Third Front: Ukraine is re-instituting the military draft to bulk up its army and President Obama says the US will ratchet the pressure to get Russia to back away from eastern Ukraine. President Obama said, “The violence is encouraged by Russia.  The separatists are trained by Russia.  They are armed by Russia.  They are funded by Russia.” 

Obama said the US will not join the fight, but that leaves the Ukraine army taking the heat. Some Ukrainian units are encircled. Pro-Russians backed by the Russian army have taken the port city of Novoazovsk and Ukrainian soldiers have fallen back to protect Mariupol, also on the Sea of Azov.

One of the main rebel leaders said they have had the help of 4,000 Russians, some of them on leave from the Russian army. But it seems clear the Russian army is in deep. NATO also released satellite photos of Russian artillery arrayed in firing position inside Ukraine.

The Caliphate: The ISIS extremists have shown once again that they grant no quarter to their enemies. Video posted by ISIS shows 250 Syrian soldiers marched through the desert in their underwear to their execution. The video did not include the actual killing of the soldiers, but did show their bodies after it was over.

ISIS has repeatedly killed military and civilian prisoners, slaughtering both non-Muslims, and Muslims who don’t adhere to their version of the faith.

World: Malaysian Airlines, which lost two jets full of passengers this year, is laying off 6,000 employees, about a third of its staff.

>The UN says three million Syrians have fled the embattled country creating “the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era.”

New Rules: After getting thrown for not being tough in the case of Baltimore Raven Ray Rice, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a crackdown on players accused of domestic violence and sexual assault. First offense: A six game suspension. Second offense: Indefinite suspension.

Baltimore running back Ray Rice received only a two-game suspension after the release of video last winter showing him dragging his then fiancée on the floor out of an elevator. It didn’t go well with a lot of fans, many of whom are women. In a letter to NFL owners, Goodell said his decision in the Rice Case “led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families.”

Like Family: The sister of the Boston bombing suspects has been arrested and accused of threatening a woman over the telephone. Police say Aliana Tsarnaev, 23, who lives in Jersey City called a Harlem woman and said, “Leave us alone, I have people that can go over there and put a bomb on you.” What it was about hasn’t been reported.

Joan Rivers: The 81-year-old comedienne is reported to be in a coma at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York after she suffered cardiac arrest and stopped breathing during throat surgery at another facility. She is described as being in critical but stable condition. Doctors had recently found a suspicious-looking spot in her throat. Just the night before Rivers joked at an event that, “‘I could fall over right here and you all could say, ‘I was there!’”

It’s the Pitts: After nine years together and creating or collecting six children, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were married in France. All the kids ages 6 to 13, along with family and close friends, were present for the ceremony in a wine chateau. The bride wore white and we know it’s a different age, but she has been married twice before. Okay? Now we can all talk about something else.

Fashionistas: In a city that’s home to the worst dressed adults in America, the Washington press was aflutter yesterday over the tan suit President Obama wore delivering his statement on several world crises. They didn’t approve. A sample of tweets during yesterday’s speech:

-“Obama vows to defeat whoever made him wear this suit.” – Josh Barro, the New York Times.

-“Obama hopes to frighten Vladimir Putin into submission with this suit choice.” – Ben Shapiro, Truth Revolt.

We’d like to suggest that the entire Washington press corps be sent to Cleveland to cover car accidents.

-30-