.
The sanctions were expected after residents in Crimea voted overwhelmingly Sunday in favor of the split. Crimea's parliament on Monday declared the region an independent state.

The administration officials say there is some concrete evidence that some ballots for the referendum arrived premarked in many cities and "there are massive anomalies in the vote." The officials did not say what that evidence was.
The United States, European Union, and others say the action violates the Ukrainian constitution and international law and took place in the strategic peninsula under duress of Russian military intervention. Putin maintained that the vote was legal and consistent with the right of self-determination, according to the Kremlin.
The administration officials said they will be looking at additional sanctions if Russia moves to annex Crimea or takes other action. Those targeted will have all U.S. assets frozen and no one in the United States can do business with them under Obama's order.
"Today's actions send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including their actions supporting the illegal referendum for Crimean separation," the White House said in a statement.
"Today's actions also serve as notice to Russia that unless it abides by its international obligations and returns its military forces to their original bases and respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the United States is prepared to take additional steps to impose further political and economic costs," the statement said.
Administration officials say those Obama targeted also are key political players in Russia also responsible for the country's tightening of human rights and civil liberties in the country. Obama's order targets were:

• Vladislav Surkov, a Putin aide;
• Sergey Glazyev, a Putin adviser;
• Leonid Slutsky, a state Duma deputy;
• Andrei Klishas, member of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
• Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council;
• Dmitry Rogozin, deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation;
• Yelena Mizulina, a state Duma deputy.

The four newly targeted by the Treasury Department are:

• Yanukovych, who fled Ukraine for Russia and has supported the dispatch of Russian troops into Ukraine;
• Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of Crimea separatist group Ukrainian Choice and a close friend of Putin;
• Sergey Aksyonov, prime minister of Crimea's regional government;
• Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament.

Newsmax: Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to C...

Newsmax: Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to C...: Republicans mustn't think the surprise victory of Republican David Jolly in Florida's special congressional election means future GO...

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Herman Cain: GOP Fla. Win Doesn't Ensure More to Come

Republicans mustn't think the surprise victory of Republican David Jolly in Florida's special congressional election means future GOP victories are a sure thing, businessman and former presidential candidate Herman Cain says.

On Tuesday, Alex Sink, one of the biggest Democratic names in Florida politics, was defeated by first-time candidate David Jolly in a special election — a victory believed to be a jab against the Affordable Care Act.

"I agree with what David Jolly said when he was doing an interview earlier this morning that Republicans can't just run against the failed Obamacare plan," Cain told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

"They have also got to talk about some other things that they would do.... The one that for some reason they keep avoiding is replacing the tax code. I don't know why they won't get on that because that would resonate with the American people."

Cain is also unimpressed with the way the GOP has been tackling the perception that it has not done enough outreach in minority communities.

"The Republican Party does not need to pander to blacks and Hispanics, Asians, or any other ethnic group. They need to just show up and clearly explain what the Republican Party stands for. They're not doing that," Cain said.

"They think that all they have to do is to mention the fact that they want to reach out, when in fact it turns out that they're not reaching out because they do not know how to engage those communities.

"When I ran for president, I was a face. [Former Rep.] Allen West was a face when he was a congressman. [Former Ohio Secretary of State] Ken Blackwell is a face of the Republican Party. We didn't have to pander to people. All you have to do is to put those faces out there and tell the story about what it is that we're trying to do."

Cain said he is not surprised that President Barack Obama's approval rating is down to just 41 percent in a new poll.

"People are starting to wake up when they experience Obama sticker shock for themselves or when they experience – they can't find a job, then it starts to hit home," Cain said.

"He's pander[ing] to people with things like raising the minimum wage, changing the overtime rules," he said.

"All he's trying to do is to pander to people, thinking that's going to buy some votes. It may buy a few, but I don't believe long term it's going to buy enough."

Asked if he might throw his hat in the ring for president again, Cain straddled the fence.

"Only God knows. God knew the first time and I didn't know and only God knows the next time,'' he said.

See "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV each weekday live by clicking here now.

Arizona Gov. Brewer Decides Against Another Term

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, a Republican who has clashed with the Obama administration over immigration, said on Wednesday she would not run for re-election for a third term, ending speculation about her plans.
Arizona governors are limited to serving two terms at the state's helm. But as Brewer had taken over mid-term from Janet Napolitano, who left to head the Department of Homeland Security, there had been speculation she could seek another four years in office on the grounds she had not served two complete terms.
Brewer, 69, in announcing her decision at a school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, said she felt it was time to "pass the torch of leadership."

