D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier (Photo: Associated Press)

"SERIOUS" SEX ASSAULTS—reported ones, at least—jumped 50 percent in 2010, the Washington Examiner reports. The paper defines "serious" assaults as those committed in the first and second degree. "As of Dec. 12, there had been 200 serious sexual assaults in the city, compared with 137 at that point in 2009—a 46 percent spike. . . . The internal documents state that the numbers only include first- and second-degree sexual assaults. A first-degree sexual assault is when the attacker forces sex through direct violence. A second-degree assault occurs when violence is threatened in order to force sexual relations."

AFTER THE JUMP: Local lady boxer sets sights on Olympics; watch teens decide to have abortions; why do lesbians make more money? BUT FIRST:

COUNTING ALL SEXUAL ASSAULTS, the number recorded in D.C. this year has only risen by 11 percent: "In an e-mail to The Examiner, police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said the number of adult sexual assaults is up 11 percent citywide from 2009. She said there were 260 reported sexual assaults in 2010 compared with 233 reported sexual assaults in 2009. Those numbers, however, include everything from inappropriate touching—a misdemeanor—to forced sex, she said."

DING DING DING: Increased reporting—or previous political posturing!—could be to blame, an expert says: "Basically, there is more awareness," Emilio C. Viano said. "An awareness to think about there is a possiblity and likelihood that a crime has taken place ... and police and workers in the medical community are more sensitive and better at spotting signs of sex violence." Also, he said, it "could be that the previous numbers were 'cooked' for political reasons."

BRETT FAVRE FINED $50,000 for failing to fully cooperate with NFL sexting probe: "Commissioner Goodell also determined that Favre was not candid in several respects during the investigation, resulting in a longer review and additional negative public attention for Favre, [alleged sext target Jen] Sterger, and the NFL."

MISSED MTV'S ABORTION SPECIAL? Watch it here—forever. LifeSiteNews hailed it as "not exactly a shill for Planned Parenthood."

WHY do lesbians make more money than straight women? I BLAME the babies.

GOOD MEN PROJECT writer encourages men to intervene when they witness women being harassed on the street; COMMENTER complains that men are harassed, too.

JONATHAN CAPEHART almost made a joke about weaves. Then he didn't.

ONE-HUNDRED-TWELVE POUND Washington, D.C. native Tyrieshia Douglas hopes to compete in the first Olympic women's boxing bout, set for 2010.