Russians Take Navy HQ, Toyota Fined a Billion

Ukraine: Russian soldiers and Crimean “self defense” forces took over the headquarters of the Ukrainian navy in Sevastopol today. The Ukrainian navy personnel left without resistance.

  Yesterday Ukraine said one of its military officers was killed by gunfire in an attack on a base in Simferopol. The government authorized troops to return fire in self defense. According to reports armed men stormed the base, killing a junior officer and wounding another. A third soldier was said to have been beaten with pipes.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are still penned into Crimean military bases surrounded by Russian soldiers.

Mystery Jet: With no solid answers, speculation is rampant in the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Investigators say they are trying to restore data files deleted from the pilot’s home flight simulator. Files containing the data of simulated flights were deleted Feb. 3.

Wired Magazine published an article by veteran pilot Chris Goodfellow offering the interesting theory that Malaysia flight 370 had an electrical or tire fire and the pilots turned left toward the nearest airport before they were overcome and incapacitated. The author theorizes that the pilots were making a dash for the 13,000-foot runway at Pulau Langkawi, an island off the Northwest coast of Malaysia. Goodfellow writes, “What I think happened is the flight crew was overcome by smoke and the plane continued on the heading, probably on George (autopilot), until it ran out of fuel or the fire destroyed the control surfaces and it crashed. You will find it along that route–looking elsewhere is pointless.” A hole in the theory: no report of trouble from the jet.

Cars: Toyota admitted it did wrong and agreed to a $1.2 billion fine in the cover-up of sudden-acceleration defects that caused accidents and deaths. Toyota originally denied there was a problem and fought liability lawsuits brought against the company. A senior FBI official said, “Toyota put sales over safety and profit over principle.” The money goes to the government.

Nation: An ABC affiliate news helicopter crashed and burned just outside its station near the Space Needle in Seattle yesterday morning, killing two people, seriously burning a third, and destroying three vehicles. The two dead were a veteran KOMO cameraman and the helicopter’s pilot. The injured man is identified as a motorist who was burned getting out of his flaming vehicle. The chopper was taking off from the KOMO TV building when it flipped and crashed into the street.

MOH: President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to 24 men who were passed over at the time of their service because of their race or ethnicity. Only three of the men who fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam are still alive. Congress in 2002 ordered the Army to review all recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross since WWII to determine who among them actually deserved the Medal of Honor. Retired Sgt. Melvin Morris, who was wounded in Vietnam, said, “I can’t be nothing but proud. Even though it may come late, better late than never.”

Mourning: The Rolling Stones cancelled their Australia and New Zealand tour after the suicide of Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, fashion designer L’Wren Scott. Jagger said on Facebook he failed “to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way.”

Sugar and Spice: Frustrated with the First Lady’s push for healthier sweets, White House pastry chef Bill Yosses has resigned. Yosses has been replacing butter and sugar with fruit puree, honey, and agave, but he hasn’t been happy about it. He said, “I don’t want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs.”

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

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