BELTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — With Maryland legalizing gay marriage, some conservative opponents and religious leaders are counting on members of their congregations, especially in black churches, to upend the legislation at the polls this fall. Many African American church leaders oppose gay marriage in the liberal-leaning state that’s nearly one-third black, and President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is expected to drive many of their congregants to the polls. Opponents submitted draft language for a ballot referendum to overturn the measure... Read more

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (AP) — Maryland’s governor signed a measure legalizing gay marriage Thursday, joining seven other states. Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, signed the bill a week after its final passage in the Legislature. The law is scheduled to take effect in January 2013. However, opponents — backed by many churches — are expected to petition the law to a referendum on the November ballot. “Religious freedom was the very reason for our state’s founding and at the heart of... Read more

BELTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — With Maryland poised to legalize gay marriage, some conservative opponents and religious leaders are counting on members of their congregations, especially in black churches, to upend the legislation at the polls this fall. Many African American church leaders oppose gay marriage in the liberal-leaning state that’s nearly one-third black, and President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is expected to drive many of their congregants to the polls. Opponents submitted draft language for a ballot referendum to overturn... Read more

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Seizing an opportunity to instill doubts about Mitt Romney’s conservative credentials, Rick Santorum on Thursday said his presidential rival’s gut reaction to a Senate measure that would have repealed mandatory health coverage for contraceptives shows the former Massachusetts governor is not conservative “at the core.” Romney opened himself to criticism the day before by telling a reporter that he opposed a Republican bill to block President Barack Obama’s policy on contraceptive insurance coverage. Hours later, Romney... Read more

HAVANA (AP) — A Cuban Catholic church representative says preparations for Pope Benedict XVI’s pre-Easter visit are on track. The executive secretary of the Cuban Bishops Conference says stages for Masses the pope plans to give in the eastern city of Santiago and the capital’s iconic Revolution Plaza are under construction and will be ready nearly a week before the pope arrives. Father Jose Felix Perez told journalists Thursday that he was not sure what message the pope will bring,... Read more

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) — New York City’s Police Department is facing mounting criticism of its secret surveillance of Muslims across the Northeast, with civil liberties groups demanding an investigation and New Jersey’s governor accusing the NYPD of arrogantly acting as if “their jurisdiction is the world.” The intelligence-gathering was detailed recently in a series of stories by The Associated Press, which reported that police monitored mosques and Muslims around the metropolitan area and kept tabs on Muslim student groups... Read more

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New York City’s Police Department is facing mounting criticism of its secret surveillance of Muslims across the Northeast, with ACLU chapters and numerous other groups demanding an investigation and New Jersey’s governor accusing the NYPD of arrogantly acting as if “their jurisdiction is the world.” The intelligence-gathering was detailed recently in a series of stories by The Associated Press, which reported that police monitored mosques and Muslims around the metropolitan area and kept tabs on Muslim... Read more

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) — The New York Police Department ignored one of the key lessons of the Sept. 11 attacks by not sharing information with New Jersey law enforcement agencies when it conducted secret surveillance of Muslim communities, Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday. The Republican governor’s comments were his harshest criticism yet of the NYPD’s secret surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey’s largest city and elsewhere. He said the department had a “masters of the universe” mentality.” At a... Read more

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New York Police Department ignored one of the key lessons of Sept. 11 by not sharing information with New Jersey law enforcement agencies when it conducted secret surveillance of Muslim communities, Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday. The Republican governor’s comments echoed remarks he made Wednesday night on a radio program, when he issued his harshest criticism yet of the NYPD’s secret surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey’s largest city and elsewhere. He said the department... Read more

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Civil rights groups in the Northeast pressed Thursday for an investigation of the New York Police Department’s secret surveillance of Muslims in the region, a day after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie assailed the agency for having a “masters of the universe” mentality and acting either out of arrogance or paranoia. The American Civil Liberties Unions of Connecticut and Pennsylvania are seeking investigations on NYPD practices in those states, including at Yale University and the University... Read more