Cheat Sheet - Rand Paul’s Extreme GOP Makeover

March 05, 2014 REINTRODUCTION 1. Rand Paul's Extreme GOP Makeover In his short time as a senator, Rand Paul has swung from filibustering Obama's drone policy to calling his own party "stale and moss covered." His movements, writes Patricia Murphy, have left only one thing clear—he will try to revolutionize the Republican Party if he runs for president. Read it at The Daily Beast GTFO 2. 'All Russians Are My Enemies Now' While much of the western world is scrambling to respond to Vladimir Putin's power grab in Crimea, it has served to stoke nationalist fervor in western Ukraine. Vijai Maheshwari reports on the ordinary citizens vowing to mobilize to oppose the Russian threat. Read it at The Daily Beast ANYONE LEFT? 3. CIA May Have Spied on Senate The CIA has been accused of spying on members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Agents may have accessed computers that were used by committee staff to compile a report into the detention and interrogation program used by American intelligence agencies. On Tuesday, Senator Mark Udall of Colorado claimed the CIA has taken "unprecedented action" against the committee. After a rare public dispute between the intelligence committee and the CIA, an inquiry has been launched by the watchdog set up to oversee the agency. Read it at The New York Times REALLY? 4. Pope Defends Sex Abuse Response In an interview with Il Corriere della Sera published Wednesday, Pope Francis defended the oft-criticized Catholic Church's response to the sex abuse scandal declaring, "The Catholic Church is perhaps the only public institution to have acted with transparency and responsibility. No one else has done more. Yet the Church is the only one to have been attacked." He also offered praise to his predecessor Pope Benedict's handling of the crisis, saying he was "very courageous and opened up a path" for the Church to change. In February, the UN condemned the Vatican for its failures in stopping child abuse, and accused it of engaging in a massive cover-up. Read it at Yahoo party on the hill 5. D.C. Votes to Free the Weed Place your bets on which legislator is hotboxing the Capitol Building first. On Tuesday, the D.C. Council voted 10-1 to decriminalize marijuana. The law is one of the nation's most lenient, and reduces the potential one-year jail sentence for possession of less than one ounce of weed to just a $25 fine. The lawmakers maintained a ban on smoking in public, but D.C. police will not be allowed to arrest someone for the smell of marijuana; they will have to see smoke. Read it at The Washington Post DON'T MESS Davis, Cornyn Win Texas Primaries Wendy Davis is on the rise. SPEAK OUT SCOTUS Expands Whistleblower Law For millions of employees. WHIP IT Teen's Joy Ride Causes 23 Crashes Before his tires went flat. CLOSE YOUR EYES! Nude Bieber Video to Be Released Judge has private parts blurred. WIGGING OUT John Travolta: 'Let It Go!' Speaks out about Oscar slip-up. POPSUGAR The Year in Royalty GQ The Year in Babes POPSUGAR Winter Reading List: 25 MUST READS! GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. On the Ground in Ukraine Russian troops have entered Crimea, and clashes between pro-European and pro-Russian demonstrators have caused chaos. Ukrainians captured the developments on video to show the world. More Videos Namibia's Spooky Skeleton Coast by Nina Strochlic Why Neocons Love the Strongman by Michael Tomasky Madeleine Albright: Putin 'Delusional' by Women in the World

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