Sunday at 9AM & NOON ET
Some Mother’s Day Love
By CNN's Susan Garraty
President Barack Obama explained to a group of students last month while visiting Kuala Lumpur his biggest regret: he should have spent more time with his mother. In his 20’s and 30’s, the President said his busy life in Chicago as a grass roots organizer and then attorney meant that he didn’t always reach out and communicate with his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.
“I regret not having spent more time with my mother. Because she died early - she got cancer right around when she was my age, actually, she was just a year older than I am now,” mused the President.
Popes and Presidents
Every president since Eisenhower has met with the Pope during his presidency.
SOTU EXTRA: Crisis in Ukraine
By Michelle Koepp
Hostilities intensified in Crimea Saturday as Ukrainian officials accused pro-Russian forces of armed aggression, and with an announcement by regional pro-Moscow authorities of a March 16 referendum to confirm the Crimea’s annexation to Russia.
SOTU EXTRA: The Baltics and Russia's next move
By Paige Hymson
Amidst the crisis in Ukraine, many former Soviet nations fear Russia’s next moves. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are feeling anxious about possible Russian expansionism. The three Baltic countries hope to reduce their dependency on Russia’s energy and natural gas supply. The nations worry that their current reliance on Russia for all of their natural gas will be corrupted because of the situation in Ukraine. They all also have strong trade ties to Russia.
SOTU EXTRA: Obamacare uncertainty
By Paige Hymson
As March 31st quickly approaches, the Obamacare enrollment deadline has some people worried, and others simply confused. In short, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a set of health reforms that guarantees all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. By March 31st, the Obamacare program mandates that all Americans sign up for health care, or face a penalty. The fee for not having health insurance is $95 per individual, or 1% of your taxable income, whichever is greater. If Americans do not sign up by the open enrollment deadline at the end of March, not only will they have to pay the penalty fee, but they will have to wait until November when the open enrollment marketplace reopens.
SOTU EXTRA: Charlie Crist's political comeback
By Michelle Koepp
“Winners have more friends than losers do” Charlie Crist writes in his recently-released book, “The Party’s Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat.” The former Republican politician, who governed Florida from 2007 to 2011, is running for his old job again, but this time as a Democrat. Supporters argue that Crist’s shift in allegiances is the sign of a rational politician who is unafraid to make a dramatic, albeit risky, political evolution. Detractors argue that Crist will play any card just in the hopes of coming out the winner.
Sunday on State of the Union
Will she stay or will she go? The Russian parliament says it supports Crimea in their quest to separate from Ukraine, despite the threat of sanctions and travel bans, and Russia’s Foreign Ministry warns that Russia will retaliate if sanctions are imposed. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Obama both say they want to preserve the Russian-American relationship, but with Russian troops pouring into Ukraine, and US fighter jets entering the region, how will the standoff end? We’ll get the latest from the White House’s Deputy National Security Adviser, Tony Blinken.
Plus, with neighbors like these…as Russia moves in to Ukraine, its neighbors to the west worry about the possibility of the same thing happening to them, and beef up their defense systems. The Ambassadors from two former eastern bloc countries – Lithuania and Estonia – join us for a look at security in the region, and if their countries could be next.
Then, Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist says the Republican party has been hijacked by the extreme right. Our Sunday exclusive with the man who went from party insider to persona non grata, on why he supports raising the minimum wage, what he thinks of ObamaCare and why the party’s over for the GOP.
And, our political panel – Donna Brazile, AB Stoddard and Ben Ferguson – on the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Committee, who is making it clear that the party has only just begun.
State of the Union airs at 9am and 12noon Eastern on CNN.
SOTU Scoop
By Tracey Webb [twitter-follow screen_name='WebbWriterguru']
Your daily scoop of what State of the Union is watching today, March 6, 2014.
1. The Ukraine crisis. The U.S. has begun its sanctions squeeze on Russia over its movement of troops into Ukraine's Crimea region. President Obama signed an executive order that imposes financial penalties on individuals and entities seen as violating Ukraine's territorial integrity, though Russian President Vladimir Putin is not on the list. The order also allows visa bans to be imposed on certain individuals. Senior administration officials said the sanctions are intended to "send a strong message that we intend to impose costs on Russia for this intervention."
SOTU Scoop
By Tracey Webb [twitter-follow screen_name='WebbWriterguru']
Your daily scoop of what State of the Union is watching today, March 5, 2014.
1. The Ukraine crisis. Diplomacy was at the forefront in an effort to end the standoff between Russia and Ukraine and Western allied countries. Secretary of State John Kerry held face-to-face talks in Paris with foreign ministers of Ukraine and several European nations, as well as Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Kerry said while Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty won't go unanswered, "It is important to try and resolve this issue through dialogue... I don't believe any of us are served by greater confrontation." Still, the situation remains tense. The U.S. and its European allies haven't ruled out imposing tough sanctions against Russia, and Russia is threatening to confiscate Western assets if that occurs.
SOTU EXTRA: The Hillary Clinton papers
By Michelle Koepp
The more things change, the more they stay the same? On Friday, The William J. Clinton Presidential Library released more than 3,500 previously secret documents offering an insider’s look into the internal politics of the Clinton years. With the former First Lady and Secretary of State now the favorite to nab the Democratic nomination for 2016, the rush to access the documents temporarily crashed the Library’s website due to overwhelming demand.
About This Show
From the country’s major political and policy issues to diplomacy on the global stage, State of the Union with Candy Crowley brings in the world’s top newsmakers and analysts to deliver the smartest, most comprehensive look at what matters most to you. Sundays at 9am and Noon ET.
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Finally…
