House. But i noticed for medications the face is not green, its actually red. And what means is he missed the time hes supposed to take it. Woodruff those are just some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by ive been around long enough to recognize the people who are out there owning it. The ones getting involved, staying engaged. They are not afraid to question the path theyre on. Because the one question they never want to ask is, how did i end up here . I started schwab with those people. People who want to take ownership of their investments, like they do in every other aspect of their lives. And by the alfred p. Sloan foundation. Supporting science, technology, and improved Economic Performance and Financial Literacy in the 21st century. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Ifill russia and the west stayed locked in a staredown today, as the crisis over ukraine continued to build. Announcements of sanctions flew back and forth between washington and moscow. And in crimea, the russians intensified their pressure on ukraines military. Well have a full report right after the news summary. This day has seen a new flurry of activity and hope in the search for a missing malaysian airliner. The new focus an area in the southern indian ocean. We have a report from Jonathan Rugman of independent television news. Reporter this morning, australian and american surveillance planes set out in search of the remains of flight 370 after satellite imagery pinpointed possible debris floating below. They dropped yellow marker buoys over the spot. Theyre designed to record the oceans drifting currents and so detect where that debris might drift next. But clouds prevented any glimpse. One plane spotted only two passing pods of dolphins and a freighter. That ship, a norwegian car transporter, was diverted from its course to investigate but its Filipino Crew have seen nothing so far. A satellite recorded two objects. This one thought to be up to 24 meters long, though after so many false leads, caution is the order of the day. This is a lead. It is probably the best lead we have right now. But we need to get there, find them, see them, assess them to know whether its really meaningful or not. And i caution again, theyll be difficult to find. We dont know what that satellite saw until we can get a much better, much closer look at it. But this is the first tangible breakthrough in what up till now has been an utterly baffling mystery. Reporter flight mh370 left kuala lumpur at 12 41 am heading for beijing 12 days ago. The last goodnight from the co pilot came at 1 19am, about 40 minutes after takeoff. Just after that, communications were turned off. At 2 15am, the plane turned sharply off course. A satellite carried on picking up a signal for the next seven hours, the plane heading somewhere along one of these two vast corridors. Today, satellite images showed potential debris close to the southern corridor, over 1,500 miles west of perth, in australia. At kuala lumpur airport, the worlds press was hungry for eyewitness confirmation, which never came. 12 days on, the relatives of 239 missing people still left in the agonizing dark. The jet may have crashed into the ocean, but the mystery of what really happened could go on for days, months or even years ifill well have more on the huge challenges in the search for flight 370, later in the program. Army Brigadier GeneralJeffrey Sinclair was fined 20,000 today for sexual misconduct, but given no jail time. He was initially accused of Sexual Assault, as the pentagon acknowledged the problem is widespread within the military. But the case against sinclair crumbled and he pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Today, he appeared upbeat after leaving court at fort bragg, north carolina. Its been a very difficult time for me and my family, it really has. The system worked. Ive always been proud of my army. All i want to do now is go up north and hug my kids and see my wife. Ifill sinclair is retiring immediately, but a Disciplinary Board could yet reduce his rank and his pension. Well talk to a reporter whos been covering the court martial, later in the program. In a separate case, a military judge acquitted a former Naval AcademyFootball Player of Sexual Assault. Joshua tate was accused of attacking a female classmate at an offcampus party in 2012. Tate said the sex was consensual. Prosecutors argued the woman was too drunk to consent. Two other navy Football Players were charged, but the charges were later dropped. International criminal gangs are making california their number one American Target for cyber and other crimes. The state attorney general reported today california leads the nation in hack attacks and identity theft. The report also estimated more than 30billion is laundered through the state economy every year. Wall street rebounded today. