Meredith Somers

Churches looking to fill the pews on Super Bowl Sunday keep an eye on the ball

Pastors in Washington and Colorado know the score: They are adjusting their service schedules for the big game and leading their own friendly competitions between Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos fans. Published January 28, 2014

Pentagon relaxes dress code to allow turbans, scarves

The Pentagon has relaxed its policy on religious accommodations, allowing service members to grow beards and wear head covers such as turbans and headscarves as part of their faith. Published January 23, 2014

GOP prepares counteroffensive to battle Dem claims of a ‘war on women’

The 41st March for Life was punctuated by an unusually blunt exchange between the Republican and Democratic Party leaders that signaled a shifting fight for female voters. Published January 22, 2014

March for Life 2014: Pro-life marchers begin trek to Supreme Court

Thousands of pro-life supporters have gathered on the Mall, braving Arctic temperatures and drifting snow to rally at the 41st annual March for Life. Published January 22, 2014

Death of the urban salesman: D.C.’s ‘auto row’ only a memory

The automobile industry's best and brightest new models will be on display beginning Thursday at the Washington Auto Show, but you would be hard-pressed to find a dealer that sells these cars within the city limits. Published January 21, 2014

March for Life could be shortened due to cold

Pro-life march organizers weigh shortening or canceling Wednesday's event amid Washington snowstorm. Published January 21, 2014

March for Life makes room for other causes

Over the course of 40 years, laws have changed and society's perceptions have shifted beyond a simple division between pro-life and pro-choice. Issues such as the death penalty, assisted suicide, "do not resuscitate" medical orders and euthanasia frequently enter the right-to-life debate these days. Published January 20, 2014

D.C. concert to celebrate Catholic Church’s newest saints

The Archdiocese of Washington plans to hold a concert in May to celebrate the Catholic Church's newest saints — Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Published January 16, 2014

Bao Bao’s debut: First peek at National Zoo’s new panda

A 5-month-old toddler who is arguably China's No. 2 diplomat to the United States makes her first public appearance this weekend. Published January 16, 2014

Canonization concert for Popes John XXIII, John Paul II planned for D.C.

The Archdiocese of Washington plans to hold a concert in May to celebrate the Catholic Church's newest saints — Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Published January 16, 2014

Polar vortex brings record cold to D.C.

Confusion, light-headedness, numb fingers and toes — and that's before the potentially fatal irregular heartbeat. Published January 6, 2014

D.C. area to be hit by deep freeze from ‘polar vortex’

A giant swirling mass of air from the North Pole is expected to hit the D.C. area beginning Monday, bringing with it some of the coldest temperatures in two decades. Published January 5, 2014

D.C. to dodge snow, but not wind, cold

The D.C. area might miss the brunt of a powerful storm predicted to dump nearly a foot of snow on Boston and New York City, but the District won't dodge strong winds and plummeting temperatures that are accompanying the precipitation. Published January 2, 2014

Ruling by Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor sets off another battle over Obamacare

Advocates for a Denver-based congregation of Catholic nuns on Wednesday applauded an eleventh-hour order by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to temporarily block a requirement under the Affordable Care Act to insure birth control procedures, but attorneys and analysts agreed the fight is far from over. Published January 1, 2014

Maryland authorities probe shooting deaths of bald eagles

Investigators are working to determine who shot two bald eagles in Montgomery County in recent days and why. Published December 31, 2013

Move afoot in Virginia to create registry of restaurants friendly to gun owners

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill has a no-gun policy. Bryan Crosswhite has created 2amendment.org to identify restaurants that are friendly to legal gun owners who exercise their right to bear arms. Published December 30, 2013

Gun ban at Toby Keith restaurant draws ire

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Woodbridge, Va,. has been open two days but already made national headlines after the owners decided to prohibit firearms in the restaurant. Published December 29, 2013

Safer travel, but no white Christmas for D.C. after record heat wave

Thanks to a record-setting heat wave, the District won't be getting a white Christmas. But with more people on the road and in the air, travel officials said, the clear weather means fewer headaches and more time with family. Published December 23, 2013

Defrocked pastor tells Methodists ‘change’ is coming

A Methodist pastor defrocked for officiating his gay son's wedding urged District churchgoers on Sunday not to abandon the denomination, even as the same-sex marriage debate threatens to further divide it. Published December 22, 2013

Black Santa Claus a Christmas tradition for many families

For Phyllis Sartor and her 3-year-old grandson, Jesse, Santa Claus isn't the face of a national debate over race and ethnicity, he's the symbol of Christmas and the holiday spirit. Published December 19, 2013