US – Sunday, March 21
National
IS THAT A BANJO ON YOUR KNEE?
I spent the week in Alabama, and let me tell you it was an eye-opener. With all the cheese grits, fried shrimp and barbecue, it was also something of a heart valve-closer, but that’s a different story.
 
International
Pakistan charges U.S. 5 with terror
A Pakistani court formally charged five young Americans of plotting terrorism in the country yesterday, their lawyer said, in a case that has raised alarm over the danger posed by militants using the Internet.
 
The Word
Just when it couldn’t get worse for Bullock, here come the neo-Nazis
Sure, it’s Monday, but it could be worse — you could be Jesse James. On Saturday, James went back to work at West Coast Choppers, days after allegations surfaced that he cheated on his wife, Sandra Bullock, with a tattoo model. Us Weekly notes he was wearing a wedding ring.
 
Music
SXSW ’10: Get your dance on, great songs optional
The trends that emerged from the SXSW Music Conference in Austin last week are still bubbling to the top as I make sense of the hundreds of songs that filled the city for four days, but one thing I definitely noticed is that popular music may soon have a lot more emphasis on flexibility.
 
Business
‘Free’ ad leads to fraud suit
NEW YORK. A Wisconsin college student is suing credit firm Experian — the brains behind the ubiquitous FreeCreditReport.com jingles — for fraudulent advertising after she inadvertently signed up for a monthly $14.95 monitoring service.
 
My Pets
At AKC, it’s score one for the mutts
Founded in 1884 as a registry for pure-bred dogs, the American Kennel Club didn’t traditionally offer many perks for your beloved lab-poodle-schnauzer mix. But as of April 1, the AKC Canine Partners Program will offer mutts not only membership benefits, but opportunities to compete at dog sporting events.
 
Final push is on for health care reform
Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping health care overhaul that budget analysts said would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and dramatically expand health coverage.
 
National
Data points to recovery
New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell last week and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region accelerated in March, suggesting the economy remained on a modest recovery path.
 
National
Tea Party: We’re not Republicans, just all-American
Accounts of a Feb. 16 meeting between Tea Party members and the GOP challenge a common perception that the grassroots-style movement was founded, funded and dominated by the Republican Party.
National
Congress passes job-creation bill
A package of tax breaks and highway spending cleared Congress yesterday, the first of what Democrats hope will be several efforts to bring down the 9.7 percent unemployment rate.
 

Photo: GETTY IMAGESReport: HIV patients canceled by insurer
Previously undisclosed records reveal that insurance company Fortis had a company policy of targeting policyholders with HIV. A computer program and algorithm targeted every policyholder recently diagnosed with HIV for an automatic fraud investigation, as the company searched for any pretext to revoke their policy.
 
National
Hawaii puts ‘birthers’ on hold
HAWAII. Hawaii’s state House Judiciary Committee this week debated a measure that would allow the state to ignore people who send repeated requests for President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
National
Masters are stage for Tiger’s return
Tiger Woods will start trying to restore a reputation battered by marital infidelities at next month’s U.S. Masters, the tournament which helped him become the world’s most marketable sportsman.
 
 
 

Photo: GETTY IMAGES
National
Go green! It’s the best way to eschew ethics
The idea that driving an electric car and buying fair-trade coffee makes you a good person is grass-fed bull crap, according to psychologists at the University of Toronto.
 

Photo: GETTY IMAGESPetraeus: ‘Progress in Iraq is still fragile’
WASHINGTON. Iraq’s progress remains fragile and could still be reversed, despite decreased violence, successful national elections in March and other advances, Gen. David Petraeus said yesterday.