Monday Morning Headlines [Aug 20, 2012]

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Monday, August 20, 2012 TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS Romney had to master many keys as a leader in the Mormon church The Republican presidential candidate's decades as a lay leader demonstrate an assurance with the institution and a confidence in his authority. (By Jason Horowitz) Jihadist group gaining prominence in Syrian rebel effort The group, suspected of links to al-Qaeda, includes foreign fighters from Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, its commander in Aleppo says. (By Justin Vela and Liz Sly) Gu Kailai given suspended death sentence The Chinese court's decision ends a high-profile murder trial that appeared tightly scripted by the ruling Communist Party's leaders. (By William Wan) Mayor Gray embraces his alter ego — first baseman For Mayor Vincent C. Gray, 69, softball is a joyous escape from the pressures of work and a source of not-inconsiderable regret. (By Paul Schwartzman) Paul Ryan, GOP lightning rod Just before he became Mitt Romney's pick for vice president, Paul Ryan had decided that he was most likely out of the running. But close colleagues have long believed in him. (By Michael Leahy) NATION Signs of funding strains surface at national parks After more than a decade of scrimping and deferring maintenance and construction projects — along with a 6 percent budget cut in the past two years — the signs of strain are beginning to surface at national parks across the country. ( by Juliet Eilperin , The Washington Post) Crab harvest goes high-tech A pilot program could provide the most precise count of the Chesapeake blue-crab harvest yet. ( by Darryl Fears , The Washington Post) Researchers write book using DNA Researchers have encoded a full book in DNA, the largest amount of information stored on the biological medium yet. ( by Hristio Boytchev , The Washington Post) This object has not been handled yet in headline.jpt (, The Washington Post) Karl Fleming, reporter who covered the civil rights movement for Newsweek, dies at 84 Mr. Fleming, who risked his life to cover the civil rights movement in the 1960s, died Aug. 11. ( by Elaine Woo , The Washington Post) More National: Breaking National News & Headlines - Washington Post LOCAL Disability advocates question new Metro SmarTrip dispensers The new machines would not be accessible to the visually impaired, disability advocates say. ( by Luz Lazo , The Washington Post) Mayor Gray embraces his alter ego — first baseman For Mayor Vincent C. Gray, 69, softball is a joyous escape from the pressures of work and a source of not-inconsiderable regret. ( by Paul Schwartzman , The Washington Post) D.C. filming brings out roller skaters Dozens of locals strapped on their roller skates to be extras in a short comedy film. ( by Katherine Shaver , The Washington Post) Landowners invoke 18th-century law <br>in lawsuit over Va. river access Dargan Coggeshall says he was just standing in the Jackson River, fishing for trout. Owners of homes on the bank say he was trespassing. ( by Susan Svrluga on the Jackson River in Virginia , The Washington Post) Md. schools mix tech with teaching "Our students are digital natives, and the teachers are digital immigrants," a Pr. George's teacher says. ( by Ovetta Wiggins , The Washington Post) More Post Local: Washington, DC Area News, Traffic, Weather, Sports & More - The Washington Post POLITICS Democrats announce convention speakers The Democratic convention will feature a slate of familiar faces and up and comers. ( by Nia-Malika Henderson , The Washington Post) Romney had to master many keys as a leader in the Mormon church The Republican presidential candidate's decades as a lay leader demonstrate an assurance with the institution and a confidence in his authority. ( by Jason Horowitz , The Washington Post) How Mitt Romney rose through the Mormon Church in Boston His devout belief and abilities helped him ascend rapidly through the ranks. ( by Jason Horowitz In BOSTON , The Washington Post) Akin says he misspoke about rape Rep. Todd Akin, the newly chosen GOP Senate nominee in Missouri, said in an interview that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant. ( by Aaron Blake , The Washington Post) On the big screen, Pentagon wants accuracy The man at the Pentagon who works with Hollywood directors says you can't buy better p.r.. ( by Matthew Schofield , The Washington Post) More Post Politics: Breaking Politics News, Political Analysis & More - The Washington