"So, after completing this term in office, I will be doing just that," she said. Her decision means she will not seek re-election in November and will leave office in the New Year.
The controversial governor was thrust into the national spotlight in April 2010 when she signed into law a bill to crack down on illegal immigration in the southwestern U.S. state that shares a border with Mexico. The law was later partially struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brewer's conflicts with President Barack Obama gained heightened attention in 2012 when she greeted him at the airport during a Phoenix visit and was seen wagging her finger at the president.
The staunch Republican has at times gone against conservative elements in her party in recent years, with the biggest clash coming last year when she signed a law to expand Medicaid as part of Obama's signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act.

Under mounting pressure from business and gay rights groups, Brewer also vetoed a measure last month that would have allowed business owners to use their religious beliefs as grounds for refusing to serve gay couples and others.

John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona thanked Brewer for her years of service. "First entering public service as a mother concerned about the workings of her local school board, Gov. Brewer has served with distinction at every level of state and local government over the last three decades," he said in a statement.

37 Year Old Trader Turns $10K to $2.4 Million

Market Data: Historical and current end-of-day data provided Barchart market data. Intraday data delayed per exchange requirements. All quotes are in local exchange time. All Intraday data for Stocks and ETF's is delayed 15 minutes.

Disclaimer: There is no guarantee past performance will be indicative or future results. No assurance can be given that any implied recommendation will be profitable or will not be subject to losses. All Clients should understand that the results of a particular period will not necessarily be indicative of results in future periods. The results and examples used in our advertisements, books, videos, websites or any other media are based on hypothetical trades. Plainly speaking, these trades were not actually executed. Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain inherent limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated trades do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not actually been executed, results may have overcompensated or undercompensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors such as lack of liquidity. Clients may have done better or worse than the results portrayed. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. No independent party has audited the hypothetical performance contained at this Web site, nor has any independent party undertaken to confirm that they reflect the trading method under the assumptions or conditions specified hereafter. While the results presented at this Web site are based upon certain assumptions believed to reflect actual trading conditions, these assumptions may not include all variables that will affect, or have in the past affected the execution of trades indicated by Market Trend Signal. Results do not account for commissions or slippage. Because Clients may be involved in trades at different times and may use various exit approaches, they may or may not have received the best available price on the purchase or the sale of a position. The simulation assumes purchase and sale prices believed to be attainable. In actual trading, prices received may or may not be the same as the assumed order prices. The 90% accuracy discussed in the letter represents 9 out of 10 MuscleStocks having a positive 5 year back tested annual trade expectancy.

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Ruddy to CNN: Newsmax TV Will Go Beyond Fox News

Newsmax Founder and CEO Christopher Ruddy told CNN Sunday that Newsmax TV will broaden the political conversation well beyond simple labels like “liberal” and “conservative.”

"Fox is great at what it does," Ruddy told CNN’s “Reliable Sources" with host Brian Stelter, adding that the conservative news giant’s owner Rupert Murdoch was a "genius" when he created the conservative-leaning news network in 1996.

Murdoch, Ruddy said, recognized there was a huge audience outside "the CNN world" not being addressed by the mainstream media.

But there are 100 million conservative-leaning Americans, Ruddy said, and Fox News is taking in a core audience of just 3 million to 4 million of that group, leaving room for Newsmax TV to add more perspective not just on politics, but also on health, financial, lifestyle, and other informational programming that will appeal to a boomer audience.

Watch the CNN video. Story continues below.


Founded as a website in 1998, Newsmax has already established itself as a powerful news brand, Ruddy noted, and is in some ways "bigger" than Fox online. He said today his company is "very profitable" and has budgeted at least $70 million this year for marketing alone.

Newsmax regularly ranks among the top sites in the comScore News/Politics category of the approximately 60 million who follow such news, regularly beating Fox in the key category.

Last month, Newsmax drew 11.5 million unique visitors, and through partner sites that carry Newsmax news, had a total reach of 49 million Americans, according to comScore.

By time of the expected network launch in late spring or early summer of this year, Ruddy says Newsmax TV is hoping for 15 hours of live programming per day. By the end of summer he expects that to be 18-21 hours daily.

The timing is good for a new network, Ruddy suggested, saying that Fox's sometimes "polarizing" take and the potential market for center and center-right news had left a wide-open market for his effort.

He pointed to a recent Pew Research Center poll that showed 39 percent of Americans describe themselves as conservative and 37 percent moderate. Even those identifying as moderate, Ruddy said, have conservative views.

