Day three of the U.S. military's major offensive against the Taliban in Marja, Afghanistan, was marked by intense fighting on both sides. U.S. Marines and Afghan troops came under heavy fire in the Taliban stronghold Sunday, Reuters reports, while NATO rockets killed 12 Afghan civilians in an attempt to hit its Taliban attackers. The news of the civilian deaths has come as especially devastating because, from the start of the campaign, military officials have stressed the importance of winning the support of local residents. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents," Gen. Stanley McChrystal said in a statement. Some are comparing the campaign to the 2004 offensive in Fallujah, Iraq: "In Fallujah, it was just as intense," said Captain Ryan Sparks. "But there, we started from the north and worked down to the south. In Marja, we're coming in from different locations and working toward the center, so we're taking fire from all angles."

The gloves came off as two vice presidents went head to head Sunday morning. On Meet the Press, Vice President Joe Biden said that Dick Cheney—who has repeatedly taken aim at the Obama administration's stance on national security—is "misinformed or he is misinforming." Cheney, who has implied that the U.S. was safer under his administration, is "trying to rewrite history," according to Biden. "Where was he the last four years?" Biden went on to cite the current administration's progress, including eliminating 12 of al Qaeda's top 20 terrorists. Meanwhile, on ABC's This Week, Cheney called Biden's opinions on terror and Iraq "dead wrong," saying that the current administration has a passive, pre-9/11 approach to terrorism. Yet he added: "I'm a complete supporter of what they are doing in Afghanistan... I'm not a critic." He also voiced support for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Biden got the last word, however, with an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation. "The worry is legitimate," he said. "The reason why I do not think it’s likely because of all the resources we have put on this, considerably more than the last administration, to see that it will not happen."

Until Sunday night, no Canadian had ever won a gold medal on home soil. But Alexandre Bilodeau, a 22 year old from Montreal, broke that streak by taking the men's moguls on the second day of competition in Vancouver. "The party is just starting for Canada," he said. It was Canada's third medal of the Games, while the United States leads the pack with six. Two Winter Olympics had come and gone in Canada—Montreal 1976 and Calgary 1988—without anyone winning gold for the host nation.

Seeking every last bit of support ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican leadership is reaching out to Tea Party activists who may still be wary of falling in line with the GOP. Many members of the Tea Party movement still feel that to remain true to their grassroots identity, they cannot affiliate too closely with the political establishment. But Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who was denied a speaking slot at an April Tea Party protest, is meeting with 50 Tea Party leaders from at least a dozen states this week in an effort to convince them that the Republican Party, too, is a grassroots organization. "It is not a melding [of the movement with the GOP]," said Karin Hoffman, founder of a South Florida Tea Party group called DC Works For U. "It is not an effort to absorb it. We're still maintaining our autonomy."

Like many other luge athletes ahead of the Vancouver Games, Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 21-year-old Georgian who died in an accident Friday, was concerned about the speed of the track. And hours before he lost control of his sled on the course’s final turn, he admitted that to his father, himself a Soviet-era luge athlete. “Dad, I'm scared of one of the turns,” Kumaritashvili said, according to The Wall Street Journal. Despite placing the blame on Kumaritashvili and not the track, officials decided to shorten the luge run Saturday to make sure no one reached the same dangerous speeds. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has since chimed in, frustrated that officials put Kumaritashvili at fault. “I don’t claim to know all the technical details,” he said, “but one thing I know for sure: No sports mistake is supposed to lead to a death.”

Since coming into office, the Obama administration has authorized dozens of targeted killings of terrorist and reported no high-value detentions. The result, according to The Washington Post, is policy which may limit America's intelligence and has riled up Republican critics. "Over a year after taking office, the administration has still failed to answer the hard questions about what to do if we have the opportunity to capture and detain a terrorist overseas," says Sen. Kit Bond. Military officials tell the Post that they worry a new policy has developed which has a bias towards killing rather than captures. "We need to have the capability to snatch when the situation calls for it," one official tells the newspaper.

Utah state Senator Chris Buttars says he believes he has discovered the cure for senioritis: cut 12th grade altogether. Pitched as a cost-cutting measure, his proposal to eliminate the final year of high school—or at the very least make it optional—has surprisingly gained some traction in the state, which is struggling with a $700 million budget shortfall. “The bottom line is saving taxpayer dollars while improving options for students,” said state Sen. Howard A. Stephenson, a Republican and co-chairman of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee. “The more options we give to students to accelerate, the more beneficial it is to students and taxpayers.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicked off a whirlwind tour of the Middle East Sunday, hitting the ground running with several high-level meetings—following a one-day delay, thanks to husband and former President Bill Clinton's hospitalization last week. While Clinton's main objective is to garner local support against Iran's nuclear program, she is also working to boost Yemeni defenses against al Qaeda and to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Clinton is kicking off these efforts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia; Admiral Mike Mullen, General David Petraeus, and other State Department officials will be visiting the area in coming days. The secretary of State is scheduled to deliver an address Sunday evening, elaborating on President Obama's recent call for increased collaboration with the region.

