Pro-Russia rally

Pro-Russia rally

SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine

Dozens of pro-Russia protesters rallied Tuesday in this Crimean Peninsula city, bitterly denouncing politicians in Kiev who are trying to form a new government, with some even calling for secession from Ukraine. A Russian lawmaker stoked their passions by promising that Moscow will protect them.

“Russia, save us!” they chanted.

The outburst of pro-Russian sentiment in the strategic peninsula on the Black Sea, home to a Russian naval base, came amid fears of economic collapse for Ukraine as the fractious foes of President Viktor Yanukovych failed to reach agreement on forming a new national government and said the task of assigning posts could not be completed before Thursday.

Enrollment for Obamacare hits 4M

WASHINGTON

Enrollment in health plans sold on marketplaces created by President Barack Obama’s health care law has hit 4 million, the administration announced Tuesday, marking another milestone in the law’s implementation.

The number suggests sign-ups have continued at a brisk pace in February, with about 700,000 people selecting an insurance plan so far this month.

How many of the people who have selected coverage have also paid the premiums remains unclear, a key metric the administration has declined to release.

Ex-police chief gets 18 months in prison

PITTSBURGH

The city’s former police chief was sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to create an unauthorized slush fund, with a federal judge saying she was sending a message that the seriousness of his crimes outweighed his supporters’ calls for leniency.

Nathan Harper, 61, also was ordered to repay $31,986 that he spent on himself, including meals and drink tabs at various restaurants and bars.

Harper resigned last February, and in March he was charged with conspiracy to commit theft and failing to file tax returns between 2008 and 2011, when much of the money was misappropriated.

Study: National drop in toddler obesity

ATLANTA

Toddler obesity shrank sharply in the past decade, a new study suggests. Though promising, it’s not proof that the nation has turned a corner in the battle against childhood obesity, some experts say.

The finding comes from a government study considered a gold-standard gauge of trends in the public’s health. The researchers found that obesity among children age 2 to 5 decreased — to 8 percent, from 14 percent a decade ago. That would represent a 43 percent drop.

But the only decline was seen in preschoolers, not in older children. And some experts note that even the improvement in toddlers wasn’t a steady decline, and say it’s hard to know yet whether preschooler weight figures are permanently curving down or merely jumping around.

Calif. couple finds $10M in gold coins

LOS ANGELES

A Northern California couple out walking their dog on their property stumbled across a modern-day bonanza: $10 million in rare, mint-condition gold coins buried in the shadow of an old tree.

Nearly all of the 1,427 coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, are in uncirculated, mint condition, said David Hall, co-founder of Professional Coin Grading Service of Santa Ana, which recently authenticated them. Although the face value of the gold pieces adds up to only about $27,000, some of them are so rare that coin experts say they could fetch nearly $1 million apiece.

Combined dispatches