brigadier general jeffrey sinclair will only pay a fine. >> carr sinno gens like chromium, leg, arsenic and, you know the list, it's a quarter of the periodic table. >> toxic by-products of cold plants dumped into the water. the company doing it admitting and writing that the problem needs to be fixed. >> hi there. welcome to al jazeera america. good to have you with us. i'm thomas drayton, live in new york. assets from tu.s., australia an china are on their way to the i don'ts -- indian ocean to look for signs of missing malaysia airlines. it will be hard, it's described as a trash can where cargo can disappear off ships. >> five military aircraft, two cargo ships, a warship and an icebreaker were expected to zero in on the. bad weather made it difficult for the crews so far. >> in the satellite images are a few days old so the objects may have drifted away. family members of the missing passengers and crew are more anxious than ever for any information. authorities are trying to make sure no one is jumping to conclusions. >> there are sophisticated assets, the safe and recovery planes

a lawyer in the case against brigadier general jeffrey sinclair. you have talked to the accuser in the case. can you give us a view of what her reaction is? >> she's been very brave throughout this. she was devastated. her sense of justice was to be able to speak openly in court and for him to be held accountable. the first happened but the second did not. >> so a $20,000 fine. >> a $20,000 fine and a reprimand which is closed because he's retiring, it's the equivalent of being sent to the principal's office. this is a general that plead guilty to obinstruction of justice, criminal cruelty and maltreatment of subordinates, three inappropriate relationships with women, pornography - it goes on - 14 different counts. in no sense can it be seen as justice. i'm afraid it reveals an attitude that there needs it be structural and legal changes that only congress can address. >> you heard lori jane gliha's story, with individuals who fear they can't receive justice, because you can't sue the military - so what does this say about the broader culture? >> t

the judge ruled that jeffrey sinclair should have been allowed to offer a plea bargain. the judge said criticism about how the military handles sexual assault cases may have influenced that decision. sinclair must decide by this morning whether to make a plea offer. >>> the lights are actually still on in the senate with some senators pulling an all-nighter. more than two dozen democrats are up at this hour hoping to wake up congress about climate change. there's no specific legislation. these are live pictures. earlier massachusetts senator ed markey read from what he called a great environmental classic, "the lorax" by dr. seuss. he read the part that says, "unless someone cares an awful lot, nothing will get better." >> and some say climate change is responsible for this winter's extreme weather. hundreds of people in montana are cut off by swollen rivers and impassable roads. more than half of the state is under some type of high water warning. warm weather this week after record snowfall is pushing many rivers and streams over their banks, and there is more rain and

brigadier general jeffrey sinclair will plead gauilty to lesser charges. he will no longer face life in prison. >> it appears he will escape prison time. 27-year army veteran brigadier general jeffrey sinclair saw the most serious charges. sexual assault against him dropped. instead, he'll be pleading to lesser charges, including improper relations with three subordinate army officers and adultery, which is a crime in the military. the serious charges were sexual assault lodged against him by a female captain, when both were on tour of duty in afghanistan. recently it was found that the captain provided conflicting testimony over the course of her pre-trial testimony and was found to be political taint among the upper echelons of army brass. sexual impropriety and encounters in the military, the top brass called it a crisis. it's up 60% over the course of the last three years. there was a debate in the senate, frankly. senator gillibrand had a controversial proposal to remove the complaints or adjudication away from the chain of command. that didn't happen

brigadier general jeffrey sinclair no hanger faces sexual assault charges. the case against sinclair crumbled. >> he could have faced life, now he'll escape prison time. army veteran jeffrey sinclair saw the most serious charges of sexual assault against him dropped. instead he'll plead to lesser charges, including improper relations with three subordinate army officers, as well as adultery. the serious charges were sexual assault lodged against him stemming from on incident, when both were on tour of duty in afghanistan. recently it was found that the captain had provided conflicting testimony over the course of her pre-trial testimony. there was political taint among the upper etcha lons. sexual impropriety in the military, top brass called it a crisis, it's up 60%. there was a debate in the isn't sit. senator gillibrand had a proposals to remove the complaints is adjudication away from the chain of command. it didn't happen, a different piece of legislation from a democrat of missouri won the day in the senate. there was documentation where these matters