Amy Bishop, the 42-year-old biology professor who allegedly shot and killed three University of Alabama professors, and wounded three others, at a faculty meeting Friday was questioned by Massachusetts police more than 20 years ago after she fatally shot her brother. The police chief of Braintree, Massachusetts, announced Saturday that the case records of the death of Seth Bishop in 1986 are no longer available. (They’ve been missing since 1988.) Amy Bishop fired three shots at her brother, ran into the street, and was detained at gunpoint. She was then released into the custody of her mother. Police said it was an accident, and Bishop was never charged. She was then in her teens and her mother said she asked how to unload a 12-gauge shotgun, which went off in her hands, hitting her brother in the abdomen. But now the police chief says they believe they were having an argument. “The release of Ms. Bishop did not sit well with the police officers,” the police chief said, “and I can assure you that this would not happen in this day and age.” Bishop was also a suspect in the 1993 Harvard mail bombing that targeted a medical school professor.

It took two overtimes and a couple of emergency pothole repairs for Jamie McMurray to finally eke out a victory in the Daytona 500. It was McMurray’s first in NASCAR’s most famous race as he finished just ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Greg Biffle came in third, followed by Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann. A six-car accident on the seventh lap set the tone for a dramatic evening, but more surprising was the 1 hour and 40 minute delay about halfway through the race. Officials spotted a hole in the track pavement—it was last paved in 1978—and stopped the race to fix it. But even after the repairs, the patch began to crumble again and racing was halted a second time.

President Obama may talk about all the tax cuts he has instituted for the middle class, but not everyone seems to be listening. In a CBS/New York Times poll, only 12 percent of respondents thought that the Obama administration had “In general… decreased taxes for most Americans.” More than half said that they had stayed the same and 24 percent believed that taxes had gone up. Obama’s approval ratings have been falling in the past month. “Is it part of the frustration, of course,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. “95 percent of working people in this country saw their taxes cut last year, but apparently only 12 percent felt it.” CBS News suggests that some Americans might not have noticed the tax cuts for two reasons: many of them were quite small and talk of raising taxes in the future has been a distraction.

It may have been panned by the critics, but Valentine’s Day felt the love from theater-goers this weekend: The star-studded movie, which features Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, and many others, earned an estimated $52.4 million this weekend, $19.3 million of which is expected on the Sunday holiday. And if strong ticket sales continue through Monday, Valentine’s Day could be the first film ever to earn more than $60 million on President’s Day weekend. The Lightning Thief was the weekend’s runner-up, earning an estimated $31.1 million, while The Wolfman followed at $30.6 million.

The White House should quit laughing at Sarah Palin, New York Times columnist Frank Rich writes in his Sunday column, because her message could upend Obama's presidency, even if she never gets near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Republicans' "anti-big-government, anti-stimulus, anti-Wall Street, pro-Tea Party" message is a cynical message, Rich says, but a powerful one nonetheless. Palin is the star of that brand at the moment. By focusing on the writing on her hand last week, Rich writes, Washington Democrats may miss the writing on the wall.

The worlds of horse racing and popular fiction lost Dick Francis on Sunday, who died at the age of 89. Francis, originally from Wales, had built an entire career as an elite jockey through the 1950s before deciding to write thrillers that featured horse racing. Working closely with his wife, Mary, who was rumored to have co-authored many of his titles, Francis published more than 40 novels and sold over 60 million copies. He even counted the Queen Mother, a lifelong horse enthusiast, among his fans.

Hannah Kearney robbed Canada of the chance to win its first gold medal on home soil Saturday by beating the pack in freestyle skiing during the Winter Olympics. "I know Canada hasn't won a gold medal on their home turf, but I have a feeling they'll do it these games," she said. "But I'm pleased that I could stop that for now." Californian Shannon Bahrke took bronze in the event. Picking up his sixth medal, speedskater Apolo Ohno became the most-decorated U.S. male athlete in the history of the Winter Games. Fellow American skater J.R. Celski medaled as well. American skier Lindsey Vonn got some lucky news as weather forced her race to be postponed. The medal hopeful is recovering from a bruised shin.

In response to users finding Google's new social-networking service Buzz a little too revealing, Google product manager Todd Jackson said changes would be made. Instead of automatically subscribing followers to their close Gmail contacts, Buzz would only "suggest" people that users may want to follow, but leave the choice to each individual user. Much like Facebook, the service is a sort of newsfeed where users can share postings and likewise comment on their contacts' blurbs. Google has been making adjustments since Tuesday, with this latest change being the most significant. On a Saturday blog post, Jackson admitted the changes were "clearly not enough."

