Yesterday it was news that the public option had died in the Senate healthcare bill. Today it's news that Senators think it's a good thing. Oh well. It was a nice idea. Back to poverty and sickness everyone!

The other big story is the arrest of five American men linked to militants in Pakistan. It's the third or fourth similar tale this year, so expect to see some serious features on the topic in the near future. The tabloids keep pulling nuggets from the rich Tiger Woods seam — today one of his mistresses (number eight? maybe number nine?) spills even more beans and there are some juicy new text messages flying around.

If that is not enough diversion for you:

  • The New York Times reports on the misery of old people in rural areas. It's a hoot. Perhaps put on Barber's Adagio for Strings before reading.
  • The Washington Post finds out those crackpot right-wing teabaggers' plans for the 2010 elections. Expect a lot of borderline mentally-ill people to appear in your neighborhood to campaign soon.
  • And the Wall Street Journal finds that Apple is about to take over the world by launching a web version of iTunes.

Disclosure: I freelance write and report for newspapers that are included in this roundup. Where there is a direct conflict of interest I will make it clear.

The New York Times: points out that getting old in the middle of nowhere is hard. Cheery stuff. If said old people fall and break their hips though, Democrats in the senate are hopeful healthcare reform will pass in decent shape. Pakistan has detained five Americans tied to militants (figuratively) and in Britain they're levying a one-time 50 per cent tax on banker bonuses — which should be known as the 'try and save Gordon Brown tax'. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland is firing on all cylinders, or whatever it does, and China's neighbors are jealous of its success.

The Washington Post: finds more mortgage shenanigans, and a surge in the ranks of extreme Republicans. It's like being in the early 2000s again. Except that Democrats in the Senate are pleased with the deal that's emerging on healthcare reform. The paper also reports the five men arrested in Pakistan and highlights the plight of people with tattoos who have to cover them up at work.

The LA Times: has the healthcare story too but doesn't feel the Pakistan arrests worthy of the front page. There's a piece on rising costs at the University of California, a look at the battle for Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson's fortune and the news that a new telescope will see in infrared light. The founder of Broadcom is cleared of lying to investigators and yet another Iran internet story.

The Wall Street Journal: reports the backlash on banker pay, and its flipside — the Americans who default on their mortgages and then rent luxury homes at knockdown rates. Apple is planning a web version of iTunes and a look at the power immigration officials have to decide who is culturally relevant.

The New York Post: Tiger Woods really must wish he'd slept with classier women.

The Daily News: he must also wish he'd just called members of his harem instead of texting the whole time.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: a year after Bernie Madoff's fraud was revealed, a fairly large Ponzi schemer is not even the top story in Minneapolis today.

Aftenposten (Norway): this is probably what Obama read before accepting the Nobel Peace Prize today.