wyatt andrews reports. >> reporter: brigadier general jeffrey sinclair left the court expressing reliefe highest profile-case of sexual abuse ended with a sentence of no jail time, $20,000 worth of fines, and a formal reprimanreprimand. >> the system worked. i've always been proud of my army. all i want to do now is go up north and hug my kids and see my wife. >> reporter: the case against general sinclair, a veteran of five deployments to iran and afghanistan, began when a female captain of his command accused him of having oral sex. he denied that but admitted to having an affair. cbs news does not name the victims of alleged sex crimes. but as sinclair's trial approached last january, the most serious charge of sexual assault fell apart when prosecutors began to doubt the main accuser. when the trial finally began, the jury was dismissed after the judge complained of outside influence by superior officers. in the end general sinclair pleaded guilty to the military crime of adultery, to obstructing the investigation, and to inappropriate relationships with three other junior officers,

don dahler reports. >> reporter: as deputy commander of the 82nd airborne, general jeffrey sinclair wasg stars, but after pleading guilty to numerous incidences of conduct unbecoming an officer, his future is not nearly as bright. sinclair was accused of forcing his mistress to perform oral sex, threatening to kill her family, and performing sex acts with her in public areas. sources tell cbs news in return for dropping those charges the general will plead guilty to lesser charges of maltreatment of a subordinate, disobeying a commander's order, using inappropriate language and misusing his government charge card. he had already pleaded guilty to a charge of adultery, asking females for explicit is photographs. his wife rebecca said on "cbs this morning" in november 2012 she would stand by him. >> they're going to see it for what it is, drop the charges, and we'll go on with our lives. >> sinclair could still get prison time, but will not have to vegster as a sex offender. don dahler, cbs, new york. >>> today is st. patrick's day but some got a jump on festivities. on sunday the sounds

jeffrey sinclair will admit to committing adultery and other charges. he faces trial on sexual assault charges that could land him in prison for life. the relationships were consensual and there was no assault he claims. >>> a new poll reveals hillary clinton's popularity before the 2016 presidential race, 25% say they would definitely support hillary clinton if she entered the race. another 41% say they'd consider her as a candidate. while there is no clear republican front-runner 12% say they would definitely back mitt romney. another 33% say they would consider him if he ran again. >>> millions of kids currently in the ninth grade will be the first high schoolers to take the new s.a.t. among the changes, the top score will again be 1600. the essay becomes optional and the vocabulary will reflect words that are more commonly used in school and on the job. the revisions are the first to the s.a.t. since 2005. >>> there's a desperate search in colorado mountains for a snowmobiler buried in an avalanche. the slide happened in the southwestern part of the

this week general jeffrey sinclair is facing a court- martial on charges that include forcing a junior officer to perform oral sex. >> we want to make sure they are not let tough hook for this -- off the hook for this. >> reporter: congress is now debating how to change how the military handles the cases. on tuesday they tabled a bill. the legislation would take decisions on sexual assault cases away from commanders and put them in the hands of military prosecutes -- prosecutors. >> the reason why a female marine does not come forward is because she does not trust the chain of command. >> jan crawford reporting there. senators who oppose the legislation agree there's a problem, they say though senator gillibrand's bill is not the answer. >>> coming up on wusa9, a high speed crash caught on camera. we'll tell you who was behind the accident. >> his holiness the dalai lama is in town and it >>> and an angry protest today drew close to 700 demonstrators outside the national cathedral. thmaat the center of it, tibetan spiritual leader the la lee llama. delia goncalves explains. >> reporter

that's on our homepage. >> woodruff: a military judged today ruled that army brigadier general jeffrey sinclair will serve no jail time. sinclair is believed to be the highest ranking u.s. military officer ever courts-martialed on sexual assault charges. those charges were dropped after the prosecution's case fell apart and the general plead guilty to having inappropriate relationships with three subordinates. reporter paul woolverton has been covering the case for "the fayetteville observer" and joins us now to tell us more. so, paul woolverton, welcome. this case started out as something very different from what it ended up. we mind us what the original case looked like. >> originally, it was a sexual assault case. the general was accused of forcing his accuser, a captain under his command, of giving him oral sex at times when she didn't want to, and this was in the war zone in afghanistan. >> woodruff: and what happened to that case over time? >> well, the general fought it very hard and his legal team fought very hard and they pushed and pushed to get the sexual assault charges dismissed on

