That situation felt like, the act of creation, was a triumph over the experience. Woodruff Jeffrey Brown and u. S. Poet laureate, Natasha Trethewey, continue their journey to find where poetry lives. This time they travel to seattle, where troubled teens give voice to their hardships in verse. Different places, group homes, institutions. I started writing because i didnt have another way to cope. 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. Supported by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information at macfound. Org 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. Woodruff russias annexation of crimea now appears imminent. Late today, the kremlin recognized the regions vote for independence from ukraine, in the face of u. S. And europe penalties. Hari sreenivasan has our report on the days diplomatic developments. Sreenivasan a day after crimea voted to secede from ukraine and join russia, president obama went before white house cameras with the toughest sanctions against russia since the end of the cold war. Today im announcing a series of measures that will continue to increase the cost on russia and on those responsible for what is happening in ukraine. Sreenivasan the cost means freezing assets and imposing travel bans on seven russian officials, including some close to president Vladimir Putin. And on four ukranians, including former president viktor yanukovych. Mr. Obama said he stands ready to ratchet the costs higher, but still holds out hope for another solution. I believe theres still a path to resolve this situation diplomatically in a way that addresses the interests of both russia and ukraine. That includes russia pulling its forces in crimea back to their bases, supporting the deployment of Additional International monitors in ukraine and engaging in dialogue with the ukrainian government. Sreenivasan in brussels, European Union leaders adopted their own sanctions on 21 russian and ukrainian officials. E. U. Foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the crimean referendum. I dont have to remind any of you that its illegal under the constitution of ukraine and under international law. I call upon russia yet again to meet with ukrainian leaders and to start dialogue with them and to try and move to deescalation please as quickly as possible. Weve seen no evidence of that. Sreenivasan russia appeared unfazed. Putin signed an order recognizing crimea as a sovereign state. And deputy Prime MinisterDmitry Rogozin tweeted i think the decree of the president of the United States was written by some joker. Sreenivasan the Russian Foreign ministry called for ukraine to hand over more power to its provinces, and declare itself neutral. In kiev, the Ukrainian Defense minister insisted his country wont back down. translated one thing i want to say crimea was, is and will be our ukrainian territory. And our military will stay there and we will fix this question. I think the whole world supports us and we will fix this question in a peaceful and diplomatic way. But in any case our Defense Forces are ready to execute an order. Sreenivasan to that end, ukraines parliament authorized mobilization of 40,000 reservists, to counter what it calls blatant aggression by russia. Meanwhile, president putin will address the Russian Parliament tomorrow, on annexing crimea. And Vice President joe biden heads to europe tonight for talks with n. A. T. O. Allies. Woodruff well get a look from inside crimea, with chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Margaret Warner, right after the news summary. The Court Martial of an army general has ended in a deal that dropped Sexual Assault charges. A military judge, at fort bragg, north carolina, accepted a guilty plea today, from Brigadier General jeffrey sinclair, on lesser charges. He admitted to improper relationships with three subordinates, including a female captain, who made the most serious accusations against him. The border between lebanon and syria is alive with new tensions. The lebanon army sent commandos to stabilize the area today, as Syrian Rebels poured across. Theyre escaping Syrian Government forces who captured the syrian town of yabroud on sunday. It was the rebels last stronghold in the border region. President obama today worked to keep israelipalestinian peace negotiations afloat. At a white house meeting, he pressed palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to make tough decisions. Abbas, in turn, made no public concessions, but he agreed on the need for a settlement. translated we dont have any time to waste. Time is not on our side, especially given the very difficult situation that the middle east is experiencing and the entire region is facing, and we hope that we would be able to seize this opportunity to achieve a lasting peace. Woodruff the president met two weeks ago with the israeli Prime Minister. Secretary of state john kerry is trying to get a framework for peace talks by late april. Woodruff wall street vaulted ahead, due partly to relief that things remained calm in crimea today, and partly to strong factory output last month. