According to a phone conversation with an officer from the Boston Police Department’s media affairs office, the explosions occurred at 673 Boston St. in Boston, Mass.  EMS and Boston Fire are at the scene, and multiple injuries have been reported.  No further information is available at this time, and the officer wasn’t able to comment as to whether or not the event is suspected to be a terrorist attack.

-Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory, Medill News Service

WASHINGTON – A government lawyer told the Supreme Court Tuesday that the federal government cannot be held liable for claims brought against military medical personnel, but the justices interrupted with frequent challenges.

The case, Levin v. United States, involves a military veteran who sued a naval surgeon in Guam for battery and negligent medical malpractice. It began in 2003, when Steven Levin gave written consent to a cataract surgery performed by Lt. Cmdr. Frank Bishop, but unsuccessfully tried to verbally withdraw before the procedure.  Subsequently, Levin suffered complications and sued the surgeon.

The United States government took on the role as sole defendant because the Gonzalez Act grants military medical personnel immunity from tort claims.

The U.S. District Court for Guam dismissed the case, saying that under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the government is not liable for tort claims involving battery.

In his appeal, Levin argued that another provision under the Gonzalez Act excludes FTCA’s protection of the government in battery claims brought against military medical personnel. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Levin’s claim.

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An advocacy group said on Thursday that Fox News and the Huffington Post were the awardees for most-sexist media coverage of women candidates during the 2012 election cycle.  

“Name It. Change It.,” a non-partisan project of the Women’s Media Center, She Should Run and Political Parity, announced this years most-sexist media recipients in a webinar Thursday afternoon.  The projects seeks to expose and eliminate sexist and misogynistic coverage of women candidates.

Huffington Post won for creating sexist standards for women in politics.  Citing articles on former presidential candidate Michele Bachman’s make-up and clothes,  The group illustrated the point that women politicians are more often scrutinized on their appearance than their male counterparts.  

Fox News won for most sexist insult for repeatedly calling DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz “Frizilla”.  Other awardees included Boston Herald columnist, Howie Carr for referring to Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren as “Granny”.

The Chicago Sun-Times won for most-sexist interview question.  Reporters asked whether a woman can be a parent and governor.  

Moderator Liz Benjamin won most-sexist debate question for asking candidates Kirsten Gillibrand and Wendy Long whether they had read Fifty Shades of Grey.

A nationwide survey of 800 potential voters done by the Lake Research Center revealed that sexist comments about a woman candidate negatively affects her likelihood to be elected.  ”Voters will vote for a man they don’t like.  But they will not vote for a woman they don’t like,” president Celinda Lake said.  

Engaging in sexism hurts the male opponent, but no more than negative campaigning in general.  However, responding to sexism regained the vote and damaged the opponent.  

With a historic numbers of women elected to national offices in Tuesday, the survey goes to show how some of them endured and confronted sexism during their campaigns.  

Opponents to Wisconsin Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin alluded that her sexual orientation made unqualified to serve.  

Representative-elect Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., outright called comments by her opponent, Rep. Joe Walsh, sexist.  Walsh, along with several other male incumbents who made blatantly sexists remarks during campaigns were defeated on Tuesday.  

— Adam Jabari Jefferson, Medill News Service

Here’s the roundup of today’s stories:

Intel Chair says intelligence sharing critical to cyber defense - Lawmakers made the case for intelligence sharing to combat cyber defense Wednesday at a panel at the Heritage Foundation. Medill national security reporter Edwin Rios covered the event.

Latino community joining civil rights march to protest anti-immigration laws - Latino groups marched against anti-immigration legislation in Alabama. Check out Safiya Merchant’s story and photo slideshow.

L.A. Mayor hits Republicans for holding up transportation bill - Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles and chairman of the Democratic National Convention, criticized partisan bickering at Wednesday’s Politico Playbook Breakfast. Ed Demaria was up early to file his report.

As always, follow @medillonthehill on Twitter and visit Medill on the Hill for more.