Piotr Gajewski led the National Philharmonic in three tried-and-true (some say “worn-out”) symphonic staples on Saturday at Strathmore. But a fresh look at them won’t hurt. Felix Mendelssohn’s music, which occupied the evening’s first half, included his Hebrides Overture (“Fingal’s Cave”), Op. 26, and his Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, with diva violinist Sarah Chang. Read full article > >

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National Philharmonic offers a trio of crowd-pleasers at Strathmore

The parents are often panicked when they call the day-care center. They are moms who need a second job to pay the light bill; dads whose shifts changed at a restaurant; students with a class that continues into the evening. And now, they need a child to be put to bed not by a relative, but a staffer. Read full article > >

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Late-night care fills a need for parents

For a candidate with virtually no staff and who tends to talk off the cuff, Rick Santorum has been nearly gaffe-free. However, this evening might have been his first, and it comes at a time when he is trying to convince voters he is more than “just” a social conservative. Read full article > >

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Jennifer Rubin: Santorum says ‘other types of emotions’ could preclude women in combat

Michael Fassbender wins the best actor prize at the Evening Standard British film awards for his roles in sex addiction drama Shame and Jane Eyre.

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Fassbender scoops Standard award

G eorgia is on my mind as I sink my teeth into a corn muffin that, along with a clove-scented sweet potato muffin, launches dinner at Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria. The golden snack sports a moist crumb and, unlike too many corn muffins in these parts, leans savory rather than sweet. Read full article > >

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Tom Sietsema: Wishes come true at Evening Star Cafe

G eorgia is on my mind as I sink my teeth into a corn muffin that, along with a clove-scented sweet potato muffin, launches dinner at Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria. The golden snack sports a moist crumb and, unlike too many corn muffins in these parts, leans savory rather than sweet. Read full article > >

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Tom Sietsema: Wishes come true at Evening Star Cafe

URBANDALE, Iowa — On the evening of the Iowa caucuses , Joe Burns, a 71-year-old convenience store manager here, came to Walnut Hills Elementary School in sharply contested Dallas County with the intention of making up his mind. Burns and his wife, Mary, who are among Iowa’s vast ranks of undecided voters, followed a line past lost-and-found boxes filled with mittens and scarves and a mural that read “It’s About Respect, Respect Iowa.” In the school’s cafeteria, the county recorder, wearing a blue Mitt Romney sweater, registered voters and handed Burns a slip of paper with the names of the competing candidates. The Burnses sat at one of the miniature children’s tables and mulled who they wanted to be the next president of the United States. Read full article > >

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Iowans gather in community centers, churches, schools to vote

Three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Newt Gingrich took fire for most of the evening and seemed to relish his new role as the leading Republican candidate in the field.

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In G.O.P. Iowa Debate, Rivals Target Newt Gingrich

Adele scored six Grammy nominations on Wednesday, including for record, song and album of the year, but the owner of the 2011’s best-selling album with “21” wasn’t the night’s top nominee — and that wasn’t the evening’s only surprise. Kanye West came away with a leading seven nominations, including a bid for song of the year for his all-star song “All of the Lights.” However, the album from which it came — “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” heralded by many critics as the best album of 2010 — was not in the best album category, and all of his other nominations were relegated to the rap fields. Read full article > >

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Grammy nominations: Adele, Mars, Iver, Mumford & Sons get double nominations for record and song; Kanye gets nod

BBC News talks to the stars at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards

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VIDEO: Stars’ theatre picks of 2011

Frankenstein stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller jointly scoop the prize for best actor at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

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Double win for Frankenstein stars

Frankenstein actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller compete against each other for best actor at this year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

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Frankenstein actors vie for award

After the first magician of the evening finishes his act, he announces that it’s time for Rich Bloch to perform. “I’m not ready,” comes a man’s voice offstage. When the magician blithely continues his introduction, the man’s voice is heard again. “I’m not …” Suddenly the curtains open to reveal a man wearing a fuzzy bathrobe and bunny slippers looking half-surprised and half-annoyed as he finishes saying, “ … ready.” After pausing for comic effect, the man says, “Give me a minute.” Read full article > >

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One of D.C.’s most successful lawyers is also a master magician

CHARLOTTESVILLE — When Michael Rocco was a boy, he had allergies so severe they would inflame his airways to the point where breathing no longer was a subconscious act. So his parents often found themselves on the front porch of their Western Pennsylvania home, holding Michael in a rocking chair and praying the dampness of the evening would moisten their youngest child’s lungs. “It always acted up in the fall and into the winter,” Rocco said. “Whenever the seasons started to change, I started feeling pressure on my chest.”  Read full article > >

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Virginia football hoping that QB Michael Rocco is a breath of fresh air

Update, 10:37 p.m.: In case there was any doubt left, Beyonce closed her live performance during the VMAs by removing her blazer and revealing the stretchy panel in her maternity pants. Sasha Fierce is definitely having Jay-Z’s baby. Original post: Beyonce confirmed her pregnancy on the MTV Video Music Awards black carpet this evening. Read full article > >

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Beyonce is pregnant