bragg brigadier general jeffrey sinclair faced his mistress who said he threatened to kill her if she told of their a. >>> if sin clair is married with two kid and -- affair. sinclair is married with kids and he's already pled guilty to adultery but denies abuse saying the a fir was always consensual and the only -- affair was always consensual and the only thing that his mistress feared was he still loved his life. >> she voluntarily entered and stayed in the relationship. >> if sinclair is convicted, he could get life behind bars. >>> now to the crisis in ukraine, today thousands of people filled moscow wes red square waving the russian -- red square waving the russian y to take advantage of a player. if you're intoxicated, you're not allowed to gamble. they're supposed to stop you. >> reporter: and he lost big, $500,000, and is now suing the casino citing nevada's gaming regulations which forbid permitting persons visibly intoxicated to participate in gaming activity and complementary service of intoxicating beverages in the casino area to persons who are visibly intoxicated. johns

jeffrey sinclaire has been reprimanded and docked $20,000 in pay the accuser says the general forced her into oral sex and threatened to kill her and her family if she revealed their relationship he will keep his pension. jackie speier saying when the world is watching the military demonstrated their incompetence. speier went on to say it's a laughable punishment. s >> a former football player at the u.s. naval academy found got guilty of sexual assault. the case hinged on whether the reason to smile look at the calendar. the united nations declared march 20th internagal day of happiness the campaign put up a giant wall in union square. the goal to make happiness and good will contagious >> if having a bad day, studies have known shown if you create happiness for someone else you'll become happy as well. >> some of the things people wrote was smiling more often. and sharing a kiss. >> today's happy day hope it was contagious. >> that is john lewis, 74, and going to get his groove onto the tune of "happy". >> later he tweeted be happy, everybody. why not? >> good job there. >> a conte

. >>> the army dropping sexual assault charges against brigadier general jeffrey sinclair. under a new plea agreement sinclair is going to plead to lesser charges. a new cnn orc poll has kentucky senator rand paul with a slight edge over other potential republican candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination. former secretary of state hillary clinton leads democrats with 63%. vice president joe biden is a distant second. boston and detroit were among the miningor cities that got an early jump with st. patrick's day pa rates. and check this out a british daredevil is living on the edge. the 25-year-old performed an extreme hand stand on the edge of this 40 story building on shanghai without a harness or a safety knelt. why you might ask? he says it's because he wants to inspire the world or just make us all very nervous. >>> bill marr, condoleezza rice and donald trump your sait. patrick's day edition of scrambled politics are next. allstate sends a check. silence. are you in good hands? a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation, an irregular he

. >>> brigadier general jeffrey sinclair avoided the serious charges against him. we're in fort bragg, north carolina, natasha, tell us what happened in court today. >> reporter: tony, the judge halted proceedings for a week due to concerns that the military rejected an earlier plea offer by the defense. general sinclair is thrilled that the sexual assault charges have been dropped. but an attorney for the accuser has professly argued by dropping the charges not only would harm her but have a far-reaching impact on cases going forward. for the first time in two years brigadier general jeffrey sinclair left court without the threat of having to register as a sex offender weighing on his mind. his attorney said it's an outcome they had anticipated all along. >> these charges never should have been brought. so it's a big circle, but justice will be done. that's a wonderful thing. >> reporter: for the accuser and former mistress an army captain under his command it was an emotional day on the stand. during the sending hearing her voice shook and she cried recounting ho

