Assassination: The shooting of a prominent critic and opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday on a Moscow bridge within sight of the Kremlin had all the markings of a political hit. Reports say Boris Nemtsov was shot four times in the back and several gunmen got away.

Nemtsov was once considered a possible successor to President Boris Yeltsin, but he was out maneuvered by Putin. Nemtsov was a crusader for democracy and against corruption, which is rife in Russia. He was opposed to the war in Ukraine and accused Putin of fomenting it.

In his last political appeal on Twitter Nemtsov wrote, “If you support stopping Russia’s war with Ukraine, if you support stopping Putin’s aggression, come to the Spring March in Maryino on 1 March.”

Putin promised an investigation, but opposition leaders don’t expect that the crime will ever be solved. Nemtsov once said in an interview, “I love Russia and want the best for her, so for me criticizing Putin is a very patriotic activity because these people are leading Russia to ruin.”

Politics: After a day of wrangling the House passed a bill late yesterday to keep the Department of Homeland Security fully operational for just one more week. But it was a humiliating defeat for Speaker John Boehner because members of his own party refused to extend funding for three weeks as he had proposed. It was the Democrats who gave him the majority for the one-week extension.

Boehner had linked funding for Homeland Security to crippling President Obama’s immigration policies. The vote reveals a rift among the Republicans just as they take the majority and promise to get things done.

Boehner may not be able to herd his own cats.

The Obit Page: “Live long and prosper.” Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the emotionless Dr. Spock in the television and movie series “Star Trek,” has died at age 83. Spock and his pointy ears became a universally recognized character, as well as a blessing and a curse for the actor who played him. A poet, photographer, musician, and stage actor, Nimoy could never escape the half-human half-Vulcan pedantically logical Spock. He wrote an autobiography defiantly named “I Am Not Spock,” but eventually he came to peace with being known as the character that made him famous. It was only logical.

>Former NBA all-star Anthony Mason, who played for six teams in 13 seasons, has died of a massive heart attack at age 48. Mason had only recently been diagnosed with congestive heart disease. He helped power the NY Knicks to the NBA finals in 1994.

Fashion News: The $150,000 dress stolen from the West Hollywood hotel room of actress Lupita Nyong’o has been recovered, according authorities. The dress sewn with 6,000 pearls was found in a hotel bathroom.

And speaking of dresses, the Internet nearly melted down in a debate about a picture of a woman’s dress, the question being whether the dress was black and blue, or white and gold. It seemed to depend upon the picture, the lighting, or who was looking at it. Scientists, Buzzfeed, and Twittiots weighed in until finally someone looked at the dress in person and verified with the designer that the dress is black and blue.

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