"Only 23 percent of Americans say they're liberal," he said. "That's a very small number. And you have most of the major media networks fighting over that very small market share."

Stelter noted that a recent Bloomberg Businessweek profile of Ruddy called Newsmax TV a "kinder, gentler" version of Fox News.

But Ruddy responded that Fox News has sought to shift its programming to return to its original mission of being "fair and balanced." 

Why does he believe there’s a need for a changing perspective now?

People saw the 2012 presidential election as very polarizing, Ruddy explained. When Fox News launched in 1996, the Republican Party had a favorability rating with the general public of 65 percent. Today, it is at a low point of just 35 percent.

"I believe the Republican Party's actually fighting for its survival," Ruddy told CNN. And, he added, during the years Fox has dominated the Republican side of news coverage there's been "an overall effect that's not been positive for the Republican Party." He hopes his network can broaden the overall debate with more, new voices.

Stelter was skeptical that Newsmax TV would be able to convince cable and satellite providers to carry the new channel. But unlike many new TV network ventures, Ruddy pointed out that Newsmax has a well established brand and audience.

The company is also expected to stream free "over the top" on a wide array of devices, including computers, smartphones, and other devices. Today, more than 5 million Americans can tune into Newsmax TV using Roku, and millions more with their iPhone app.

And Fox has already shown there is a huge market looking for conservative news, Ruddy said, though he expects to pull viewers from all the news networks, including the liberal-leaning MSNBC.

"I want to have some really good, articulate liberals," he said, noting that Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz already uses Newsmax as the homepage for his blogs. 

"Our readers don't agree with everything Alan says, but he's really interesting. He's fascinating. He's unpredictable," Ruddy said. "That's the type of thing I want to have on Newsmax, not predictability."

On Newsmax TV, viewers will be able to hear opposing views that are not personally attacking those on the other side, he said.

Ruddy discussed his friendship with former President Bill Clinton and offered praise for Hillary Clinton, noting she is well qualified for the nation's highest office.

"I think she would make a good president," Ruddy said.

Asked by Stelter his current GOP favorite for the presidency, Ruddy picked former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

"I live in Florida. … He did an incredible job as governor," Ruddy said. "He's very different than his brother. He appeals to all the constituencies of the Republican Party. But he's extremely forward thinking."

Bush recently wrote a cover story for Newsmax magazine  on growth, and Ruddy believes the GOP must become the party of growth if it hopes to survive in the years ahead. 

"We can't be the party of no," he said.

Newsmax TV's online programming can be seen now at NewsmaxTV.com. 

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Sheriff urges charges against Aaron Hernandez in jailhouse fight

(CNN) -- Aaron Hernandez, who already faces first-degree murder and weapons charges, could face even more trouble after ajailhouse fight last week.

The Bristol County, Massachusetts, sheriff is asking that the former New England Patriots star face a simple assault-and-battery charge for allegedly punching a fellow inmate.

Neither man was seriously injured.

Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told CNN on Thursday the charge would be a misdemeanor.

Hodgson said he filed a criminal complaint application with the Third District Court. Hernandez, 24, is aware of the filing, he said.

The case is now in the hands of the district magistrate, who will decide whether there is probable cause for a charge to move forward. If so, an arraignment will follow, Hodgson told CNN.

An attorney for Hernandez did not immediately respond Thursday to a CNN message. Attorneys have not responded to questions about the February 25 fight involving an unidentified inmate.

Hodgson last month said that jail officials will be looking at how the two inmates came into contact, because "no more than one inmate is supposed to be out at a time" in the unit where Hernandez is housed.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Authorities have said that Hernandez and two other men picked up Odin Lloyd from his Boston apartment in a rental car shortly before Lloyd was found shot to death on June 17.

Surveillance cameras then captured the rental car leaving the crime scene and Hernandez carrying a gun as he returned to his home minutes later, according to authorities.

Man indicted in case of missing Tennessee woman Holly Bobo

(CNN) -- Friends and family of Holly Bobo, last seen in 2011, waited three years for news. Their worst fears have now been confirmed.

A man has been indicted on charges of kidnapping and murder in the case of the Tennessee woman, authorities announced Wednesday.

Zachary Adams, 29, is being held without bond.

A Decatur County grand jury handed down a two-count indictment of especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder.

"As this investigation continues, we are still asking for the public's help and support to help us continue to seek out justice regarding the disappearance of Holly Bobo," Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, told reporters.

Because the investigation is ongoing, Gwyn declined to comment on whether any human remains have been found.

Bobo, a nursing student, was last seen in April 2011. She was 20 years old.