brigadier general jeffrey sinclair faces eight charges, including sexual assault. last night, his lawyer said he will plead guilty to three lesser charges, among them adultery with his mistress and possessing pornography. jan crawford is in washington with the trial that's already full of drama. jan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, norah and charlie. right, already, this case has had some highly unusual developments. the lead prosecutor abruptly quit. he had to be replaced. sinclair's lawyers said it was because he didn't believe in the case. and the defense is also attacking the credibility of the general's main accuser, saying that she's just not telling the truth. now, all this is going to play out in a military courtroom in north carolina, proceedings, in fact, are under way right now at this moment. he's believed to be the highest-ranking military official to face a court-martial for sexual assault. the former deputy commander of u.s. forces in southern afghanistan, a brigadier general jeffrey sinclair was pulled off duty in 2012 after allegations he

brigadier general jeffrey sinclair cleeded guilty to -- pleaded guilty to mistreating a junior officer. he could face gaol time. he gave a tear-filled statement to the judge saying: >> his attorney hopes he doesn't have to spend time behind bars. >> he should be permitted to walk out of court, retire, and deal with the harm caused to him and his family. >> he will retire at a reduced rank, instead of losing his military and potential. >> there has been allegations that he forced a younger officer to perform a sex act when she wanted to break off the affair. >> police busted a suspected smuggling act. 100 people were crammed in a house, windows and doors locked. many are from central america. almost all were taken into custody for entering the country illegally. five men suspected of rubbing the operation were arrested. >> people in cuba are able to by cars. still ahead the government freeing up restrictions that have been in place for 50 years. most cuban will not be racing to get behind a wheel. >> when it comes to the n.c.a.a. men's basketball championship, there's nothing like a cin

, in a rare court marshal for an army general, prosecutors are laying out their case against jeffrey sinclair, who's accused of sexually assaulting a captain under his command. it comes as we learn the army's top prosecutor for sexual assault cases is suspended over accusations that he groped a female army attorney two years ago. and if you can believe it, the alleged assault happened at a sexual assault legal conference. and yesterday, the senate voted down a bill that would have removed the chain of command for prosecuting sexual assault. the bill's sponsor, kirsten jill gra brand, said she will not give up this fight. >> too many members of the senate have turned their back on these victims and survivors. we will continue to work harder than ever in the coming year to strengthen our military. >> republican senator lindsey graham praised those who voted against the bill and scolded republicans who supported it, especially those who may have their sights set on the presidency. >> if you want to be commander in chief, you told me a lot today about who you are about your commander in chief can

two who don't are general jeffrey sinclair who sexually abused and mistreated a junior officer and coloneles pohl, the military judge who let him off the hook. no jail time and he gets to keep his pension and other benefits. they both disgrace the uniform and prove the military chain of command justice is a fraud. we will see you again next week. >> "political capital" is a production of bloomberg television. ♪ . >> is march madness. -- a bloomberg exclusive. join us as we focus on the bracketed business. welcome to a special march madness. over the next three weeks, millions of people will get wrapped up in filling out brackets, watching games, and cheering for their favorite college basketball teams.

jeffrey sinclaire faces charges including sexual assault. he's accused of threatening to to kill the family of a female captain if she told anyone he assaulted her. >> a street performer appearing harassing people while dressed as elmo has been in san francisco. his past is as colorful as the costume. he was arrested in new york for going on an anti-semitic rant, harassing people he admits he once ran a pornographic web site and tried to extort $2 million from the girl scouts. merchants are uneasy and worried he attracts the wrong people. >> i do not discriminate against any person. i've done nothing wrong to anyone, here. >> he says he's not a threat to anyone. he was cited by police on sunday for aggressive pan handling. >> the city of san jose resuming a legal battle to get a's to move south. city attorneys filed papers asking an court to strike down major league baseball antitrust exemption. baseball used that exemption to block efforts by a's eenership to move the team to san jose. a lower court judge dismissed this case last >> when ta

two who don't are general jeffrey sinclair who sexually abused and mistreated a junior officer and coloneles pohl, the military judge who let him off the hook. no jail time and he gets to keep his pension and other benefits. they both disgrace the uniform and prove the military chain of command justice is a fraud. thank you for watching. we will see you again next week. >> "political capital" is a production of bloomberg television. ♪ . . >> it is march madness on "market makers." we will tell you about building a perfect bracket. wait until you hear who the biggest names on wall street are picking. why the final four has become the most valuable assets for cbs. plus, the lawyer who wants college players to get paid and plans to take the ncaa to court. join us as we focus on the "bracket business." welcome to a special march madness edition of "market makers." i am stephanie ruhle. over the next three weeks, millions of people will get swept up in filling out brackets, watching games, and cheering for their favorite college basketball teams. billions of dollars will be on the line but

