Mario Cuomo: Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who served three terms as an articulate leader in liberal politics and was a potential presidential candidate who never ran, has died at age 82 in New York. Cuomo was the father …

World: President Obama has stepped into the Syrian civil war, asking Congress for $500 million to train and equip “appropriately vetted” members of the Syrian opposition. The danger of sending equipment to Syria is that weapons can fall into the …

I Spy: The Justice Department this morning announced espionage charges against five members of China’s People’s Liberation Army, accusing them of stealing trade secrets from American companies. It’s unprecedented to remotely indict officials of a foreign government, but needless to say, …

Ukraine: Ukrainian officials say an “anti-terrorist” operation is underway to take back buildings occupied by pro-Russian militants in Eastern Ukraine. One Ukrainian security officer was killed today in a gun battle with militants in the eastern city of Sloviansk. One …

Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin is engaging in old time saber rattling, ordering air and ground military exercises in Western Russia to last through March 3rd. Russia’s defense minister cited the need to test readiness for a “crisis situation,” but …

Syria: Peace talks in Switzerland immediately stumbled over the continued tenure of President Bashar al-Assad. Secy. of State John Kerry said Assad could not be part of a negotiated interim government and that, “The right to lead a country does …

Syria: A new report says Syria has systematically tortured and executed 11,000 prisoners since the start of its civil war. The report from three former war crimes prosecutors is based upon 55,000 digital pictures of victims brought to them by …

Trainwreck: The Metro-North commuter train that derailed Sunday entered a dangerous curve at 82 mph rather than 30, NTSB investigators said. The information came from the train’s black box. Investigators also said the train’s throttle was fully engaged until six …

  Money, Money: JP Morgan Chase is considering a record $13 billion settlement with the Justice Department over its sale of bad mortgage securities. If it goes through, it would be the largest such settlement in US history. The settlement …

 Iran Vote: Moderate cleric Hasan Rowhani is the winner of the election to succeed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He is expected to allow more personal freedom in Iran and be less confrontational with the West. National: Detroit’s emergency manager says some …