Her brother told authorities he saw a man in camouflage leading her away from their home in the small town of Darden.

The Bobo case rocked the largely rural swath of central Tennessee, from those who knew the young woman to others who rallied behind the effort to find her.

Hundreds of volunteers -- some on horseback and foot, others on all-terrain vehicles -- turned out to hunt for clues in Decatur, Henderson, Henry, Carroll and Benton counties. Many more attended memorial services or offered supportive thoughts online via groups on Facebook.

The TBI and local and federal authorities have spent hundreds of manpower hours on the case, Gwyn said. More than $450,000 has been offered in reward money.

Adams, who is being held at the Chester County jail, is set to appear in court on Tuesday. Prosecutors are evaluating whether they will seek the death penalty.

"Obviously, they're devastated," Gwyn said of the Bobo family.

"They've been devastated for three years. But, hopefully, this is the beginning of closure for the Bobo family, and they deserve that."

Missing woman was 'in fear of her life'

The Best Kiss MTV Movie Award Nominees are Extra Steamy This Year — Who Should Win?

The MTV Movie Award nominees were announced today. Hooray! And while we're really excited about Cameron Diaz's nomination for "getting down and dirty with a yellow Ferrari," the Best Kiss category is where it's at. 

This year the race is extra juicy. The nominees include two three-way kisses and some lady lovin', courtesy of two of Hollywood's hottest stars. It's going to be a tight race, no doubt. 

Here are the nominees: 

Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams, American Hustle
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson, Don Jon
James Franco, Ashley Benson, and Vanessa Hudgens, Spring Breakers

Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, The Spectacular Now

Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, and Will Poulter, We’re the Millers

See? Tough call. 

We'd love to give a statue to everyone in this category, but that's not the way these things work. So, tell us, who would you give the golden popcorn to? Vote below then find out who takes home the top prize at the big show on April 13. Check out the rest of the nominees here.

Scandal 3.12: Power Rankings For 'We Do Not Touch The First Ladies'

Last week introduced us to Vanessa the Reporter, Rowan as a powerless dude, VP candidate Andrew Nichols, and the ever-difficult saga of trying to hide Kerry Washington’s ever-growing baby bump (seriously, some of those camera angles and jackets, though). What’s in store this week? Sally falls further into needing an exorcism (which we don’t think Leo Bergen is qualified to run), Hollis Doyle makes another appearance, and Cyrus and Rowan are both out for blood. Who will come out on top?

1. Quinn: Quinn sort of waffles around for the first half of the episode, since Jake is adamant she not be part of B613, but she takes it from zero to sixty really quickly when she follows Liv and then pulls a gun on her former boss when Liv begs her to come back home to OPA. Quinn, we say this every week, but: look at your life, look at your choices. What are you doing? She does show Jake up when she brings him pictures of Rowan and Leo Bergen cavorting with secrets at the Lincoln Memorial. She hacked into the National Parks network and dropped the pics on Jake’s lap like a cat does a dead mouse. Credit where credit is due - well done, Quinn.

2. Andrew Nichols: Andrew and Mellie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S...well, not really. But he sure looks at her like he wants to smooch her, doesn’t he? Andrew, Mellie, Liv, and Fitz are in a meeting when Cyrus tells them that there’s a story about drug use in the California Governor’s Mansion when Fitz and Andrew (Fandrew? Fitzdrew?) were in it. Andrew says not to deny it because, well, it’s true. He says he ordered semi-illegal oxy for his back, but we later learn via flashback that the perp was actually Mellie. She overdosed on oxy (purposely), seemingly as a coping mechanism for her hatred of all the Grant men, and Nichols saved her life by making her puke. He’s the only one who knows her Papa Grant secret, and now Nichols is just hellbent on protecting Mellie, since he’s pretty certain Fitz will never look out for her. And he’s right. Luckily, Mellie can mostly look out for herself, but it’s nice to see someone genuinely care about her.

3. Jake Ballard: Jakey-poo is drunk on power when he receives a briefcase giving him all the info that ever existed about anything, ever. It’s basically a briefcase of Wiki-leaks. Plus the highest security clearance of anyone in the country. Kinda makes up for overhearing Fitz and Olivia’s screaming match about your role as boyfriend beard, huh Jake? He later tells Olivia off in the best way possible: “Wine is not beer and popcorn is definitely not food.” There was also something in there about being her beard, all the pretend sex they’re having, and how she doesn’t get to control his work at B613, but we were slightly distracted by the beauty of Jake Ballard removing his shirt. We know that the head of B613 has someone on the inside, but Jake didn’t know who it was until, oh the last two minutes of the episode. It’s Tom, Fitz’s trusty (and our favorite) Secret Service Member. Yay! He’ll be dropping off nightly deliveries of video footage from the Oval Office right into Jake’s hands. Hope he doesn’t see, er, anything he shouldn’t see between Olivia and Fitz (like when tonight he sees that Liv may actually have feelings for him).