brigadier general jeffrey sinclair is accused of assaulting an officer. he maintains his innocence of forcing sex acts, but he will admit guilt on three lesser charges, including improper relationships with two other officers. the married father of two is expected to plead in court before opening statements at the court-marti court-martial. he expected to be the most senior to face charges on sexual assault and could face life in prison if convicted. >>> and out of afghanistan, five afghan soldiers killed by a nato air strike. it happened around 3:30 this morning local time. eight other troops were injured in the strike. an afghan defense ministry spokesman confirming this to nbc news. nato says it has begun an investigation and in a statement says it values its strong relationship with its afghan partners. >>> staying overseas so the ongoing crisis in ukraine. pro-russian forces control all access to the crimean peninsula. all this as the flurry of diplomatic activity produced little progress. jim, is sounds like today is more of the same. are we seeing

agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges, this according to "new york times," brigadier general jeffrey sinclairs expected to enter the plea at ft. bragg at north carolina, possibly tomorrow morning. >>> honda is recalling nearly 900,000 odyssey minivans made between 2005 and 2010. the company says the advance could catch on fire because of a faulty part that can leak fuel. honda says it knows of no fires and injuries to day. >>> and david brenner has died of cancer. according to his family. brenner's final request was to be buried with $100 in small bills in his left sock, just in case, he said, tipping is recommended where i'm going. david brenner was 78. >>> we want to turn to another store that's gotten a lot less attention, outbreaks of mealsles. it's part of a larger story that infectious diseases that all but disappeared in the u.s. are now reappears. the cdc says the number of mealsle cases was three times normal and more than 20 cases have been reported in new york this year. yesterday i spoke with steven morse at the mellman school of public health at columbia university. i began by as

. >> reporter: as deputy commander of the 82nd around born general jeffrey sinclair was one of the army's rising stars. but after pleading guilty to numerous instances of conduct unbecoming an officer, his future is not nearly as bright. sinclair was accused of forcing his mistress to perform o ral sex, threatening to kill his family and performing sex agents with her in public areas. sources with knowledge of the proceedings tell cbs news in return for prosecutors dropping those charges, the general will plead guilty to lesser charges of maltreatment of subordinate, disa boying a commander's order, using inappropriate language misusing his government issued charge card. he had already pled guilty to charges of adultery asking female officers if for explicit photographs and possessing pornography in a conflict zone. despite those admissions sinclair's wife rebecca said on cbs this morning in november 2012 she would stand by him. >> they're going to see this for what it is. and they're going to drop the charges an they're going to let us go on with our lives. >> reporter: sinclair could st

a lawyer for brigadier general jeffrey sinclair says his client will admit to adultery and possessing pornography, but will not admit that he sexually assaulted a female captain. it's not clear if the military judge overseeing the court-martial will accept the pleas. sinclair has long maintained his relationship with the captain was consensual. >>> the president is reaching out to latinos to sign up for obamacare. the president will be participating at a town hall meeting this morning in washington. members of the latin american community will get a chance to ask questions about the affordable care act. right now, 10.2 million latinos in the united states are uninsured. >>> meanwhile, the white house is offering relief to millions of americans who were dropped from the health care plans because of obamacare. those people will now be able to renew their policies for two more years, even though they're not in compliance with the new health care law. that pushes the hot-button issue well past midterm elections this fall. >> some people say it pushes the boundaries of what the president c

