Elders fear losing their cherished shared meal

A $1.5 million cut would be a major blow to the Elderly Nutrition Program, which has been lauded for providing nutritional and psychological benefits.

Obama bends on birth control mandate

President Obama said religious-affiliated institutions would not be forced to provide birth control coverage, but that insurers must offer free contraceptive coverage to the employees of such institutions.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Marriott Wardman Park February 10, 2012 in Washington, DC. Thousands of conservative activists are attending the annual gathering in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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MITT ROMNEY: ‘‘We conservatives aren’t just proud to cling to our guns and to our religion. We are also proud to cling to our Constitution.’’

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (C) greets supporters after delivering remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Marriott Wardman Park February 10, 2012 in Washington, DC. Thousands of conservative activists are attending the annual gathering in the nation's capital. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES

MITT ROMNEY: “I know conservatism because I have lived conservatism.”

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, accompanied by his family, acknowledges applause during his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. He is joined by his wife Karen at right. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/ASSOCIATED PRESS

RICK SANTORUM: ‘‘As conservatives and Tea Party folks, we are not just a wing of the Republican Party — we are the Republican Party.’’

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Rick Santorum (R-PA) (R) is applauded by members of his family during remarks to the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS

RICK SANTORUM: ‘‘Conservatism did not fail our country. Conservatives failed conservatism.”

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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NEWT GINGRICH: “We need to teach the Republican establishment a lesson. We are determined to rebuild America, not manage its decay.’’

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Newt Gingrich (R-GA) greets attendees after speaking at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

jonathan ernst/reuters

NEWT GINGRICH: ‘‘In all the years that I have worked in this party and in this movement, this is the year to reset this country in a decisive, bold way.’’

Romney says he’s true man of right

While Mitt Romney repeated his opposition to abortion and gay marriage, Rick Santorum took veiled digs at Romney’s conservative credentials.

Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

Smaller Mass. cities seek non-profit to bolster schools

At a time when many nonprofits tend to prefer working in Boston and other major cities, superintendents of smaller districts are seeking their support in overhauling schools.

Loving to hate Valentine’s Day is in

With Valentine's Day looming, the hostility in some quarters is running so high it’s as if a jilted billionaire were funding an anti-Cupid super PAC.

Tom Keane

Mass. moderate?

By almost every important factual measure — economic, educational, and socioeconomic — Massachusetts is vastly better off than the nation’s most right-wing states.

Christopher L. Gasper

With Brady, there's no time to waste

We’ve reached the point where maximizing Tom Brady’s remaining prime years trumps any business model, value system, or organizational ethos.

“If these elders don’t get the proper nutrition, their health is going to suffer, and their medical care is going to cost much more than these meals.”

Deborah Banda,  AARP Massachusetts state director, on cuts to the Elderly Nutrition Program

Globe Insiders

Globe Talks | Feb. 15, 6 p.m.

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/02/01/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/greenhouse_movies2_business[1].jpg Talk movies with Ty and Wesley

Join the Boston Globe’s movie critics, Ty Burr and Wesley Morris, for a conversation about this year’s Academy Awards.

Metro

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Warren faces test in Democratic caucuses

Elizabeth Warren faces her first serious challenge in her bid for a US Senate seat: rallying enough state convention delegates to clear the primary field.

Nation & World

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Panetta orders new inquiry into Marine snipers’ photo

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the Marine Corps to reinvestigate and take appropriate action against snipers who posed with a logo resembling a notorious Nazi symbol.

Politics

Political Notebook

Uzbek man pleads guilty in plot to kill Obama

Authorities said Ulugbek Kodirov had discussed trying to kill the president as he campaigned for re-election because he would be out in public more often.