Ukraine: Pro-Russians appear ready to go ahead with an independence referendum tomorrow, despite discouragement from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine government. Ukraine’s acting President Oleksander Turchinov said the vote “would be a step into the abyss for these …

Nation: Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is under the gun with the Veterans Administration accused of letting veterans die while they wait months for medical appointments and treatment. Shinseki has been subpoenaed to testify before the House Veterans Committee and …

Nigeria: Boko Haram militants invaded a regional state capital Monday killing at least 310 people, Nigerian authorities say. Some of the victims were reported to have been burned alive in buildings where they hid. The village of Gamboru Ngala is …

Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he is pulling back his troops from the eastern Ukraine border. “We have pulled them back. Today they are not at the Ukrainian border but in places of regular exercises, at training grounds.” …

Ukraine: Thirty-four rebels and four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting to re-take the city of Sloviansk from pro-Russian gunmen. The fighting in Sloviansk has been the government’s biggest effort to reassert control in Eastern Ukraine as rebels control key …

Prayer: The Supreme Court ruled today that the town of Greece, NY can open its public meetings with a prayer led by a “chaplain of the month.” Writing for the 5-4 majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said, “ceremonial prayer is but …

Ukraine: A peaceful demonstration turned violent when pro-Russian demonstrators attacked the police station in Odessa. They had gathered to memorialize and protest the deaths 31 fellow demonstrators who were killed Friday inside a union building that burned. Ukraine’s interim Prime …

Ukraine: At least 31 pro-Russians died in a fire in a trade union building in Odessa on the Black Sea yesterday, making it the single most violent day in the Ukraine/Russia standoff so far. Ten other people were reported killed …

Nation: Fifty-five colleges and universities from the Ivy League to small private colleges and big state schools are under investigation by the Education Department for the way they handle sexual assault complaints. The list includes Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, UC …

Nation: Senate Republicans blocked a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, saying a hike would slow the economy and force employers to shed hundreds of thousands of jobs. The federal minimum is now $7.25. But …