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 181 points to close at 16,247. The nasdaq rose 34 points to close near 4,280. The standard and poors 500 was up 17, to finish over 1,858. More International Investigators have arrived in malaysia, to help search for a missing jetliner. The search area now stretches from central asia to the southernmost indian ocean. But confusion continues, with malaysian officials now backtracking on when exactly the jets communications were disabled. Well get a full report later in the program. General motors has announced a major new recall, over potentially defective air bags and other issues. It involves 1. 5 million buick, chevrolet and g. M. C. S. U. V. s and vans, plus cadillac x. T. S sedans. Model years range from 2008 to 2014. G. M. Is already facing investigations over a recall of 1. 6 million vehicles with ignition switch problems. A partial vehicle ban took effect across paris today, to ease the worst air pollution in years. Under a thick haze, cars with evennumbered license plates were barred from driving in the french capital. Taxis and commercial vehicles were exempt, and some Public Transportation was free. Many people said they support the move. I was driving around on a scooter last thursday and friday, and it was really polluted. Its a good idea, but if we had more advanced notice, we could have organized ourselves. Now to learn of it the day before it starts is a bit hard, but we have to adapt like everyone else. Woodruff if the pollution persists, oddnumbered vehicles will be banned from driving in paris tomorrow. The Los Angeles Area escaped without serious damage this morning after one of its strongest earthquakes in decades. The quake was centered about 15 miles northwest of the citys downtown civic center, with a magnitude of 4. 4. It shook buildings for 150 miles across southern california. The tremor ranks as one of the regions largest since the deadly northridge quake in 1994. The Worlds Largest st. Patricks day parades went on today in new york, without the citys new leader. Kilted irish americans and bagpipers were in abundance, but mayor bill de blasio boycotted after organizers barred signs deemed progay. On sunday, boston mayor martin walsh stayed away from his citys parade, for the same reason. The scientific world is abuzz this evening with a discovery from the heavens. For the first time, theres evidence the universe exploded in growth, in the first instant after the big bang. Researchers at harvard used this telescope at the south pole to scan the sky for three years. The discovery supports a longstanding theory of an initial growth spurt, nearly 14 billion years ago. Still to come on the Newshour Margaret Warner with the latest from crimea; plus, developments in the search for that missing passenger jet; then, stories of hardship translated into verse; and, a portrait of the Civil Rights Activist and firebrand, Stokely Carmichael. Woodruff now, we take a close look inside crimea, as it moves toward moscow, and what it means to those who call the black sea peninsula home. Our cheif Foreign Affairs correspondent Margaret Warner is in simferopol and tonight reports on a population facing an uncertain future. Reporter crimeas parliament convened this morning to endure sundays referendum and formally implied to join russia. Like yesterdays improbably margin, todays move to break away from ukraine was never in doubt. The delegation was dispatched to moscow to work out the the details. The swift action reflected the jubilation among crimeas ethnic russian majority, thousands of whom partied into the night sunday. They packed the capital simferopols lenin square under a frigid north wind. On the streets this morning, we heard much the same. Justice has been restored. We have been returned to our country and were very happy. Reporter we didnt hear any sober reflection on the weighty questions of what comes next. Top of that list, what becomes of the ukrainian territory here . Its still under the command of the government in kiev which denounced the referendum as ill legitimate. Saturday we met Ukrainian Air force colonel, for three weeks he and his men held an uneasy standoff with pro russian portions surrounding them and most other military bases. His order, with were to secure weapons and equipment but avoid confrontation or bloodshed. He dismissed warnings from crimean authorities that, after the vote, Ukrainian Forces will have to leave the peninsula or join the new russianaffiliated crimean military. We receive these kind of ultimatums all the time but stand firm. Our superiors should solve this situation. Reporter last night, iraqs acting defense minister said he and the runnings agreed on a crews in crimea till this friday. He conceded he had no idea what to do if prorussia forces try to force his unit to disbarred. Have you received direct orders of what to do in different situations after sunday . We dont have any forwardlooking recommendations. We just keep calm, carrying on our duties and have no more concrete instructions. Reporter can you imagine joining the creamian army . Were true to our oath but will fulfill our constitutional duty to the end. There will be no transition to the crimean army. Reporter we heard something quite different yesterday from another crimean soviet army veteran. Major vladimir and members of his paratroop group were standing outside poland place to prevent provocation. I asked if crimea moves to join russia, who will secure the peninsula . Were not worried about that. Well find common language with russian paratroopers who come here. I dont think any Security Issues will arise if and when crimea separates from ukraine