Social Issues

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Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney boards his campaign plane Wednesday in Bedford, Mass., heading for South Carolina, site of the next primary contest on Jan. 21. His strong stance against illegal immigration dovetails with South Carolina's tough new law. (Associated Press)

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Chancellor Kaya Henderson has received a letter from D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson about the DCPS and an allegation of child sexual abuse. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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Rep. Lamar Smith, of Texas and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said President Obama was putting "illegal immigrants ahead of the interests of American citizens and legal immigrants." (Associated Press)

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The shadow of David Murray, a trombone player with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), is seen on stage at the GALA Hispanic Theater in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012 during the Three Kings Day celebration. The NSO players were there as part of a residency program called "In Your Neighborhood," in which they go out into the community to expose people to their music. This is the first time they've had a residency in the Washington, D.C. area. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican, smiles as he signs autographs Jan. 6, 2012, during a campaign rally in Nashua, N.H. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (left) has his tie adjusted by his manager Leonard Ellerbe on Dec. 21, 2011, while waiting for sentencing in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges. (Associated Press)

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This undated photo shows Jakadrien Lorece Turner, a Texas teen who ran away more than a year ago, her family said. Immigration officials say they're investigating the circumstances under which Turner was deported to Colombia after providing a false identity. She was located in Bogota by Dallas police, with help from Colombian and U.S. officials. (Associated Press/Courtesy of WFAA-TV)

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The Gala Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights will celebrate Fiesta de los Reyes Magos with a parade featuring live dancing, live animals, and local community activists dressed as the Three Kings.

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FILE - In this file photo from Dec. 5, 2011, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio discusses the latest in the document release on his office's handling of many sexual assault cases over the years in El Mirage, Ariz., during a news conference in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Newt Gingrich's girth surely could be a target in the race to be the Republican presidential nominee. Will it cost him? "Study after study after study shows the same thing. Weight bias is a highly prevalent form of discrimination, more common than other forms that have protection within our laws," says Yale University's Rebecca Puhl (Associated Press)

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Easter Island natives erect a moai statue in a scene from the History's channel 12-hour miniseries, "Mankind the Story of All of Us," which will air later this year. The new series traces the development of humans. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is introduced at a forum at Valley High School, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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This undated family photo shows teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was killed April 1993 in a racist attack by a gang of youths in London. Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty Jan. 3, 2012, of murdering Lawrence. (Associated Press)

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Afghan and foreign soldiers are seen Jan. 3, 2012, on alert near the scene of a suicide attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan. A suicide bomber driving a motorcycle killed four civilians and a police officer, police said. (Associated Press)

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Occupy D.C. activist John Zangas, of the District, Monday replaces artwork torn down by police at the McPherson Square encampment in Northwest. Mr. Zangas says he has been part of the encampment since it began in October and has talked to many people he wouldn't have met otherwise. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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Occupy activists test a giant octopus made with plastic bags Dec. 29, 2011, in Pasadena, Calif. Activists with the Occupy movement, which protests perceived corporate greed and growing economic inequality, are planning to turn out en masse, on Jan. 2, at the annual Rose Parade accompanied by their own floats of sorts. (Associated Press)

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In this image from amateur video, Arab League observers are seen Dec. 30, 2011, at a protest in Idlib, Syria. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians poured into the streets across the nation in the largest protests in months, shouting for the downfall of the regime in a defiant display invigorated by the presence of Arab observers, activists said. (Associated Press/Shaam News Network via APTN)

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House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, has developed a proposal with Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, that would keep traditional Medicare as an option, competing with private plans. People now 55 or older wouldn't have to make any changes. (Associated Press)

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Supporters of Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney listen during a campaign stop, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, in Le Mars, Iowa. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Non-resident visitors to the United States wait at the immigration control area after arriving at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Dec. 13, 2011. (Associated Press) **FILE**