The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash  —  Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog, Is All Over the Web Before His Official Debut  —  Who let the dog out?  —  That's the Washington mystery du jour.  —  The identity of the first puppy — the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months …

The Free World Bars Free Speech  —  For years, the Western world has listened aghast to stories out of Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations of citizens being imprisoned or executed for questioning or offending Islam.  Even the most seemingly minor infractions elicit draconian punishments.

Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent  —  The turning point for Stephan Jung came in February, around the time bonus checks were slashed.  A veteran of UBS, one of many banks tarnished by the financial crisis, Mr. Jung realized that the old Wall Street would not be bouncing back any time soon.

Stimulus funds pending as Legislature winds down  —  STATUS-QUO SESSION: Of 419 bills introduced, 9 have passed.  —  scockerham@adn.com  —  JUNEAU — With just one week left before the Alaska Legislature adjourns for the year, the conflict between Gov. Sarah Palin and lawmakers …

What Part of “FNC TAX DAY TEA PARTIES” Don't You Understand?  —  Welcome Instapundit refugees!  We realize you can't comment over there, so feel free to do so here.  Before making the mistake of thinking that Reynolds has said something that bears repeating, however, you might want to read …

Obama half-brother ‘linked to UK sex attack’  —  BARACK OBAMA's half-brother has been refused entry to Britain after reportedly being accused of an attempted sex attack on a 13-year-old girl on his last visit.  —  Samson Obama, who runs a mobile phone shop in Nairobi in Kenya …

Our Reprimitivized Future  —  The Reuters headline put it this way: “Pirates Pose Annoying Distraction For Obama.”  —  So many distractions, aren't there?  Only a week ago, the North Korean missile test was an “annoying distraction” from Barack Obama's call for a world without nuclear weapons …

Saudi judge upholds man's marriage to 8-year-old  —  (CNN) — A Saudi mother is expected to appeal a judge's ruling after he once again refused to let her 8-year-old daughter divorce a 47-year-old man, a relative said.  —  Sheikh Habib Al-Habib made the ruling Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza.

Talks With Somalis Over U.S. Captain's Release Break Down  —  Negotiations over the American captain taken hostage by Somali pirates broke down on Saturday, according to Somali officials, after American officials insisted that the pirates be arrested and a group of elders representing the pirates refused.

AP: POW benefit claimants exceed recorded POWs  —  Prisoners of war suffer in ways most veterans don't, enduring humiliating forced marches, torture or other trauma that may haunt them long afterward.  In partial recompense, the government extends them special benefits, from free parking and tax breaks to priority in medical treatment.

Ginsburg Shares Views on Influence of Foreign Law on Her Court, and Vice Versa  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — In wide-ranging remarks here, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended the use of foreign law by American judges, suggested that torture should not be used even when it might yield important information …

AP chair takes on new media  —  Associated Press chairman Dean Singleton kicked off the week by telling newspaper executives that the AP is “mad as hell”—but at whom, exactly, still remains unclear.  —  “It came off pretty combative,” the AP's Jane Seagrave told POLITICO Friday, “but that really wasn't our intent.”