4. Olivia: We open on a screaming match between Fitz and Liv, and he basically calls her a whore for being around Jake and then she lets. him. have. it. She is not a prized pig, she is not a whore, and she is not doing this (using Jake as a cover boyfriend) for him. She’s doing it for herself, so she can walk around town without a scarlet letter on her chest, so she can actually be a person instead of a story. Wow, Liv, you’re actually, I don’t know, standing up for yourself? Now you just have to ditch Fitz completely. But this is a wonderful start. Liv later has a fight with Mellie, and gets schooled by Huck, who claims that she holds his leash and she’s always known he was a monster. There’s a lot of stuff coming Liv’s way that’s likely going to blindside her, but we’ll deal with that when it happens!

5. Mellie: Not that we’re usually rooting for infidelity, but we really hope Mellie and Nichols get another hot smooch in there soon (without all of the departed First Ladies watching and judging), because damn, she deserves it after putting up with all this Fitz/Liv crap.

6. Cyrus: Cyrus knows there’s a leak somewhere in the White House, and he’s sure hell bent on finding it. Too bad it’s in his own home, eh? Cyrus has Charlie steal Vanessa the Reporter’s SIM information on her phone, mimic it, and text Publius (aka his hubby, James) for a meeting. Noting that “this meeting cannot happen,” Cy tells Charlie to “take care of it” with a nod. Man, is this guy creepy or what?

7. Harrison: Harry is still hooking up with Adnan Salif, the smokin’ hot lady he’s so scared of but also apparently finds irresistible. That is, until she whips out a briefcase full o’ cash. Then he’s quaking in his tighty whities. But he does her bidding and gets her into Fitz’s charity dinner, where she gets in with Cyrus, right quick. Turns out she’s working with Maya Effing Pope. Cue the: !!!!! Harrison is probably screwed.

8. Fitz: The number of times we wanted someone (usually Liv or Mellie) to throw something heavy at Fitz or stab him in the eye with a sharp pen during this episode was too many to tally. At this point, Fitz is a lame duck who lets everyone else run his life and do his job, and he’s so crippled with jealousy over Olivia and Jake that he can barely take part in his own campaign. Ugh. The only stand he really takes is to tell Cyrus he doesn’t want Hollis’ (remember him?) money anywhere near the campaign. Too bad Cyrus has already made a deal with that devil.

9. David Rosen: You can’t ignore your girlfriend when she tells you she loves you, David. You just can’t. Aside from that, David basically babysits James this week and agrees to meet Vanessa as Publius. For a hot second it looks like he gets kidnapped for his efforts, but it turns out Abby and Harrison saved his butt. Abby gets a very sweet “I love you” out of it, when David is convinced he’s about to die and calls her from the car trunk.

10. James: James freaks out when he sees Cyrus talking to Vanessa the Reporter because James is the worst person to ever take on the role of double-crosser and is convinced Cyrus will find out he’s Publius in no time. He can’t lie, can’t keep his cool, and has no poker face to speak of. Case in point: he calls David Rosen to twitch about this development while standing like, 10 feet away from Cy and Vanessa. It’s like amatuer hour when James is on the case. Later, he freaks out more on the phone to David Rosen in the house he shares with the man he’s scared of finding all of this out. He’s pretty certain Cy will kill him. He’s...not wrong.

Questions to ponder for next week: Will Huck keep bringing Liv coffee? Will Mellie and Andrew Nichols hook up in the oval office and will Fitz walk in on them? Will Fitz ever start acting like the POTUS again? We’ll see you here next week for what looks like a shocker (during the last 30 seconds, at least).

LIGNET: UN Security Council Proves Toothless in Ukraine Crisis

The United States and its European allies will have to find other ways to intervene in Ukraine if they intend to apply real pressure on Russia in response to its military occupation of Crimea. 

Following four fruitless emergency United Nations Security Council meetings, Ukraine's interim government is left pleading for help while Russia stands ready to wield its veto power to counter any potential UN action.

Click HERE to read an exclusive analysis by LIGNET's top intelligence experts. 