. >> reporter: his career already ruined, jeffrey sinclaire entered court to look at his former lover. the army captain told the court that he had threaten to do if she revealed their affair. i will kill you and your family and do it in a way no one would know it was me. she related the highs and lows of an off again on again affair when he used the power of his rank as deputy general to coerce her into a sexual relationship and at times sexually assault her. in an opening statement, ellen brockman attacked her bay citing journal entries. >> she voluntarily entered in the relationship. >> according to the defense, when the captain found an e- mail from another female officer saying where are you, i miss you, i love you, she finally reported the affair. >> reporter: sinclair has already pleaded guilty to a number of orpheans such as adultery. if convicted to sexual assault, he could get life. david martin, cbs news, the pentagon. >>> the crisis in ukraine ratcheted up. international monitors have been turned away from crimea. in moscow, tens of thousands of people showed up at the squa

yes, some would say this turn has taken an embarrassing one for the military brigadier general jeffrey sinclair is happy today. he won't spend life in prison. he won't an registered sex offender. that could have been the case if convicted of sexual assault. that charge went away as did the charge that he threatened to kill his former mistress and her family if she revealed their three-year affair. today, though, did he plead guilty to additional charges. he bled guilty to disobeying a commander's order, misusing a government credit card, and mistreating his former mistress. it's described as inflicting emotional distress upon her. he already pled guilty to additional charges, possessing polk in pornography in a combat. his accuser is a captain and military officer. she testified after the three-year affair her relationship with sinclair deteriorated and on two occasions he forced her to perform oral sex and then threatened her. but her testimony came into question when during a pretrial hearing there were some inconsistencies. so much so at that time the chief prosecutor in the case actually st

he determined political concerns improperly influenced brigadier jeffrey sinclair's case.wful command influence in the decision to reject a plea bargain in january. >>> with the pope's one-year an verse re as pontiff approaching, take a look at how he is viewed on twitter. positive comments outweigh the negative 5-1. >>> in entertainment breaking news overnight. actor chris pine has been arrested for drunk driving in new zealand. the 33-year-old has been in the south pacific country filming had his latest movie z for zach rya. according to police and court officials, peen was stopped during a routine drunk driving operation and was then charged with dui. >>> taylor swift has been named billboard's top music maker in 2014. kenny chesney takes the number two spot with $33 moil and justin timberlake is on that list along with bon jovi, the rolling stones. they rounded out the top five. >>> and the muppets roll odd to the red carpet tuesday for the premier of muppets most wanted. kermit and miss piggy were kind of cozy, as they always are, while tina fey represented the non-mu

. >> at one point big dear general jeffrey sinclair was looking at life behind bars. instead no jail time for the army general accused of mistreating a subordinate who happened to be his former mistress. he was sentenced a short time ago. natasha is live in fort bragg, north carolina. what is the reaction from where you are? >> well, the reaction i'll give you in just a second. let's back up a little bit. as you alluded to. when this process began, general sinclair had the threat facing life in prison after being convicted of sexual assault charges hanging over his head. the sexual assault charges were dropped. today after pleading guilty to 14 counts including mistreating his former miss stress of three years and having an inappropriate relationship he walked out of a courtroom with a reprimand and 20,000 dollar fine. he says the process worked and he is always been proud of my army. now, immediately after the sentence we are told he went to go call his wife. she has not been present during the proceedings. though she did write a letter to the court supporting him. j

opening statements are expected today in the court-martial of brigadier general jeffrey sinclair. he pleaded guilty thursday to improper relationships with two female army officers. and committing adultery with a third. in addition, the married father of two pleaded not guilty to five other charges stemming from a female captain's allegations that he forced her to perform a sex act. also, the army suspending its top prosecutor for sexual assault cases. a woman claiming lieutenant colonel jay morris tried to grope and kiss her at a conference. that conference's topic, ironically, sexual assault. the army is investigating. >>> more on the court ruling in favor of the practice known as upskirting. the massachusetts legislature has now made -- voted here to make it illegal. it comes a day after the state supreme court sided in favor of a man who had been secretly taking pictures up the skirts of women. justices said it was okay because the women were not fully nude. the new bill makes it illegal to take, quote, intimate photos of women or children in public. >>> in south africa, emoti

