1. 4 UK lawmakers in court over expenses scandal (AP)

AP - Four legislators being prosecuted in a political scandal involving fraudulent expenses claims by hundreds of British lawmakers pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

2. Loan bill could give Obama twin win (Politico)

Politico - Democrats and the Senate Budget Committee are signaling support for the move.

3. Dodd tries to beat the clock with bank reform (Politico)

Politico - Dodd says Dems can’t keep waiting for GOP.

4. Given Obamacare, How Will Democrats Fare? (CQPolitics.com)

CQPolitics.com - President Barack Obama has taken to nonstop demonizing of the insurance industry -- a sign of desperation over the prospects of passing health care reform.

5. Leave yuan to us, China tells Obama (Reuters)

Reuters - The United States should not make a political issue out of the yuan, a Chinese central banker said on Friday, as the two countries lurched toward a potential bust-up over Beijing's currency regime.

6. Utah House GOP leader says he paid off woman (AP)

AP - Utah's House majority leader said Thursday he paid a woman $150,000 to keep silent about going "hot-tubbing" with her when she was minor a quarter century ago.

7. Need for results drives Obama's domestic juggle (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama's intense juggling of domestic issues reflects all the realities he faces: a vast agenda, a smaller window for results this year and a need to keep promises to constituencies that will have a huge say in the fall congressi

8. Senators question $1 million pay for charity's CEO (AP)

AP - A group of Republican senators is questioning high salaries and expensive travel bills for executives at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, raising issues that could jeopardize millions in federal funding for the national charity.

9. Lawmakers probe lax enforcement of animal rules (AP)

AP - The knives at the slaughterhouse weren't properly sanitized, a government investigator said, and employees at the meatpacking plant didn't know how to test the carcasses of days-old veal calves for a dangerous pathogen. Food safety conditions we

10. 43 Somalis die in capital after 2 days of warfare (AP)

AP - Heavy fighting between Somali insurgents and pro-government troops has killed at least 43 people over two days, as African Union peacekeepers used tanks to help the beleaguered government beat back an insurgent attack, officials said Thursday.

11. DeMint courts Tea Party, irks GOP (Politico)

Politico - DeMint is positioning himself to be the tea party movement’s best friend in Washington.

12. 'Little Billy's Letters' at a glance (AP)

AP - Excerpts from the responses by prominent figures to letters from "Little Billy," the grade-school alter ego of prankster Bill Geerhart, appearing in the book "Little Billy's Letters":

13. Tea parties stir evangelicals' fears (Politico)

Politico - Surging libertarian streak in the new conservative movement worries the Christian right.

14. UN food agency welcomes any probe into Somalia aid (AP)

AP - A U.N. food agency said Thursday it will cooperate with any independent probe into its food operations in Somalia, after a report found that up to half the food aid intended for the nation's hungry people does not reach its destination.

15. Vatican criticizes condom machines in Rome school (AP)

AP - The decision by a Rome high school to install condom vending machines has set off a storm in Italy, with the Catholic Church charging the move will encourage young people to have sex and Rome's mayor saying it sends the wrong message.

16. Census to redefine poverty (Politico)

Politico - In an Ideas piece, the authors praise a new measure as much needed update for the 21st century.

17. UN humanitarian chief criticizes Gaza blockade (AP)

AP - The U.N. humanitarian chief says Israel's blockade of Gaza is not helping its security or weakening Hamas' hold on the territory.

18. Port Authority, developer meet over WTC plan (AP)

AP - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has met with a developer a day before a deadline to work out a new schedule for rebuilding parts of the World Trade Center site.

19. Kilpatrick summoned by grand jury (Politico)

Politico - The Detroit congresswoman has been called to testify along with one of her aides.

20. Obama to delay departure for Asia trip (AFP)

AFP - President Barack Obama will delay his departure on a trip to Indonesia and Australia by three days until Sunday March, 21, his spokesman said Friday, as he battles for health care reform.

21. Cambodian govt accuses UN of 'flagrant interference' (AFP)

AFP - Cambodia on Friday accused the United Nations of "flagrantly interfering" in its affairs after local agencies expressed concern over a controversial anti-corruption law approved this week.

22. Gavin Newsom's next act (Politico)

Politico - San Francisco Democratic mayor plans to launch a bid for lieutenant governor.

23. Victorian Thames tunnel in London reopens (AP)

AP - A 19th-century tunnel under the River Thames that was hailed as a wonder of Victorian engineering has reopened to pedestrians for two days.

24. Unemployment higher among young war veterans (AP)

AP - The Labor Department says the unemployment rate for young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was 21.1 percent last year.

25. It's time to spring forward again (AP)

AP - Good evening sunshine, America says hello, you light up our evenings, we light charcoal below.

26. Student loans to be in healthcare package: Pelosi (Reuters)

Reuters - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday the final version of a broad healthcare overhaul would include a revamp of the student loan program but not a government-run health insurance option.

