The Commercial Appeal (2007-Current)

As Title Game Time Nears, Nervous Tummy the Norm

SAN ANTONIO - Derrick Rose walked to the podium, whispered something to Memphis coach John Calipari, then disappeared for the rest of the day. "He said his stomach is bothering him," Calipari said.

Top of the Web

MOST READ Martin Luther King Jr. honored today (AppealTV video)

Chasing History -- Tiger Fans in Frenzied Rush to Score the Big Ticket

SAN ANTONIO - This is when March Madness gives way to April Anxiety, when the hopes of an entire community rise and fall amid the squeak of shoes on 94 feet of hardwood, when the "official" NCAA Tournament bracket that's emblazoned on a three-story-tall banner here contains only one blank line, the one beneath the words "National Champion." This is, in other words, when the University of Memphis Tigers chase history.

Airline Complaints On Rise -- Study Says Travelers' Gripes Are Up 60 Percent

WASHINGTON - Late flights and lost bags, to say nothing of higher fares, are making air travelers grumpy, an annual survey of airline quality says. The industry posted declines last year in every area of the Airline Quality Rating, amid rising fuel prices, safety problems and bankruptcy filings that shut down three carriers last week alone.

Briefly

Pennsylvania Kids slim down on healthful fare

India / Tibetan Tribute

Spotlight: Fuel Costs / Prices Soar As Military Needs Keep Growing - - Few Breaks Given to U.S. In Oil-Rich Region

WASHINGTON - Think you're being gouged by Big Oil? U.S. troops in Iraq are paying almost as much as Americans back home, despite burning fuel at staggering rates in a war to stabilize a country known for its oil reserves. Details

Newsmaker - Heston's Fame Covered Acting, Activism

LOS ANGELES - Nancy Reagan said she was heartbroken over Charlton Heston's death. President Bush hailed him as a "strong advocate for liberty," while John McCain called Heston a devotee for civil and constitutional rights. Even Michael Moore, who mocked Heston in his gun-control documentary "Bowling for Columbine," posted the actor's picture on his Web site to mark his death.

Names in the News

Mormons who have strayed from their faith were invited to return to the fold Sunday by the church's new president. "Come back," President Thomas S. Monson said in his first public address since taking over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February.

Relay Protest

They Said It

On the Stump / Senior Clinton Adviser Out -- Colombian Meeting Undoes Penn

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid, left the campaign Sunday after it was disclosed he had met with representatives of the Colombian government to help promote a free-trade agreement Clinton opposes. "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton Campaign," campaign manager Maggie Williams said in a statement.

On the Front

Al-Sadr's backers are being isolated BAGHDAD - Iraq's major Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties have closed ranks to force anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to disband his Mahdi Army militia or leave politics, lawmakers and officials involved in the effort said Sunday.

Auditors Checking Workers for Va -- Staff Members Put $2.6 Billion On Cards

WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs employees last year racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in government credit-card bills at casino and luxury hotels, movie theaters and high-end retailers such as Sharper Image and Franklin Covey - and government auditors are investigating, citing past spending abuses. All told, VA staff charged $2.6 billion to their government credit cards.