Post STYLE Relationships take teamwork Contributions to your household, as a whole, should be split as close to 50-50 as possible without bean-counting. Explore why you're both acting as adversaries vs. teammates. Shift the center of gravity in the relationship from protecting yourselves to giving to each other. (, The Washington Post) Paul Ryan, GOP lightning rod Just before he became Mitt Romney's pick for vice president, Paul Ryan had decided that he was most likely out of the running. But close colleagues have long believed in him. ( by Michael Leahy , The Washington Post) Frederick hosts high-wheel bike race High-wheel enthusiasts were in Frederick on Saturday, doing their darndest to raise the profile of the Victorian-era velocipede by competing in the Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. ( by Tomi Obaro , The Washington Post) Be'La Dona, Klymaxx at Fort Dupont The 40th anniversary season of the Fort Dupont Park Summer Theatre Concert Series came to a close Saturday night, and the final show was a historic one. The Southeast Washington park hosted go-go band Be'La Dona and Klymaxx, the '80s diva R&B outfit behind "Meeting in the Ladies Room," for the first exclusively female bill in the series' history. ( by Sarah Godfrey , The Washington Post) Dirty Projectors lighten up On Friday night at the 9:30 Club, the members of Dirty Projectors showed that they've lightened up the band's conceptual load a little. ( by Aaron Leitko , The Washington Post) More Style: Culture, Arts, Ideas & More - The Washington Post BUSINESS Charity Works: A match made in a recession ( by Vanessa Small , The Washington Post) Charity week ahead for Aug. 20 (, The Washington Post) Public relations firm does not want giving to be 'egomaniacal' (, The Washington Post) Washington area businesses look to Belly for quirky rewards About 250 companies in the Washington area are now using Belly, and the rewards they offer are as varied as the businesses themselves. ( by Abha Bhattarai , The Washington Post) Fundrise relies on small investments for new property on H Street NE The building that is to house a hybrid food and retail market when it opens early next year. ( by Abha Bhattarai , The Washington Post) More Business News, Financial News, Business Headlines & Analysis - The Washington Post SPORTS TV and radio listings: August 20 (, The Washington Post) United, Union play to a bizarre draw United has to settle for a 1-1 draw with visiting Philadelphia in a game featuring three ejections and two disallowed goals. ( by Steven Goff , The Washington Post) Gloomy skies, bright outlook for Nats OPINION | With the Atlanta Braves heading to town for a crucial series, the Nationals need to take advantage of the opportunity to build on their division lead. (, The Washington Post) The heat is on in Atlanta The Atlanta Braves dropped two of three games to the Dodgers this weekend, their first series loss since mid-July which only puts more pressure on them heading into Washington. ( by Ray Glier , The Washington Post) Mystics hang on to win in overtime Matee Ajavon (shown earlier this season) scores 22 points to lead Washington over Chicago for its first win since the Olympic break. ( by Mark Giannotto , The Washington Post) More Sports: Sports News, Scores, Analysis, Schedules & More - The Washington Post WORLD Gu Kailai gets suspended death sentence The Chinese court's decision ends a high-profile murder trial that appeared tightly scripted by the ruling Communist Party's leaders. ( by William Wan , The Washington Post) Jihadist group gaining prominence in Syrian rebel effort The group, suspected of links to al-Qaeda, includes foreign fighters from Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, its commander in Aleppo says. ( by Justin Vela and Liz Sly , The Washington Post) More World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post EDITORIAL False piety on Medicare The big question before honest budget talks. (, The Washington Post) Why Ryan might be right. Using the market to control Medicare costs. (, The Washington Post) Seeing reality in Egypt Keeping the Muslim Brotherhood checked. ( by Dennis Ross , The Washington Post) Trying to shrink government Major structural changes are going to continue its growth. ( by Lawrence Summers , The Washington Post) Bench the kid? (, The Washington Post) More Opinions: Washington Post Opinion, Editorial, Op Ed, Politics Editorials - The Washington Post Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? 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