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 108 points to close at 16,331. The nasdaq rose 11 points to close at 4,319. And the s p 500 added 11 to finish at 1,872. Leaders on both sides of the aisle paid tribute to robert strauss, who died wednesday. For decades, he was a major washington figure, advising president s of both parties. Ifill powerbroker, peacemaker, deal negotiator. Robert strausss career in politics began as a law student at the university of texas where he worked on Lyndon Johnsons first congressional campaign. By 1972, hed become chair of the Democratic National committee after George Mcgoverns shattering loss in the president race that year. Strauss set about rebuilding the party and helped engineer the 1976 election of jimmy carter. He served as the president s personal representative in middle east peace talks that led to the camp david accord. But he also moved easily across party lines as a trusted advisor in the Reagan Administration and as ambassador to the soviet union under president george h. W. Bush. Im Old Fashioned enough as many of you know i am Old Fashioned enough to believe still that politics does end at the waters edge and i believe that i can serve in the tradition of others who have made that step. Ifill in 1992, strauss returned to dallas to work at the law firm he cofounded in 1945 and to lecture at the university of texas. Robert strauss died wednesday at his home in washington. He was 95 years old. The kansas preacher who led his Westboro Baptist church on a fiery crusade against gays, has died. Reverend fred phelps organized antigay protests nationwide, even picketing funerals of aids victims and soldiers. That led to a major freespeech ruling in 2011, when the Supreme Court barred grieving families from suing Westboro Baptist for damages. Fred phelps was 84 years old. Still to come on the newshour, debating the u. S. Response to the crisis in ukraine, a new lead in the search for the missing malaysian jet, Tech Startups tackle the challenges of aging, sentencing day for a general in a high profile Sexual Assault case, plus, a look ahead at the race to control the u. S. Senate. Woodruff president obama upped the ante against russia over crimea today and triggered a return salvo from moscow. The world is watching with grave concern as russia has positioned its military in a way that could lead to further incursions. Woodruff the words of warning came on the white house lawn as the president expanded economic sanctions first announced on monday. I signed a new executive order today that gives us the authority to impose sanctions on individuals and sectors of the russian economy. This is not our preferred outcome. These sanctions would not only however, russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community. Woodruff the latest sanctions target president Vladimir Putins chief of staff and wealthy supporters. And, they quickly provoked a reaction. Within minutes, the kremlin announced sanctions against nine u. S. Officials, including senators john mccain and harry reid and House Speaker john boehner. The russian inner circle also faces new penalties from european leaders, who met in brussels today to consider their next punitive measures. In berlin, german chancellor Angela Merkel announced the g8 meeting that russia was scheduled to host in june, has been suspended indefinitely. translated it is clear that as long as the political conditions for the g8 are non existent, like right now, the g 8 does not exist anymore either as an organization or as a summit. Woodruff the russians remained undeterred. The lower house of parliament approved the treaty to annex crimea with the upper expected to give final approval tomorrow. And foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to secretary of state john kerry in a phone call, making clear theres no going back. The Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying lavrov warned again that the kremlin has its eyes on ethnic russians elsewhere in eastern europe. translated we will be defending their interests of russians abroad by political, diplomatic and legal means. We will be insisting that the countries, where our compatriots found themselves in, respect their rights and freedoms in full. Woodruff ukraine charged russia is preparing for an invasion of more ukrainian territory beyond crimea. While in crimea, proRussian Forces stormed and seized three ukrainian warships in sevastopol. The crew of one vessel left with their belongings, as a russian flag flew from the rigging. Meanwhile, in washington, debate is growing about the obama administrations handling of the crisis. Senator mccain and others have argued the u. S. Should have stood up more firmly to russian president putin. From a different perspective, theres criticism that u. S. Actions provoked the russians, as when assistant secretary of state Victoria Nuland visited kiev last december, offering bread and support to protesters. So, how has the president handled the ukraine crisis overall . Joining us to discuss this, is david kramer, former Deputy Assistant secretary of state for european and Eurasian Affairs in the george w. Bush administration. Hes now president of freedom house. And richard betts, a member of the National Security council in the carter administration. Hes the director of the interNational Security policy program at columbia university. We welcome you both. We start with you david kramer. Lets talk first about the sanctions imposed today on top of what we heard on monday. Will these punish russia as much as the Administration Says . I think the step taken today by the administration was a very positive one. It is going to have an impact, dealing with bankruptcy at the first bank being affected by todays announcement is a positive step. I think well see another round if mr. Putin doesnt show willingness to back down. It also we want after more people in the higher levels of the russian government as well as businessmen and i think that is particularly important because putin has the circle around him of people who have benefited personal enrichment since hes been in power and going after them and the money i think is what is going to get their attention. Woodruff what do you see as the effect of the sanctions when you add together monday with what they did today, richard betts. The sanctions can make the russians pay a price for what they did, which is