Smokin’ in the Newsroom: In a sign that marijuana is the new martini,The New York Times editorial board has endorsed legalized weed, saying simply, “The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana.” The Great Gray Lady says that after …

Gaza: Thousands of Gaza residents returned to destroyed homes and neighborhoods today, searching for possessions and burying the dead, during a 12-hour humanitarian pause in fighting. Some large areas had been reduced to rubble.   Nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed. …

Gaza: At least 15 people were killed and 200 wounded today when Israel shelled a United Nations school used as a shelter. About 120,000 Palestinians have sought shelter from the fighting in UN schools. As discussions continue about ending the …

MH17: The NY Times published photos of a piece of fuselage that shows perforations from shrapnel, indicating that the jet was hit with the fragmenting warhead of an SA-11 antiaircraft missile. It appears to be the first physical evidence of …

MH17: President Obama this morning challenged Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to allow an investigation of the crash site of Malaysian airlines Flight 17, and the proper handling of bodies. In stern terms, Obama repeatedly referred to “Russian backed …

MH17: Pro-Russian separatists have taken control of the bodies recovered from the downed Malaysian airliner while blocking investigators from examining the wreckage. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said they were told 167 bodies have been …

MH17: International monitors say their movements are being limited by separatist rebels at the eastern Ukraine crash site of Malaysian Airlines flight 17. The Ukraine government says Russia is helping to destroy evidence that the jet was shot down with …

Ukraine Crash: The US says a satellite tracked a surface to air missile taking down the Malaysian Airlines jetliner in Ukraine yesterday with 298 people on board. Officials said the tracking did not reveal the missile’s point of origin, but …

Return Fire: Israel has warned up to 100,000 residents of Gaza to leave their homes in advance of airstrikes. And Israel reports its first death in more than a week of fighting with Hamas militants in Gaza. The victim was …

Derailed: A Moscow Metro subway train derailed and crashed today, killing at least 20 people and injuring 150. The cause was not immediately evident. The crash happened 275 feet below the streets, making rescue and recovery more difficult. Authorities say …