WASHINGTON (RNS) Days after angering Catholics with a new rule that forces religious groups to offer contraceptive coverage, the White House on Wednesday tried to repair relations by honoring nine Catholic educators. By Lauren Markoe.

PARK CITY, Utah (RNS) Imagine my surprise when Spike Lee's new film, "Red Hook Summer," delivered a humorous, honest look at the vibrancy, complexity, sincerity and messiness of Christianity in the African-American community. By Dick Staub. 750.

Awwwwwwwwwwww Yeah!  It's time for a good ol'-fashioned religion rap-off! Give me a beat!

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (RNS) Tens of thousands of current and former employees at scores of religiously affiliated institutions across the country are worried as nonprofits increasingly seek refuge in "church" pension plans to escape onerous financial obligations. By Tom Haydon. 800. With photo.

(RNS) God may hold the whole world in his hand, but Christians around the world can now hold an entire seminary library on a fingertip. By Kay Campbell. 500.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI praised new communications technologies like Twitter on Tuesday (Jan. 24), saying that even "concise phrases, often no longer than a verse from the Bible," can convey "profound thoughts." By Alessandro Speciale. 250.

"If my story can help a young boy or girl in their teens believe they can have a wonderful and productive life and family," says the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, "then it's worth my putting up with a film crew following me around for two years in order to comfort and inspire them."

(RNS) Welcome to the marketplace of self-determination, where everything from fact to faith is made a fungible commodity. We will either look out for ourselves, discover wisdom and exercise discernment, or we will get stripped clean by the sharps. By Tom Ehrich. About 700. With photo. 

Will Fidel Castro go to Hell? Or just something like it? Will Mitt Romney live in the Golden Temple? Will Chris Christie be the next Mitt Romney? Can we speak well of Joe Paterno?

(RNS) So all that "God talk" from the GOP candidates as they try to show who is more devout? A new survey shows that it may be more likely to hurt their chances with voters as help them. By David Gibson. 400 words.

(RNS) Desecrating enemy dead is not always a vengeful impulse, and in some cultures even has a religious component. At the same time, disgust at the desecration of the dead is not always a simple case of demanding respect for a fallen human being, but also carries religious implications, and even one's journey in the afterlife. By Omar Sacirbey. 850. With photo.

LONDON (RNS) In the first case of its kind, a British court has convicted three Muslim men -- who claimed they were acting under teachings of their religion -- of openly advocating the execution of gays. By Al Webb. 250.

After winning South Carolina's primary, Newt Gingrich is amping up his operation in Florida, reaching out to evangelical ministries in particular, the AP reports. Also, Jeopardy star Ken Jennings says Romney’s rise makes he and fellow Mormons uncomfortable.