inexcusable but understandable, i think, but theyre unlikely to change russian policy to get them out of crimea or to turn them away from the stance putins taken on a much larger set of issues. Reporter why do you believe theyre not likely to have an effect . Well, as far as i can see, this is much more about politics and basic National Interest to the russians than about economics, and maybe a price theyre more willing to pay than nato is to keep upping the ante. The european allies who have a much bigger stake in all this than we do are not as anxious as we are, it appears, to put maximum pressure on the russians. Woodruff well, let me bring that back to you, david kramer . What about the argument that the russians dont really care if, yes, they may be hurt, some economics, Bank Accounts pinched but they will do what they want to do . This is coming against the backdrop of where the russian ruble is at its alltime low, stock market dropped 20 , Interest Rates are going up, the russian economy is stagnating and putin will have Serious Problems trying to maintain the standards of living in russia. If there is diversification of Energy Supplies to europe, that will have a big impact since energy is such a huge part of the russian economy it depends on for its gdp. My colleague is right, the e. U. Does have to step up. It did monday with sanctions not quite as severe as the ones the u. S. Announced. Were still waiting for the e. U. To take additional steps and if they do i think that will get the attention of people in the kremlin. Woodruff richard betts, in other words, russia is in a more vulnerable economic position than it has been and this has to hurt. What about that . It certainly will hurt, but theyve taken a very dramatic action, a very Decisive Action to absorb crimea, and its hard for me to believe that they are going to back off from that because theyre suffering pain economically. Sanctions, very often, can make countries pay a price for bad actions and they may help to deter third countries from thinking about doing the same thing, but there arent many cases in which economic sanctions forced their targets to turn around and change the policies they are meant to change. Woodruff lets broaden this out, david kramer. I know you also argued earlier that the administration should have moved more quickly on sanctions and, in some ways, they sent signals that encouraged the russians to do what they did. Broaden this out and describe your view of how the administration handled this back from when it really began. When Russian Forces first went in, i thought the administration was too reticent. It wasnt active enough in moving forward and pushing against the russian invasion of ukraine. I do give the administration credit. I think this week has been a good week. It has imposed serious sanctions against individuals, also the bank. I do think there will be additional sanctions. I think the administration is catching up. The challenge will be putin is also trying to demonstrate hes not backing down. Theres been talk about southern and eastern parts of ukraine theres concern in neighboring moldova, theres concern even in latvia, a member of nateo with a fairly Large Russian population. Its not saying putin will send troops into latvia or moldova, but he can stir up trouble. We need to make it clear this behavior will incur serious cost and he needs to assess before taking further action. Woodruff richard betts, what do you think the administrations posture should be and should have been . Well, i think the original me stakes was, along with the europeans, insisting on forcing ukrainians to choose between the west and moscow. Our given history, given ukraines position, given the way the russians have been treated in the past 20 years and their more recent desire to push back, for all those reasons, i think it would have made much more sense to try to strike a middle course which would have avoided escalating the confrontation. At this point, i think, ideally, the thing to do which would not be popular for obvious reasons would be to seek an arrangement that guaranteed, in effect, the neutrality of ukraine and a status something similar to what finland had during the cold war, which was much criticized in the west at the time but which served the finns pretty well in preserving their domestic independence and democracy while compromising foreign policy. Woodruff david kramer, youre vigorously shaking your head. I hope the days are over where u. S. And russia decide the fate of other countries without the other countries present. We shouldnt be declaring the ukraine pns. There will be elections the 25th, the future government could decide that but w we shouldnt be closing doors in ukraine, nato or the e. U. , we should be focusing on the Current Situation which is the responsibility of president yanukovich who betrayed his country and forfeited his legitimacy and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people but also mr. Putin, theyre the ones principally responsible, not the west. Woodruff do i understand you, richard betts, saying the administration shouldnt be much more active than its already been, that the thrust now should be to back off, if anything . No, we have to impose sanctions. We have to make the russians pay a price tore what they did but we also have to try to avoid escalating the confrontation to more dangerous levels. There are still things that could happen that send things out of control, things neither moscow nor washington can control directly. For better or worse, great powers do try to shape and constrain the actions of other countries that affect their