GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — There was a single mom who loved to dance, in the car with a boyfriend who had moved from Virginia to be with her. A pastor and members of his family, originally from Brazil, returning home to Georgia from an Orlando church retreat. A father, his wife and his daughter headed south from the Panhandle for a family funeral. A young man coming home from bowling. The 11 lives were so diverse that the groups probably... Read more

NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian court has ruled that a powerful minister will not have to stand trial in a multibillion-dollar telecommunications scandal, giving the beleaguered government a reprieve. Judge O.P. Saini on Saturday dismissed opposition politician Subramanian Swamy’s request that Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram face prosecution in the scandal. The scandal stems from the 2008 sale of cellular operating licenses, which resulted in losses of nearly $36 billion in potential government revenue. Former telecommunications minister Andimuthu Raja is... Read more

ORANGE, Calif. (AP) — The Diocese of Orange has closed on its purchase of the shimmering Crystal Cathedral and the church’s nearly 31-acre property. The diocese said Friday that escrow proceedings had closed on its acquisition. The Catholic Church agreed to pay $57.5 million for the sprawling campus in Garden Grove and plans to make it the site of a long-sought cathedral for Orange County. The Crystal Cathedral sold the property to help pay creditors and emerge from federal bankruptcy... Read more

CHICAGO (AP) — The former congresswoman and one-time Mary Kay saleswoman dashed up to the pulpit of the black megachurch and offered stories of growing up poor and raising two children on her own as she tried to win the congregation’s support for her bid to unseat Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Debbie Halvorson, who is white, is giving the son of the iconic civil rights leader his first real competition in a district that has been held by a black... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Thirty-three civil rights groups from around the country complained to the New York attorney general Friday about police documents that showed the New York Police Department recommending increased surveillance of Shiite mosques based on their religion. The letter urged Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate NYPD’s surveillance operations, revealed by an Associated Press investigation, which monitored entire neighborhoods and built databases about everyday life in Muslim communities. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Thirty-two civil rights groups from around the country filed a complaint with the New York attorney general Friday over police documents that showed the New York Police Department recommending increased surveillance of Shiite mosques based solely on their religion. The complaint urged Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate NYPD’s surveillance operations, revealed by an Associated Press investigation, which monitored entire neighborhoods and built databases about everyday life in Muslim communities. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Mayor... Read more

ROME (AP) — An Irish woman who was raped as a teen by a priest says some fellow survivors of clergy sex abuse are questioning the motives behind an upcoming Vatican-backed symposium. Marie Collins said Friday that some have wondered if the meeting next week in Rome is merely a public relations exercise instead of a genuine initiative to protect children. She says she wrestled with her decision to accept an invitation to be a keynote speaker, but agreed because... Read more

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia legislators have passed a bill allowing private adoption agencies to deny placements that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality. The state House voted 71-28 to pass the legislation Friday. Earlier in the day, a Senate committee endorsed its version of the Republican-backed measure on an 8-7 party-line vote. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the bill. Supporters say the measure protects religious freedom. Opponents argue that the government,... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Muslim groups and interfaith leaders are rallying Friday in the wake of a report about New York Police Department intelligence. A secret police document shows that the NYPD recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Muslims and their mosques based solely on their religion. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the May 2006 NYPD intelligence report on Iran. It says police should expand clandestine operations at Shiite mosques. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the police department... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Muslim groups and interfaith leaders are holding a rally in the wake of a report about New York Police Department intelligence. The rally is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday at Manhattan’s Foley Square. It will be followed by a march to police headquarters. A secret police document shows that the NYPD recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Muslims and their mosques based solely on their religion. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the May 2006... Read more