attorneys for jeffrey sinclair says he'll plead guilty today for lesser charges. he will face some punishment. but he avoids prison time and won't have to register as a sex offender. >>> coming up, honda announces a recall of nearly 1 million minivans. we'll have details. >>> plus toronto's notorious mayor. new antics on camera. >>> and what will be missing in new york and boston's st. patrick's day parades? >>> welcome back. if last week was any guide, the uncertain situation playing out in ukraine could make this another rough week on wall street. the dow has gone down for five straight sessions. a sign of hope overnight, asian markets seemed to shrug off the weekend's news. they closed only modestly lower today. >>> nearly 1 million honda minivans being recalled. due to a potentially dangerous defect. certain models of the odyssey van sold from 20050 to 2010 may have defective fuel pumps. they can crack and leak, posing a risk of fire. repairs will be at no charge. >>> new york's st. patrick's day parade, the largest in the world, has lost a sponsor. organizers

bragg for army brigadier general jeffrey sinclair, who has now admitted to having an affair and has now apologized to the female captain who he was accused of sexually assaulting. sinclair choked up, saying he failed her and caused her harm. he did agree to a plea deal that's likely to force his retirement and possible reduction in rank. a lawyer for his accuser says she is satisfied with the plea but stands by her assertion of sexual assault. >>> there's been a big surge in obamacare enrollment as we approach the march 31 sign-up deadline. more than 5 million people have now enrolled for coverage, 1 million in just the last two weeks. the white house initially hoped for 7 million by the end of this month. if this pace keeps up, supporters can point for a strong finish, despite last fall's botched rollout. how many people have actually paid for the plans, though, that's important and remains unclear. >> very important, also the proportion of young people involved. >>> breaking overnight, new e-mails possibly shedding new light on the involvement of new jersey governor chris christi's ca

general jeffrey sinclaire will admit he had extramarital affairs with two junior officers. me in the military. sinclaire denies he sexually assaulted the women, a charge which would bring life in prison. >>> secretly snapping pictures up a woman's skirt, apparently not against the law in massachusetts. michael robinson was arrested in 2010 for what's known as up-skirting using a cell phone to take photos and videos up the skirts and dresses of female riders on the boston subway, but a judge just ruled he did not break the peeping tom law saying it only applies when the victim is nude or partially nude. >> so if you're wearing underwear it's okay? that's disgusting. >> it just seems like an invasion of privacy in any sense, no matter -- you don't know what they are wearing under their skirt? >> the massachusetts lawmakers are now scrambling to change the law. they say it must be updated to conform with today's technology. >> it's just hard to understand how that suspect considered partially nude. >> you are violating somebody's privacy. you are clearly violating their space.

the army is dropping sexual assault charges against brigadier general jeffrey sinclair under a new pleaagreement. sinclair is expected to plead to lesser charges when his court-martial resumes today at ft. bragg. >>> a new "snl"/orc poll has rand paul with a slight edge over republican potential candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination. >>> former secretary of state hillary clinton leads democrats with 63%, while vice president joe biden is a distant second. >>> boston and detroit were among the major cities that got an early jump on st. patrick's day with parades this weekend. the chicago river was dyed green as they always do to mark the occasion. >>> meanwhile, today's parade in new york will be without a major sponsor. guinness is pulling out because it bans lgbt families and organizations from participating. >>> a british daredevil is living on the edge. want to see how? look at this. the 25-year-old performed an extreme hand stand on the edge, there he goes, balance, balance. that's the edge of a 40-story building in shanghai. no harness, no safety net. why would he do this

. >> reporter: brigadier general jeffrey sinclair expressing relief.ighest profile military case of sexual abuse ever attempted ended with a sentence of no jail time, $20,000 worth of fines and a formal reply manned. the system worked, i've always been proud of my army. all i want to do now is get up north, hug my kids, see my. >> reporter: the case against general sinclair, veteran of five deployments to iraq and eve began when female captain in his command accused him of force can her to have oral sex. he denied that but admitted to an affair. cbs news does not name the victims. as sinclair's trial approached last january, the most serious charge of sexual assault fell apart when prosecutors began to doubt the main accuser. when the trial finally began the jury was dismissed after the judge complained of outside influence by superior officers. in the end, general sinclair pleaded guilty to the military crime of adultery to obstructing the investigation and to inappropriate relationships with three other junior officers including demands for nude phot

