Washington (AP) — It’s looking like President Barack Obama may be back in the good graces of women. His support dropped among this critical constituency just before the new year began and the presidential campaign got under way in earnest. But his standing with female voters is strengthening, polls show, as the economy improves and social issues, including birth control, become a bigger part of the nation’s political discourse. “Republicans are making a big mistake with this contraception talk, and... Read more

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown said Monday he would not be pressured by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s family to stop running a radio ad claiming that Kennedy’s position was similar to Brown’s in the fight over whether employers should be required to provide birth control coverage or other procedures they oppose on religious or moral grounds. Kennedy’s son, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, has issued an open letter to the Republican senator asking him to pull the... Read more

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s coalition government has expanded the list of churches the nation formally recognizes from 14 to 32. The newly recognized ones include five Buddhist groups, Methodists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Latter Day Saints and two Islamic communities. Opposition parties boycotted Monday’s vote, but the center-right Fades party and its tiny ally, the Christian Democrats, mustered the required two-thirds majority. The requests of 66 other religious groups were rejected. Formal recognition gives churches tax-free status, qualifies... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s newly elevated Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he wants to be a saint. Dolan made the comment while celebrating his first Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral since returning from Rome. He says his new aspiration came to him when he and other cardinals were asked to ratify a list of candidates for sainthood. He told his congregation it made him realize that “this isn’t about the red hat” or being a cardinal. Rather, he... Read more

LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is calling for a bigger role for religion in the public square and faults President Barack Obama for marginalizing faith. Speaking to a suburban Detroit chamber of commerce on the eve of Tuesday’s primary, Santorum says freedom of religion has been “turned on its head.” The former Pennsylvania senator told about 300 people in Lavonia: “I’m for separation of church and state. The state has no business telling the church what... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Police Department’s top official reiterated his defense Monday of the department’s aggressive intelligence-gathering operations, saying there’s no need to apologize for keeping tabs on some Muslims if that’s what it takes to protect the city. Kelly’s comments to reporters Monday were the latest in a recent string of public statements in response to reports by The Associated Press about the NYPD’s surveillance on Muslims across the Northeast following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Police Department’s top official reiterated his defense Monday of the department’s aggressive intelligence-gathering operations, saying there’s no need to apologize for keeping tabs on some Muslims if that’s what it takes to protect the city. “Not everybody is going to be happy with everything the police department does, that’s the nature of our business,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. “But our primary mission, our primary goal, is to keep this city safe, to... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia monsignor will go on trial on child endangerment charges despite new defense evidence that he says shows an archbishop was calling the shots. Monsignor William Lynn says the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua had a list of accused, still-active priests destroyed in 1994 — a decade before the sex abuse scandal exploded. Lynn asked a judge to dismiss the felony child endangerment and conspiracy charges he’s facing. He says a grand jury might not have pursued... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Roman Catholic monsignor charged with protecting two priests accused of rape lost a last-minute bid to be absolved Monday in court and jury selection proceeded in the landmark case in Philadelphia. Monsignor William Lynn had asked to have the child-endangerment and conspiracy case against him thrown out based on new evidence found in a 10th floor safe at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His lawyers argued Monday that the grand jury might not have indicted Lynn if... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Roman Catholic monsignor charged with protecting two priests accused of rape lost a last-minute bid to be absolved Monday in court and jury selection proceeded in the landmark case in Philadelphia. Monsignor William Lynn had asked to have the child-endangerment and conspiracy case against him thrown out based on new evidence found in a 10th floor safe at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His lawyers argued Monday that the grand jury might not have indicted Lynn if... Read more