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In this Feb. 7, 2012, photo, Karen Handel speaks during an interview in Atlanta. All of a sudden, abortion, contraception and gay marriage are at the center of American political discourse, with the struggling — though improving — economy pushed to the background. Social issues don’t usually dominate the discussion in shaky economies. But they do raise emotions important to factors like voter turnout. Then, as the GOP nomination fight churned with no resolution in sight, the economy began to grow. Unemployment rates dipped. And a cascade of cultural political developments inspired a new set of talking points for the year’s crop of political hopefuls such as supporters of Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion services, helped force the resignation of Susan G. Komen For the Cure executive Handel after the breast cancer research group cut grants to the organization, then reversed course. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP - All of a sudden, abortion, contraception and gay marriage are at the center of American political discourse, with the struggling — though improving — economy pushed to the background.



This image from amateur video made available by Shaam News Network on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, purports to show smoke filling the air near a mosque in Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL.  TV OUTAP - Two explosions targeted security compounds in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday, state media reported, saying 25 people were killed and 175 wounded in a major city that has so far largely stood by President Bashar Assad in the nearly 11-month-old uprising against his rule.



AP - Thousands took to the streets of Athens Friday as Greek unions launched a two-day general strike against planned austerity measures Friday, a day after the country's crucial international bailout was put in limbo by its partners in the 17-nation eurozone.

AP - Money pouring into the presidential election from super political action committees and nonprofit campaign groups appears so far to be strictly American in origin, donated by U.S. companies, unions and millionaires.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011 file photo, Bank of America Merrill Lynch traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. There are fewer and fewer traders on the NYSE floor because of the dominance of computer trading of securities - including the high-frequency trading that can take advantage of price changes in a millisecond. Bank of America is the stock of the moment for high-frequency trading; investors use computer algorithms to exploit small changes in a stock's price. If a computer can seize on a stock like Bank of America a fraction of a second faster than the rest of the market, it can book a tiny profit. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)AP - On a normal day, 4 billion shares of stock change hands on the New York Stock Exchange. One in 10 belongs to a single company. It's not McDonald's or IBM, both of which have been on a tear.



President Barack Obama speaks about flexibility for states with the No Child Left Behind law, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)AP - Yet when it comes to the federal No Child Left Behind law, the school hasn't lived up to expectations. Last year, 79 percent of students had to be at grade level in reading and 80 percent in math. Overall, the students exceeded those goals. But two groups — English language learners and the economically disadvantaged — did not.



Troy Schoeller poses at an intersection in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Thursday Feb. 2, 2012.  Schoeller, an embalmer whose license was revoked following an interview with a reporter, is challenging that punishment before the highest court in Massachusetts. He argues that the decision to revoke his license because of statements he made violates his constitutional right to free speech. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP - Troy Schoeller admits he could have chosen his words more carefully when he talked to a reporter about bodies he worked on as an embalmer at a funeral home.



This Sept. 2010 photo posted recently on the Titiusville, Fla.- based arms manufacturer Knight's Armament's Internet blog, shows members of Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Marine Corps confirmed Thursday Feb. 8, 2012 that one of its scout sniper teams in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS. (AP Photo/knightarmco.com)AP - A leading Jewish organization and others outraged by a photo showing Marine snipers in Afghanistan posing with a logo resembling a notorious Nazi symbol are demanding President Barack Obama order an investigation and hold the troops accountable.



AP - Nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have artificial knees, or more than 4 million people, according to the first national estimate showing how common these replacement joints have become in an aging population.

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, right, defends Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) on a drive to the basket during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Thursday Feb. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP - Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night.



Reuters - Greek workers went on strike against austerity measures on Friday, docking ships and halting public transport, hours after euro zone finance ministers said Athens needed to make more cuts to convince them to release a financial bailout.

Reuters - Twin bomb blasts hit Syrian military and security buildings in the northern city of Aleppo on Friday, killing 25 people in the worst violence to hit the country's commercial hub in the 11-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Reuters - Five big U.S. banks accused of abusive mortgage practices have agreed to a $25 billion government settlement that may help roughly one million borrowers but is no magic bullet for the ailing housing market.

Reuters - Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba plans to take private its Hong Kong-listed unit, two sources familiar with the matter said, as part of a complex deal that would strengthen founder Jack Ma's control and give key stakeholder Yahoo cash and a direct stake in one of Alibaba's operating businesses.

Reuters - The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Spencer Bachus, which oversees the U.S. banking and financial services industries, is under investigation for possible violation of insider trading laws, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Foster Friess, the wealthy investor who is fueling Rick Santorum's presidential campaign, is enjoying his new-found fame.

Reuters - Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday the White House was working to address concerns raised by the Catholic Church over a new rule on contraceptives, and he believed an escalating election-year battle over the issue would be resolved.

Reuters - On the snowy fringes of Japan's Fukushima city, now notorious as a byword for nuclear crisis, Zen monk Koyu Abe offers prayers for the souls of thousands left dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami nearly one year ago.

The Christian Science Monitor - As the child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Miramonte Elementary School and the Los Angeles Unified School District expands, a dramatic push for accountability is just beginning to take off.

The Christian Science Monitor - So what does contraception at a Catholic hospital or college have to do with a $109 billion highway bill?