Lamar Odom has yet to fit in with the Dallas Mavericks, but to have a legitimate shot at repeating as NBA champions they'll need him to — and quickly. Odom hasn't played since Feb. 20 because of a family matter. On Saturday afternoon, Odom will make his first D-League appearance when the Texas Legends play the Austin Toros in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas.

House Democrats sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday urging him to "repudiate" conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh for calling a young woman who appeared before a congressional panel a "slut" and a "prostitute." michael kors bags On his show Wednesday, Limbaugh disparaged Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown Law student who appeared before House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's policy committee last week to advocate that women have access to contraceptives.

Fannie Mae challenged Bank of America Corp.'s assertion that the two decided by mutual consent in January not to renew their loan-purchase agreement in the middle of a battle over who should pick up the multibillion-dollar tab for bad mortgages. Rather the mortgage-finance company said in interviews and filings Wednesday that it alone opted against renewing its contract with Bank of America because the bank was resisting demands to buy back defaulted mortgages. "We felt like we had to take that step," Susan McFarland, Fannie's chief financial officer, said in an interview.

the safety truck that exploded into flames during the Daytona 500 thanked NASCAR fans Tuesday night for their concern. Duane Barnes was driving the jet dryer that was hit under caution when something broke on Juan Pablo Montoya's car and sent it careening into the truck. The collision caused a raging inferno that scorched the track and stopped Monday night's race for just over two hours. michael kors bags "I appreciate everyone for taking the time to write, call and ask how I am," Barnes said in a statement.

Do expect to see this year's in more theaters -- more than double the number -- starting next weekend. Also read: Oscar Analysis: Here's How "The Artist" Charmed Its Way to Victory The Weinstein Co. plans to increase the number of theaters showing its movie from 966 last weekend to 2,000 on Friday. michael kors bags "We're going to give it the chance to get that big box-office bump that it can get from the Academy Award," Erik Lomis, the Weinstein Co.'s distribution president, told TheWrap.

Twenty years after playing in the NBA All-Star game here, Chris Mullin and Clyde Drexler were back on the court in Orlando. So how did it feel to be out there again?

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Drawing starkly different visions of the boundary between boorish immaturity and criminal malice, prosecution and defense lawyers on Friday opened the trial of a former Rutgers University freshman who spied on his roommate in an intimate encounter with another man, days before the roommate killed himself. michael kors bags The trial of Dharun Ravi promises to turn less on what happened between him and Tyler Clementi in September 2010 — there is general agreement about most of the events — than on why.

MIAMI — The next phase of Jeremy Lin’s N.B.A. education began Thursday night, under a deafening din, amid a sea of black jerseys that seemed to blanket every inch of floorboard at American Airlines Arena. The Miami Heat did not just guard Lin. They attacked, swarmed and engulfed him, turning the Knicks’ point-guard sensation into a flustered mess. In the final game before the All-Star break, the Heat demonstrated the full extent of their superstar powers at both ends of the court and routed the Knicks, 102-88.

Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are vying to define each other and gain an edge in a tightening Republican presidential race as they and two other rivals meet tonight in Arizona for a potentially crucial televised encounter. michael kors bags The debate in Mesa, Arizona, marks the first time in almost a month that the candidates will face off on the same stage, and it's also the first since Santorum usurped Romney's perch at the top of national polls of the Republican contest.

CHICAGO (AP) – Between the nasty crossovers and fearless drives, Derrick Rose's back problems appear to be in the past — a very good thing for the Chicago Bulls. As deep as their roster is, they need their superstar. michael kors bags Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 on Monday. Rose looked sharp and helped the Bulls play more like championship contenders after a brutal loss to New Jersey two days earlier.

NEW YORK – New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, 6-3, 200, sized up his defender. Not just any defender. Dallas Mavericks All-Star forward and one-time MVP Dirk Nowitzki. michael kors bags The ball went in. Of course it did. Madison Square Garden erupted, and the Knicks were on their way to a 104-97 victory Sunday. Lin's legend, if this is possible, grew. The first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent had 28 points, a career-high 14 assists and five steals — his fourth double-double since Feb.

Rupert Murdoch has taken seven months to recover from the “most humble day” of his life at the peak of a phone-hacking scandal in the U.K. to announce a new tabloid in a trademark defiant move by the 80-year-old. michael kors bags News Corp. (NWSA)’s chief executive officer, whose U.K. operations have been inundated with lawsuits from hacking victims, police investigations and government inquiries into ethical and legal misdeeds, yesterday said he will start a Sunday edition of the Sun tabloid to replace the News of the World.

Leaders in Minnesota's largest school district said the long debate over how teachers should handle discussions about sexual orientation probably had a bigger impact than a new policy will. The Anoka-Hennepin School District replaced a policy requiring teachers to be neutral in discussions about sexual orientation with a new one requiring them to foster a respectful learning environment for all students. michael kors bags The change came after six students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District committed suicide in less than two years.

WASHINGTON -- San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan was surprised to hear his team has won 16 of its past 17 games against the Washington Capitals. "There isn't a magic wand or any secret formula to beating them," McLellan insisted. michael kors bags Perhaps. A fluke of a first score, success on the power play, and two goals each by Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau sure do help, though. So does getting to face a goalie recalled from the minors and playing in the NHL for the first time in nearly a year.

Cette édition du Prix de France a connu un déroulement de course pour le moins bizarre. Dès le départ, ce rendez-vous était amputé d’une des favorites, ROXANE GRIFF, au grand galop, derrière les ailes de l’autostart, « sans raison apparente », selon son driver Eric Raffin. ROYAL DREAM s’emparait alors du commandement tandis que READY CASH et Franck Nivard semblaient plus intéressés par ses adversaires que par la course en elle-même.