Senate Blocks Gillibrand Bid to Overhaul Military Sex Cases

The Senate on Thursday voted down a bid to overhaul the way the U.S. military handles cases of sexual assault by removing prosecution from the military chain of command.

Senators voted by 55-45 on a motion to proceed with a bill, sponsored by New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, that would have removed the power to decide whether to try sexual assault cases from the military chain of command and put it into the hands of an independent military prosecutor.

The vote fell five short of the 60 needed under Senate rules for the measure to have gone ahead.
Gillibrand's "Military Justice Improvement Act" had been the focus of intense debate over how the Pentagon should handle assault cases since a study released in May 2013 estimated that incidents of unwanted sexual contact, from groping to rape, had jumped by 37 percent in 2012 to 26,000 cases from 19,000 the previous year.

The Department of Defense has also been struggling to deal with a spate of high-profile cases of sexual assault, including some involving personnel charged with combating the crime.
Several reforms have already been enacted, but Gillibrand pushed to go further, contending among other things that too few victims have been willing to come forward because of the need to deal with the chain of command.

However, her proposal was opposed by military leaders, who worried Gillibrand's proposal would weaken the command structure. Some key members of the Senate, including Gillibrand's fellow Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also opposed the measure.
Levin had argued against Gillibrand's bill on the Senate floor earlier on Thursday.

"I believe the strongest, most effective approach we can take to reduce sexual assault is to hold commanders accountable for establishing and maintaining a command climate that does not tolerate sexual assaults," Levin said.

Trump Wows CPAC: Says Putin Toying With Obama

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump ditched the teleprompter at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday and received huge ovations as he slammed President Barack Obama's leadership both at home and abroad.

"We have so many problems — and we have so little leadership," Trump said at the session in suburban Washington. "It's all about the leadership."

He cited China's move this week to devalue its currency against the American dollar, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine as examples of the United States' decline as a world power.

Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll 

"The reason why they're doing it is because our leadership is so weak and so pathetic that they can get away with it," Trump said regarding China's currency devaluation. "Believe me, they're taking our jobs — and they're taking them, big league.

"You look at other countries. They're doing the same thing.

They have no respect for our leader and, frankly, they have no respect any longer for our great country," he added. "It's so simple to solve: What we need is a strong economy. What we need is jobs."

Trump said that Putin is "toying" with Obama in Ukraine.

"He has the Olympics. The day after the Olympics, he starts with the Ukraine. When he goes into Crimea, he's taking the heart and soul, because that's where all the money is. That's the area with the wealth.

"So that means the rest of Ukraine will fall — and they’re predicting that it will fall very quickly," Trump concluded.

"It's like with this country: if we don't make it great, it's going to fall. It's really going to fall."

He also mentioned the size of the national debt. "Our country is in serious, serious trouble. We owe $17 trillion on debt. How do you pay off $17 trillion? No-one ever heard the expression a number of years ago — the word 'trillion.' We have debt that's beyond belief. We have deficits that nobody can even comprehend."

Trump's speech was peppered with ecstatic applause from the crowded hall at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. 

He predicted that "conservative Republicans" will retake the Senate in this fall's congressional elections and that the GOP will beat out former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the White House in 2016 — "and then you can end Obamacare, which is a total catastrophe."

He later added: "Obamacare has to be stopped. Has to be. Immigration: We're either a country or we're not. We either have borders or we don't. 

"It's true. You have a border, you have a country — and if you don't have a border, what do you have? … Nothing."

Trump noted that immigrants, once becoming legal, solidly vote Democratic.

"As a conservative Republican, you will not get any of those votes, no matter what you do. … You're not going to get the votes. With immigration, you better be smart, you better be tough — and they're taking your jobs, and you'd better be careful."

He spoke against cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

"I want to make this country so strong, so rich and so powerful — we have so much energy and so much money under our feet that we don't have to take away people's Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

"You want to stop the fraud, you want to stop the abuse … but they don't want to do that," he added, referring to the Obama administration.

In addition, Trump said that Obama's latest poll numbers — 38 percent approval to 54 percent disapproval, according to a Fox News survey — were "inconceivable." 

"We're getting into Jimmy Carter territory — and I never thought I'd see anything like that again," he added, referring to the Democrat, who was in the White House from 1977 to 1981.

Battered by double-digit inflation, an economic recession, and the Iran hostage crisis, Carter's approval rating fell to 31 percent in June 1980. 

"I lived through that time, and it was not a good time. We're pretty close," Trump said. "By this time next month, we will have surpassed the late, great Jimmy Carter."

Carter, now 89, lives in Atlanta with his wife, Rosalynn.

