Week In The News: Another AUMF Request, Another Ukrainian Ceasefire, Alabama Same-Sex Marriage

War powers and ISIS. Eyeball to eyeball over Ukraine. Alabama, defiant on gay marriage. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

War powers in the heart of the news this week, for a war on ISIS that the US is already into.  The President wants formal approval.  In Ukraine, Russian tanks and rockets and war.  Now, a ceasefire agreed.  Why is Vladimir Putin smiling?  Young American Kayla Mueller, ISIS captive, confirmed dead in Syria.  In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, three bright-eyed Muslim-Americans shot execution style.  Police say, no hate crime.  There’s a gay marriage fight still on in Alabama.  And media news – Williams, Stewart and more.  This hour On Point:  our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Byron Tau, White house and politics reporter for The Wall Street Journal. (@byrontau)

Nancy Youssef, senior national security correspondent for The Daily Beast. (@nancyayoussef)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

The Daily Beast: The New ISIS War Authorization Is BS — "On the face of it, the AUMF update was prompted by the need to write a law that reflects current world threats and shapes the American military strategy. But for the Department of Defense, which believes it already has the necessary authorization to fight the war, the latest AUMF is merely about showmanship. As a result, the ongoing congressional debate about the authorization was met with hardly a shrug at the Pentagon on Wednesday."

The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Peace Talks Yield Cease-Fire Deal -- "The deal offers a new hope for peace in Ukraine, but leaders warned it would still be a difficult road and many questions remained about how effective it would be in stopping the fighting. The texts of the documents approved in the Belarusian capital of Minsk showed concessions on both sides, although Russia’s tough negotiating appeared to have won significant gains for the rebels."

New York Times: Facing Mixed Messages, Alabama May Gain Clarity on Gay Marriage — "While a ruling would pertain only to the probate judge in Mobile County, it would send a signal to judges statewide, who are caught between a federal ruling that lifts the state ban on same-sex marriage and an order from the State Supreme Court chief justice to ignore the ruling. For now, probate judges in 23 of Alabama’s 67 counties are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Licenses are being handed out only to straight couples in 18 counties, and no marriage licenses at all are being issued in 26 counties."