No, this isn't the plot of a new reality show: Across the pond, the conservatives are pushing to overhaul the U.K.'s education system, and they're enlisting the help of actress Goldie Hawn. The self-described Jewish-Buddhist—who runs an education charity that claims simple breathing exercises can improve kids' ability to absorb information—recently met with Michael Grove, the shadow schools secretary in Britain, to discuss opening a school that incorporates these principles if the Tories win the general election. "Some parents would want a rigorous traditional academic education for their children with desks neatly marshalled and traditional football," said Grove. "Others will want something that is more flexible, more imaginative." Hawn's unorthodox technique, dubbed MindUp—which also claims to improve concentration and make children less aggressive—is being used in some U.S. schools.

The huge offensive underway in Marja, in southern Afghanistan, is only a scaled-up version of earlier clearing operations in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The offensive is part of the “clear, hold, build” counterinsurgency strategy, and how long this violent part lasts depends on the Taliban’s stamina. Typically the invasion step has lasted less than two weeks, but the intensity of the fighting varies. British forces last had more than a dozen men fighting in Babaji, while just south of there, in Nawa, American Marines met little resistance. Analysts expect a mix of those battles, with Marines dodging many roadside bombs but fighting few Taliban directly. "There are reports from residents who have fled: They have tunnels built, they have bunkers built, they have [explosive devices] strung all over the place," a military analyst said. "But I would be surprised if we saw them really dig in and fight us head-on. We've never really seen that before, and I don't think you're going to see it here." How long the “hold” part takes largely depends on how long the fighting lasts.

World renowned chef Ferran Adrià, whose whimsical food inspired a generation of chefs, has decided to close his restaurant for good. After next year, the Spanish eatery will close its doors. In 2014, it will reopen as a non-profit foundation. "It has been the love of the people that made us decide we should become a foundation," Adrià told The Guardian. "This is really a question of popular demand." Last month, the Spaniard shocked gourmands worldwide with the announcement that the restaurant would close for two years while he considered his options. "The spirit of El Bulli will be even stronger and will live on forever," he said.

Olympic medals aren’t the only awards being handed out today. U.S. challengers BMW Oracle took home the 33rd America’s Cup this afternoon, after beating Swiss team Alinghi in the second race of the best-of-three series. During the race off the Spanish port of Valencia, the futuristic trimaran owned by software mogul Larry Ellison beat Alinghi by more than a kilometer. The win comes after two years of legal wrangling between Ellison and biotechnology billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli over America’s Cup rules, and 18 years after the United States’ last win.

Two leading men of hip hop, Bryan "Birdman" Williams" and his brother Cash Money Records founder Ronald "Slim" Williams, are going into the oil business. And Birdman has a new tattoo of an oil rig on his head to prove it. They've started a company called Bronald Oil & Gas LLC. One bank told its clients last week that their arrival might be the sign of a new market rally. “Doctors and dentists investing in oil wells was sign of top in 1980s,” the bank said in a note. “Rappers the sign this cycle?” The new venture's Web site says it will explore and develop assets in the Gulf Coast region and Oklahoma. Cash Money counts Lil' Wayne as one of its rappers.

Thirty letters written by the late Princess Diana were up on the auction block Saturday, expected to fetch $300 to $2,300 each. In a note to her beautician from 1987, Diana bemoaned the media's "thirst for knowledge of us." "After six years I find everything that much more of a struggle & just cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel," she continued. In other letters she shared her habit of opening birthday presents early and told a chauffeur of Prince William's passion for a James Bond film.

Aides tell Politico that former Vice President Dick Cheney's repeated attacks on the current occupant of the Oval Office come because of his genuine concern for Barack Obama's foreign policy choices. One adviser thinks Cheney has altered the course of American policy through his withering critiques. “You’ve seen the American people have a much better understanding of what the different policy choices are and were than they would have if he hadn’t been speaking out. It’s forced the Obama administration to be much more rigorous in defending its own policy decisions and choices,” the adviser said. Such an approach has its drawbacks. By entering the fray, Cheney loses the aura that usually surrounds officials who have left office. Cheney appears on ABC's This Week Sunday morning for an exclusive interview.

As the midterm elections near, some Democratic congressional candidates are keeping an eye on Obama's sagging approval ratings and lowering trends among voters and distancing themselves from the White House. Instead of strongly aligning themselves with Obama, they will pose as independents frustrated with the way things are going with the current administration. Not everyone is so pleased with the development. Although Democratic and White House leadership may find the strategy useful, some see the plan as futile. "Everybody is in one boat," said former Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey. "I'd recommend correcting the course of the boat rather than swimming away from it."