27. How the AP-GfK poll on Obama was conducted (AP)

AP - The Associated Press-GfK Poll on President Obama, the direction of the country and health care was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from March 3-8. It is based on landline and cell phone telephone interviews with a nationally repres

28. Republican Bunning stirs anger with WTO block (Reuters)

Reuters - A Republican senator who held up action earlier this month on a bill to renew jobless benefits faced more criticism on Wednesday for blocking approval of President Barack Obama's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization

29. Success of lone gunmen may shift al-Qaida strategy (AP)

AP - On Christmas Day, a passenger on a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Detroit tried to blow up the plane with plastic explosives in his underwear. He failed, yet the very attempt shook the U.S. government, set federal agencies against each othe

30. Critics of Justice Dept. lawyers under fire (AP)

AP - A conservative group's bashing of several Obama administration lawyers as the "al-Qaida Seven" has struck a nerve in the U.S. legal community, prompting even some fellow Republicans to denounce the group's attack.

31. Ex-freshman, veteran kingpin equal Democratic woes (AP)

AP - One is a former Democratic freshman little known outside his Corning-Olean-Pittsford, N.Y., district. The other, a 20-term Democratic kingpin from Harlem, is widely known to New Yorkers and anyone following tax legislation.

32. CBC: Obama not listening (Politico)

Politico - Tensions are rising as the caucus attempts to address the high unemployment rate among blacks.

33. 9/11 Trials: Can Graham Help Forge a White House Deal? (Time.com)

Time.com - Caught short on civilian trials for terrorism suspects and closing GuantÁnamo, the Obama Administration is negotiating with GOP Senator Lindsey Graham. But it's not clear he can deliver

34. CA-CANADA Summary (Reuters)

Reuters - Canadian parliamentarians tucked into a meal of seal meat on Wednesday to defy both animal right activists and the European Union, which has banned imports of seal products. Some two dozen guests, surrounded on all sides by media, crammed i

35. Obama taps Boeing, Xerox chiefs to lead export body (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and tackle unemployment, will name two top executives from Boeing and Xerox on Thursday to spearhead his drive to boost U.S. exports, the White House said.

36. Gates: Iran support for Taliban 'pretty limited' (AP)

AP - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday downplayed Iran's influence on Afghanistan, but the war of words escalated, with Iran's president promising that the region's people would "cut your hands off of the Persian Gulf oil."

37. Irish extend arrests of 7 over Swede murder plot (AP)

AP - Seven Muslims in Ireland allegedly linked to a plot to assassinate Swedish artist Lars Vilks should remain in custody for at least three more days while police investigate their computer and telephone records, an Irish judge ruled Thursday amid

38. German town marks school shooting anniversary (AP)

AP - The German town of Winnenden is marking the first anniversary of a school shooting spree in which a teenager killed 15 people.

39. Obama to sign order to execute export-doubling strategy (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Thursday to put into action his ambitious strategy to double American exports to ease an unemployment crisis at home, officials said.

40. Highway deaths drop to lowest levels since 1950s (AP)

AP - U.S. highway deaths have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1950s, as more motorists bought into buckling up and embraced safety innovations. A sour economy that dampened traveling instincts also was a contributor.

41. Author assumes guise of 10-year-old to punk famous (AP)

AP - Over the years, "Little Billy" learned much from the country's top minds.

42. 'Little Billy's Letters' at a glance (AP)

AP - Excerpts from the responses by prominent figures to letters from "Little Billy," the grade-schooler alter ego of prankster Bill Geerhart, appearing in the book "Little Billy's Letters":

43. Dodd goes on without GOP support (Politico)

Politico - But he says talks with Sen. Bob Corker continue.

44. UN wildlife watchdog considers ban on bluefin tuna (AP)

AP - A U.N. body best known for protecting tigers and elephants will focus on the world's overfished oceans beginning this week with proposals to regulate the shark trade and ban the export of a tuna species prized by sushi lovers.

45. US senator to unveil new financial overhaul plan (AFP)

AFP - A key US senator said Thursday he would unveil new legislation come Monday to rewrite US financial rules and prevent a repeat of the global economic meltdown of 2008.

46. Wis. high court sides with dealer in Volvo dispute (AP)

AP - The Wisconsin Supreme Court has sided with a truck dealership in a dispute with a major manufacturer of semitrailers.

47. Dodd to offer his own financial regulation bill (AP)

AP - WASHINGTON AP) — Unable to muster bipartisan agreement on key banking provisions, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said Thursday he will offer his own version of a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations without Republ

48. Obama presses China on currency in trade speech (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama pressed China on Thursday to move to a "more market-oriented exchange rate" in a speech where he laid out a plan to boost U.S. exports in the coming years.

49. Obama pushing a new export initiative (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama sought Thursday to put some detail behind his lofty drive to double U.S. exports over the next five years, calling the effort imperative to putting people back to work. But doubts remain about how many net jobs his trade a

50. GOP wants Massa probe reopened (Politico)

Politico - They'll offer resolution to continue investigation.