The federal lawsuits filed Monday by Catholic institutions against the contraception mandate under the health care law are not surprising, but they are unfortunate. The Bishops’ Conference and many — though not all — Catholic organizations are acting as if the Obama Administration had never backed down from its original, broad mandate and had never offered to negotiate. Read full article > >

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E.J. Dionne Jr.: Did the Catholic organizations have to sue over the health care mandate?

NEW YORK — In a game the Washington Capitals could ill afford to lose, it seems counterintuitive that Alex Ovechkin would record a new career low for ice time in a postseason contest. But when the Capitals needed someone to step up and break a tie in the third period of Game 2, it was Ovechkin who came through against the New York Rangers . Ovechkin’s tally on a booming point shot with 7 minutes 27 seconds remaining stood as the game-winner in a 3-2 victory , sending this Eastern Conference semifinal series back to Washington with the teams tied with one game apiece. Read full article > >

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2012 NHL playoffs: Alex Ovechkin helps Capitals get even with Rangers

A Vatican investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) , an umbrella group representing 80 percent of Catholic sisters and nuns in the United States, found serious theological errors in statements by members, widespread dissent on the church’s teaching on sexuality and “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith” a church report released Wednesday stated. Read full article > >

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Vatican: U.S. Catholic sisters, nuns making serious theological errors

MILWAUKEE — The Georgetown men’s basketball team arrived at Bradley Center on Saturday afternoon with an opportunity to earn a second-place finish in the Big East standings and, more important, a chance to claim a coveted double bye in the conference tournament. Read full article > >

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Georgetown vs. Marquette: No. 11 Hoyas fail to secure double-bye in Big East tournament

He sat at the conference table next to Frederick Douglass as they tried to convince President Abraham Lincoln that African Americans should be allowed to fight for their own freedom. He served five terms in Congress. He ran a newspaper and helped found a state Republican Party. Read full article > >

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Civil War hero Robert Smalls seized the opportunity to be free

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said a modification offered by the White House did not go far enough in protecting religious liberty.

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Bishops Criticize Proposal on Birth Control Coverage

I was late to my wedding. I was late delivering the carpool kids to school Monday morning. I was late filing this column. And no matter how hard I try, I will likely be late to my parent-teacher conference Monday afternoon. I am perpetually fighting the tardy gene. Read full article > >

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When it comes to tardiness, shouldn’t the punishment fit the crime?

Two nights following a signature victory, the Washington Wizards pushed another Western Conference front-runner to the brink on the strength of a blistering first quarter, but this time, they tumbled at the finish in a 108-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night before 14,866 at Verizon Center. Read full article > >

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Wizards vs. Nuggets: Washington can’t sustain fast start and falls to Denver at Verizon Center, 108-104

The Senate late Thursday rejected competing partisan visions for extending a temporary tax break that benefits virtually every American worker, clearing the way for more serious negotiations over how to cover the cost of the tax cut. All but a handful of Democrats voted in favor of their party’s proposal, but in a surprising turn, more Republicans voted against the GOP plan than in favor of it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) predicted this week that a majority of his conference would vote for the party’s plan to extend the payroll tax cut. Read full article > >

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Payroll tax break: Extension proposals from both parties fail in Senate

Afghan officials had been urging Pakistan to attend the conference where more than 50 countries are showcasing the international commitment to Afghanistan’s security.

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Pakistan to Protest NATO Strike by Skipping Afghan Meeting

Businessman Herman Cain told senior members of his campaign on a conference call this morning that he is re-assessing whether or not to remain in the Republican presidential race. On the conference call, which National Review listened to and transcribed , Cain denies the allegation of an affair with an Atlanta woman named Ginger White , which came to light on Monday, but acknowledged that the “firestorm” had caused a re-thinking. Read full article > >

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Herman Cain re-assessing presidential candidacy

Three weeks ago, it was brought to Virginia Coach Mike London’s attention that only two ACC Coastal Division teams could reach the conference title game by winning their remaining regular season contests: His Cavaliers and four-time ACC champion Virginia Tech .  “Maybe a couple years from now you talk about winning out and running the table and controlling our own destiny,” London said then. “That’s for teams that have been there and done that.” Read full article > >

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Virginia football vs. Virginia Tech: A chance for the Cavs to balance the scales in the commonwealth

Too much time spent sitting increases the risk of developing cancer, even for those who exercise regularly. That’s according to research presented Thursday morning at the American Institute for Cancer Research’s annual conference . The AICR presented data suggesting that about 100,000 new cases of breast cancer and colon cancer per year can be associated with physical inactivity. One study presented at the conference and published in October in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that among post-menopausal women, taking frequent breaks from sitting was associated with smaller waist circumference and lower levels of C-reactive proteins, both biomarkers associated with elevated risk of some cancers. In an analysis of data for 4,757 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) published in the European Heart Journal, even short periods of light activity — frequently standing up and walking for as little as a minute at time — reduced risk for such biomarkers as large waist circumference, elevated triglyceride levels and increased insulin resistance, which are linked to heightened cardiovascular disease but might also boost cancer risk. Read full article > >

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Inactivity boosts cancer risk, research finds

The presidents of the Big East Conference member schools met on Sunday afternoon on the campus of Georgetown University, where they voted unanimously to pursue aggressive discussions with other institutions that have substantial interest in joining, according to conference Commissioner John Marinatto. Read full article > >

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Big East presidents agree to look into adding schools to conference

R-O-C-K-S-T-A-R, is what I thought when I first saw Sheikh Hamza Yusuf speak at a Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference in Chicago. I was in awe, not just of his words, but by size of the crowd. This was not your average local halaqah (gathering) – this was a crowd of thousands who had traveled from all over the United States to attend the conference and to see Yusuf. They were there to catch a glimpse of the face behind the voice from lectures played on car stereos on their way to school or work. They were there because his calm demeanor and smooth rhetoric inspired them to be better Muslims and better Americans. After the lecture they were there to stand in line to ask him to autograph their copy of his book and maybe, if they were lucky to get a photo with him. We were in the presence of an all-American rockstar imam.

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The Rise of the American ‘Rockstar’ Imams