A.M. Links: Americans Say Obama Lies, Putin Does Annual Phone-In Q&A, Joe Biden Takes a Selfie With the President

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  Six out of 10 respondents in a new poll say President Obama lies to the American people about important issues at least some of the time.

• In an annual televised question and answer session, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukraine's use of the military to respond to unrest in the eastern portion of the country a "grave crime" and said he reserved the right to use force. He also took a question from Edward Snowden about mass surveillance by the Russian government. Putin insisted the government needed a court order to "stalk" someone and that it didn't have the resources the U.S. did to conduct mass surveillance.
• Joe Biden may have taken a selfie with Barack Obama, but it doesn't mean Obama will endorse Joe Biden for president. President Obama and the vice president did, however, spend time this week in Pennsylvania pushing a $600 million "job training" program.
• New Jersey is deploying state troopers to Newark to combat a rising homicide rate. Troopers will patrol the streets and try to predict where shootings may happen next, while the local cops hope to arrest people before they commit serious crimes.
• Union leaders in Detroit want the state of Michigan to use $100 million in federal money meant for homeowners' assistance on their pension funds instead.
• The Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox is beginning the process of liquidation even as it hopes it can recover some of the money seized by the Department of Homeland Security.

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