jeffrey sinclair was sentenced to pay $24,000 in fine and restitution, sinclair struck a plea deal aftery assaulting his former lover. california congresswoman jackie speier called the punishment laughable. >>> an ex-naval academy football player is found not guilty of sexual assault. he was accused of sexually assaulting a female midshipman in 2012. the ruling was denounced. >>> have you ever wondered what gold medal winning high divers do in the off season? in the case of this world champion, you head to the amazon rain forest to do that. he's free falling in that dive, over 100 feet from the forest canopy to the river below. not a trick to try in the dry season. needed nine feet of water to safely dive. >>> time for a look ahead and a look back. the clintons will be at arizona state university for a clinton global initiative event. former president bill clinton and former secretary of state hillary clinton will meet with college students to discuss global challenges. >>> on this day in 1963, one of the most famous high security prisons ever shut its doors. >> farewell to alcatraz, it

jeffrey sinclair is accused of sexually assaulting a junior officer. he maintains his innocence on allegations he forced her to perform sex acts but his lawyer says he'll admit guilt on three lesser charges including having improper relationships with two other female officers. the married father of two is expected to enter his plea in court at ft. bragg before opening statements. sinclair is believed to be the most senior member of the u.s. military ever to face trial on sexual assault. he could face life in prison if convicted. >>> now we take you to the crisis in youukraine where the parliament in crimea voted to join moscow. it sets a referendum with ten days to ratify that decision. that while a flurry of diplomatic activity ended with little progress on monday. jim maceda is in moscow for us now. we talk about that latest development there, the parliament in crimea making that vote. >> reporter: well, that's right. but i would say that's probably a symbolic vote. it is a rough parliament, the crimean parliament has only pro russian representative

general jeffrey sinclair is being court-martialed for allegedly forcing himself on a captain during andge said there were indications of unlawful influence by commanders in the case. sinclair is free to hammer out a plea deal with the military. >> a skier died in an avalanche m montana. the skier was in the backcountry and may have set on an avalanche himself. he is the third to die in less than three months. there is more danger of avalanches right now because of heavy wet snow and rain. >> it might seem like a spring time day across much of the country yesterday. it is not. now millions of americans in 14 states this morning under winter weather watches and warnings. abc's ginger zee reports there are reports about snow, rain and flooding. >> a flood emergency in the mountain west. ice jams, terrorizing towns from montana to wyoming. rapid snow melt leaving dozens stranded as floods wash out roads. >> we are preparing for the worst hoping for about theest. >>? wyoming, a drone capturing the immense scope of the ice jam. the flow runs up to 20 miles per hour with some chunks weighing

. >> reporter: his career already ruined, brigadier general jeffrey sinclair entered court to confront his former lover. sobbing and barely able to look at him, the 34-year-old army captain, whose name we are not using, told the court what sinclair threatened to do if she ever revealed their affair. she related the highs and lows of an on again/off again three- year affair during which the married sinclair allegedly used the power of his rank as the deputy commanding general of the 82nd airborne, to coerce her into a sexual relationship and at times sexually assault her. in an opening state, defense attorney ellen brotman attacked the general's credibility by citing journal entries written during the affair. >> she voluntarily entered into the relationship and voluntarily stayed in the relationship and didn't do anything she didn't want to do while she was in it. >> reporter: according to the defense, when the captain found an e-mail on sinclair's computer from another female officer saying, "where are you? i miss you. i love you." she finally reported the affair. sinclair has already

opening statements are expected today in the court-martial of brigadier general jeffrey sinclair. he pleaded guilty thursday to having improper relationships with two female army officers and committing adultery with a third. the married father of two pleaded not guilty to five other charges stemming from a female captain's allegations that he forced her to perform a sex act. and the army's top prosecutor for sexual assault cases is actually suspended amid groping allegations. the army is investigating claims from a woman who says lieutenant colonel jay morse tried to grope and kiss her at a 2011 conference. that conference's topic, sexual assaults. >>> let's get you an update on a story that a lot of you have been talking about since yesterday, and that's the court ruling in favor of the practice known as upskirting. well, this morning the massachusetts legislature has voted to make it illegal. it comes a day after the state supreme court cited in favor of a man who had been secretly taking pictures up the skirts of women. justices said it was okay because the women were not full