Larry Kudlow: Obama Should Cut Taxes Like JFK, Reagan

Economist Larry Kudlow has denounced President Barack Obama for failing to follow the examples of former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan who cut taxes to get the economy rolling again.

In a commentary he co-authored in The Wall Street Journal, the host of CNBC’s "The Kudlow Report" criticized Obama for spending staggering amounts of government funds in a disastrous attempt to jump-start the economy.

"It is a pity that President Obama, who has unsuccessfully tried massive infusions of government money to spur growth, didn't follow JFK and Reagan's lead and make lower marginal tax rates a priority," wrote Kudlow and Brian Domitrovic, chairman of the history department at Sam Houston State University.

"If he had, we'd likely be in the midst of a vigorous recovery and on our way to another decade of impressive growth," they wrote in The Journal.

Kudlow and Domitrovic, who are writing a book on Kennedy’s tax cuts to be published by Penguin next year, hailed the sweeping tax reforms President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law 50 years ago that had been championed by JFK before his assassination.

The 1964 law reduced the top tax bracket from 91 percent to 70 percent and the bottom bracket to 14 percent from 20 percent, while the 22 rates in between were also slashed.

"JFK understood that high tax rates, even on the rich, bring inequities into the nation's political economy that do not befit America's traditions of liberty and constitutional rule," said Kudlow and Domitrovic.

"He also understood that devaluing tax preferences, as tax cuts do, frees up capital to move to its most naturally productive purpose and spur economic growth."

Under the Tax Reform Act in 1986 during Regan’s administration, the top marginal tax rate was just 28 percent. The highest marginal tax rate is now 39.6 percent.

"Reagan had the good sense to use the JFK tax cut as a model for his own historic tax cut in 1981," said Domitrovic and Kudlow, who was associate director for economics and planning in the Office of Management and Budget in the Reagan administration. 

The authors also praised the initial tax reforms that took place in the 1920s under the Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge administrations.

"The 1920s, '60s and '80s were three of America's greatest decades of economic growth," they wrote in the Journal. "Without them, growth since the inauguration of the income tax in 1913 averages less than 3 percent per year. 

"Each of the tax-cut decades saw at least seven years of growth of 4-5 percent, along with advances in entrepreneurship, employment, living standards, and wealth. We would hardly speak of an 'American century' if not for the economic expansions that came with these three historic tax cuts."

Poll: NY, NJ, Va. Voters Support National Gun Registry

Overwhelming majorities of people in Virginia, New York, and New Jersey support establishing a national gun registry, despite the wide variations of gun ownership and laws in those states, a new poll has found.

According to a Roanoke/Rutgers-Eagleton/Siena College survey conducted Feb. 22-28, 68 percent of New Yorkers support a national gun registry, as do 74 percent of New Jersey residents, and 63 percent of Virginians.

The survey of 2,477 people included roughly equal numbers of residents from each state.

"Given a huge disparity in gun ownership rates — half in Virginia, compared to 1 in 7 in the two Northern states — the much smaller differences on support for a national gun registry are surprising," Harry Wilson, director of Roanoke's Institute for Policy ad Opinion Research, said in a statement.

"Virginians are less supportive of stricter gun laws, but those differences are relatively small. New York and New Jersey have much tougher restrictions on guns and gun owners; perhaps those differences are a factor in shaping opinion."

The National Rifle Association appears to have a different view on the issue than the majority of respondents. 

"The 5 million NRA members are in sync with every reasonable law-abiding American who opposes gun registries and wants law-enforcement resources used to ensure existing gun laws are enforced — and those who break these laws are arrested, prosecuted and punished," NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told The Washington Times.

Viral Blog Post Helps Students at NYC High School

A post on a popular New York City blog has gone viral and sparked a national firestorm over problems facing students at a Brooklyn-area high school.

Brandon Stanton asked to take a picture of Annette Renaud on Sunday while riding the New York City subway so he could add the picture and some comments to his blog Humans of New York. It has become Stanton's custom to ask his subjects what is on their mind.

Renaud is a parent and represents students at the Secondary School for Journalism in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood as a member of the School Leadership Team.

"I'm currently advocating on behalf of my child and 17 other children whose parents don't speak English," she was quoted on the blog. "These kids have all done very well on their Regent's exams — I'm talking 90-95th percentile.

"They were on their way toward qualifying for an Advanced Regents government scholarship that would give their parents badly needed money to help in their eduction. But the fine print of that scholarship says the children need three full years of a foreign language," she said.

