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 not come from torture, nor barrel bombs, nor Scud missiles.”  Kerry said the goal is to form a Syrian government without Assad, “And the only thing standing in its way is the stubborn clinging to power of one man, one family.”

Chill Out: Minneapolis, minus 17, Chicago, minus 1, Buffalo, 6, Pilot Knob, NY, minus 1, Boston, 9, Bangor, Me, 1.

Nation: The NY Times reports that an independent federal watchdog agency will report today that the NSA metadata collection is illegal and only marginally useful in fighting terrorism. The report comes from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, created by Congress.

>The Virginia attorney general said today he will no longer defend his state’s ban on same-sex marriage against legal challenges. Mark Herring, a Democrat, just took office.

Lone Star: Over objections from the Mexican government and the State Department, Texas finally executed a Mexican man convicted of killing a Houston police officer 20 years ago. Edgar Tamayo, 46, had been arrested for a robbery and was riding in the back of a patrol car when he shot Officer Guy Gaddis with a pistol concealed in his pants. Mexico argued that Tamayo was not informed of an international agreement that gave him the right to a lawyer from his own country. Texas argued that he killed a cop in Texas.

World: At least five people are dead in continuing protests in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Three of the dead were killed by gunshot, which means the police might be using live ammunition. Renewed disturbances broke out yesterday as an anti-protest law went into effect forbidding the blockade of public buildings, establishing encampments and wearing helmets.

The Boys’ Game: The Yankees agreed to pay Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka $155 million to throw baseballs for seven years in New York. Tanaka had a 24-0 record last season with the Rakuten Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 25-year-old Tanaka is 6-2, 205 pounds, and the Yankees had to pay his former team $20 million just to talk to him. Since the end of the season, the Yankees have signed $438 million in contracts with just four players.

The Beebs: Pop star Justin Bieber was arrested for drag racing in a Lamborghini against a rap singer driving a Ferrari. Both drivers failed a field sobriety test.  Recent reports say Bieber’s entourage has been trying to get him to go to rehab.

High Times: The Denver Post’s man on the marijuana beat reports that one pot shop store has plans to become the “Costco of weed.” The Medicine Man in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood, now known as “Potbello”, opened in 2010 as a medical dispensary. On the first day of legal recreational sales, the store sold 15 pounds of marijuana and raked in $100,000. The store plans a $2.6 million expansion into an all-white décor that looks like an Apple store. One of the owners said, “We really are trying to industrialize a hippie process.” And you know, that’s exactly the problem with legalizing marijuana.

The 70s Are Over: The soapy 1970s singing duo known as “The Captain and Tennille” are divorcing after 38 years of marriage. Their big hit: “Love Will Keep Us Together.” Toni Tennille, 73, finally realized that her husband Daryl Dragon has gone through life wearing a skipper’s hat.

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