because we have a lot of colleagues on the russian side. Reporter what will happen to the Ukrainian Army here . My professional opinion is 80 to 90 of the army in crimey are native crimeans so they will stay with the republic of crimea. If crimea joins russia they will almost tile lyle fall under russian command. Reporter the prospect of full russian control stirs unease among russian tartars, those who have suffered discrimination in soviet and russian times though remained here. Most boycott a ref yenned yum an. We were told some young tarts will resist the outcome. I am a ukrainian. I will fight for. This this is our homeland. We have nowhere else to go. If needed, well take up guns. You cant expect anything from russia. If someone is coming to our land with guns, we have no choice, it is our last resort. Reporter he believes the tartars who resist will join the ukrainian military, not launch a chechenstyle islamic insurgency against russia and conceded many tartars will hunker down for now while others take yet another course. The tension is in the air. Theres a rift among Russian Community and the tartar community, and many people have decided to leave. Reporter other crimeans have already left. Proukrainian activists who found themselves under direct threat in the weeks leading up to the vote. We knew that the referendum would be like that when we started our fight. Reporter this woman remained but at an art center last night, she and friends said they felt a deep sense of alienation after landslide vote to join russia. I was born in ukraine, but you cant change your citizenship just like that. Today im ukrainian, next russian, and next day i may be german because im told if i join germany, i will have lots of money and possibilities. Reporter she vows to stay as long as people like her want to maintain the peninsulas ties with the ukraine. I will stay here and help them. If not, i believe that i would leave myself as well because infrathinking for a long time that mainly, maybe i will do better if i go to ukraine. But most people we spoke to yesterday believe better days are ahead of them as part of russia. And in the small village with its old collection of farm grainry, a Cultural Center and dance hall, complete with a disco ball. Know the place was nearly empty of voters early. The village chairman said turnout had been very high. Its very important for our community. It brings hope for the future. Finally, what we earn will go to us and not corrupt politicians h somewhere else. Reporter grand expectations and a sense of promise for a future that remains uncertain. Woodruff i spoke to margaret a short time ago. Hello, margaret, sorry you had to talk to us in the rain. People in washington are saying the vote is fraudulent. What are they saying there about the claim. Reporter judy, before it started raining, we talked to people on the streets who, one, hadnt heard of the charge and two dismissed it. They said, you cant believe what you read on the internet. An hour ago, i talked to the media adviser to the Prime Minister who was one of those hit with sanctions from the Obama Administration and he hadnt even heard about it and expressed total confidence that, in the coming days, president putin and the russian will vote and it will be a done deal. Whatever the International Community is saying, russian supporters established new facts on the ground and given putin a huge card to play here woovr woofer in your report, you show some people are not happy with the results of this referendum. Is there a chance there could be violence . Id hate to predict, judy, but i dont think so at the moment. As you said, there are two sizable minorities unhappy. The tartars who are about 15 , the Muslim Community whose answers were deported by Joseph Stalin 70 years ago, but they are known as a very moderate group. Then you also have ethnic ukrainians and very young people born after ukraine became an independent country. They also are unhappy and both communities seem resigned. Mean while the acting president of ukraine said about ten days ago they arent sending ukrainian troops down here to take this region back because they will have no troops to defend Eastern Ukraine where theres a serious threat, they believe, from russia. And russia has no incentives to form a disorder here as theyre accused of doing in Eastern Ukraine, to the contrary its in their interest to have things go smoothly now that theyre fully in charge. So you can never say never, but i dont see it in the immediate future. So speaking of Eastern Ukraine, tell us where youre off to next. Reporter i am off to Eastern Ukraine where there is Serious Violence between prorussian supporters, ukrainians and also its a launch by russians against pro western ukraineukrainian and people have been killed, weve had mobs storming, prosecutors offices, libraries, Cultural Centers, and i think that is where we are going to see whether this eastwest confrontation over ukraine is going to escalate further or finally, perhaps through international negotiations, be tamed. Thats where im headed next. Woodruff Margaret Warner, stage live and safe. Woodruff we take a wider look now at the u. S. And russian response to crimea with cliff kupchan, head of the russia and eurasia team at the eurasia group, a Political Risk consulting firm. He served in the state department during the clinton administration. And