She said that the problem is that the principal of that school fired the Spanish teacher and doesn't plan to hire a new one, so now the students won't be able to qualify for the scholarship they had all been working toward. 

According to The New York Times, the students and other supporters had staged protests at the school about this and other issues, but no change had occurred. Renaud said that they had also called and sent letters to the Board of Education to no avail.

"Trying to get something fixed in these schools is like praying to some false God," she said. "You call and email hoping that God is listening, and nothing happens. Meanwhile, the kids suffer."

Since the blog post went up on Sunday, it received more than 150,000 likes on the blog's Facebook page, and readers have pledged to call the school on the students' behalf. 

Two change.org petitions were started — one by a reader in Michigan asking the school district's superintendent to hire a new teacher, which has received 250 signatures, and another by a Connecticut man asking the New York City Department of Education to step in, which has reached 1,000 signatures.

The school's email address and phone number were also posted, and it was reported that emails were getting sent back due to lack of data space.

Marcus Liem, deputy press secretary of the New York City Education Department, said meetings had already been scheduled between department and school officials, but they are now happening sooner. 

"We continue to work closely with the school community to ensure students have access to the courses they need," Liem told The Times. 

Indiana Senate Nixes Joint Tax Returns for Gay Couples

Indiana senators have deleted a provision in the state tax code that would have allowed same-sex couples to file joint state tax returns, but a Republican state senator said the move just codifies current practice.

Republican state Sen. Brandt Hershman said Tuesday the move was made because of the possible impact of the federal government's decision allowing married same-sex couples to file joint federal tax returns, reports The Indianapolis Star. 

Hershman, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, said Indiana's legislature chooses what portions of federal tax code revisions to adopt. Tuesday's action amends a broader bill that clarifies the state's tax policies concerning same-sex couples.

"This only codifies current practice," Hershman said. "This is not piling on or anything like that. It doesn't change a thing."

However, Rick Sutton, executive director of gay rights advocacy group Indiana Equality Action, said, "I'm puzzled why we need legislative action to trump or somehow highlight in boldface what's already being done at the administrative level."

He said it is more costly and discriminatory for same-sex couples to have to file separate state tax returns when they can file joint federal returns.

After the federal government changed its rules to allow same-sex couples to file joint returns, the Indiana Department of Revenue announced that partners in such a union must file state taxes as singles. 

The department said couples who file federal returns should also fill out a sample federal single-filer form that divides their income so they can use them for reference while filing Indiana's state taxes.

The move comes just weeks after opponents of an effort to place Indiana's gay marriage ban in the state constitution won a surprising victory, with the Senate pushing off a statewide vote on the issue for at least two years.

The Indiana Senate considered no amendments and did not debate before advancing the proposed ban without a provision that would have barred civil unions and could have prevented employers from offering benefits to same-sex couples. 

The expansive language had raised concerns among many lawmakers, including those who otherwise supported limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

'Armpit of America' Deodorant Ad Dropped by Dove After N.J. Outcry

An ad referring to New Jersey as the "Armpit of America" has been ditched by Dove soap after New Jersey residents made a stink over the "offensive" and "insulting" nature of the billboard.

Unilever's Dove recently unveiled the ad mockup for its new line of Advanced Care deodorant. According to ABC News, the armpit billboard was slated to go on display in the Garden State in July, but it didn’t exactly go over as expected. 

"Dear New Jersey," the sign reads, "when people call you 'The Armpit of America,' take it as a compliment. Sincerely, Dove." 

"New Jersey is the Garden State not the armpit state," one Facebook user posted on Dove's page. "Will think twice before buying your product now."

"Your ad campaign was ignorant and offensive," another person commented. 

"For a company that tries to be so politically correct with its 'Beauty Is' campaign, I think you really screwed the pooch on your anti-New Jersey billboard," someone else wrote. 

This week, Dove apologized and said it would not go ahead with the armpit campaign. 

"Thank you for your comments. With our 'Dear New Jersey' advertisement, Dove deodorant never intended to upset the residents of the state," Unilever said in a statement. "As a result of your feedback, Dove deodorant will not be moving forward with publishing or displaying this ad." 

Matthew McCarthy, senior marketing director of antiperspirants and deodorants at Unilever, announced that the company will instead devote the billboard space to a New Jersey charity. 

"We did not wish to cause any misunderstanding and apologize for any offense," he said in a statement. "Our intent with the 'Dear New Jersey' billboard, which was one of many ads for our campaign, was to call attention to the fact that armpits can and should be considered beautiful and ask women everywhere to accept this as something that is okay."