Conflicting Reports of Russian Threats, Ban on City Immigration Laws Left Standing, Rep. Ryan Addresses Impact of Anti-Poverty Programs: P.M. Links

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  Credit: Alexander Komlik / Foter / CC BY-NC

  There were reports that Russia's Navy had given Ukrainian troops in Crimea a deadline of 5 a.m. (their time) Tuesday to surrender or face an assault. Officials with the Russian Black Sea Fleet say the ultimatum does not exist. President Barack Obama said that Russia is "on the wrong side of history" on Ukraine, showing how badly that worthless phrase needs to be retired.

• The Supreme Court declined to get involved in a couple of immigration law cases, leaving to stand rulings that prohibit cities from barring landlords from renting to illegal immigrants and businesses from employing them, on the basis that such rules are the responsibility of the feds.
• A new study by the House Budget Committee being touted by GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, the committee's chairman, criticizes America's massive $799 billion anti-poverty programs for focusing so much on means-testing for benefits that it discourages the poor from working to improve their financial situations.
• The House is also expected to vote this week whether to eliminate the penalty for 2014 for not having health insurance as mandated by ObamaCare.
• One of the witnesses in a Michigan lawsuit trying to strike down the state's ban on gay marriage recognition was rejected by the judge. He was there to defend the ban, but the judge ruled that as the witness is still a college student, he is not yet an expert.
• The entire British National Health Service hospital patient database was uploaded to an online Google service, causing serious concerns about privacy.

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