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As their church's cardinals gathered in Vatican City to select a new pope, Catholic schoolchildren in the Baltimore area joined the worldwide buzz over the secret balloting process in an online chat with a fairly well-placed source: Archbishop William E. Lori. "I'm not going to predict who the Holy Father is going to be," Lori told eighth-grade students at 20 schools in the Baltimore Archdiocese on Monday. "But what we can't miss is that at least two of the American cardinals have been spoken about as possible candidates.

Already adjusting to life without a pair of starters in senior midfielder Ryan Clarke and junior defenseman Danny Sherr, No. 9 Salisbury suffered another blow when second-line midfielder Adam Stork broke his leg during practice Tuesday. Stork, who has registered three goals and one assists in the team's last two contests, joins Clarke (ruptured spleen) and Sherr (foot) on the list of players whose seasons have been cut short by injuries. It's a bewildering stretch of ailments for the Sea Gulls, who have captured the last two national titles and 10 in all. “It's definitely frustrating,” coach Jim Berkman said Wednesday morning.

Costco and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce are among more than 70 businesses and groups that support raising the minimum wage in Maryland, according Raise Maryland, a group advocating for a higher wage. "We pay a starting hourly wage of $11.50 in all states where we do business, and we are still able to keep our overhead costs low," Craig Jelinek, Costco's president and CEO, said in a statement. "Instead of minimizing wages, we know it's a lot more profitable in the long term to minimize employee turnover and maximize employee productivity, commitment and loyalty.

Alyssa Jones felt numb Saturday as she gathered with dozens of other girls on the basketball court of the Downtown Athletic Club. Dressed in teeny shorts and bedazzled bra tops, the 220 ladies, and some guys as well, were all there pursuing the same dream: to become a Ravens cheerleader.   Tryout weekend is an annual event that is as important to some women as getting into college or becoming mothers. It is something they have worked toward for years. Competition is fierce for just 50 to 60 spots on the team, either on the stunt team or the dance team.

Varsity boys basketball Gilman seeks to join MIAA A Conference Gilman has petitioned for its basketball team, which has been competing in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference, to make the jump to the A Conference. The school has applied to the conference's competition committee, which will consider the petition at a meeting set for March 18. After capturing the B Conference championship in the 2011-12 season, the Greyhounds went 16-15 and advanced to the title game this year.

Cuban defector outfielder Henry Urrutia, displaced in Haiti since the Orioles signed him to a $778,500 bonus in the summer, is expected to report to the club's minor league facility at Twin Lakes Park some time this weekend. “There's a lot of unknown about what kind of shape he's in,” Showalter said, “in more ways than one, parasites, other stuff you need to rule out.” Showalter said Urrutia hasn't received his bonus and won't until he passes the club's physical, which could take two or three days.

A Baltimore comic store has joined the growing public outcry over DC Comics' decision to hire a gay-marriage opponent and author to write part of the coming "Adventures of Superman" series. Joining many shops nationwide, Gorilla King Comics in Fells Point will not sell the two issues expected to be written by Orson Scott Card. "I have a lot of gay customers," says owner Ian Sayre. "I don't want someone to come in here, see that and think that's me or that anyone in the store supports his policies.

WJZ meteorologist Bernadette Woods is leaving the CBS-owned station to join a non-profit firm in New Jersey focused on climate change, she said Wednesday night. Woods, who has been with WJZ for seven years, said she will remain at the station helping with the transition for the next month. After that, she, her husband and their two children will be moving to Princeton, N.J., where she will join Climate Central as staff meteorologist. "I'm very excited about the opportunity in Princeton," she said.

Former State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick has joined the staff of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, a renowned special education and research institution, where she will lead a new Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education.  The Institute announced this week that Grasmick, who started her career teaching deaf children at William S. Baer School in Baltimore, will serve as the director of the newly formed center which they said...

Wondering what Daniel Day-Lewis will say after he wins the Oscar for "Lincoln" Sunday night? Check here to find out. Anybody can watch the Oscars, but Baltimore Sun readers will have a special in, as I'll be blogging from the pressroom backstage -- it's the place where they take the winners after they're whisked off the floor -- with quotes, tidbits, observations and maybe even a snarky comment or two. This marks the 18th year I'll be...