French election results have implications for US economy, foreign policy

(CNN) -- The U.S. economy is currently on autopilot: A sharply polarized Congress and a tapped out Federal Reserve can't do much more to stimulate it this year.

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'Avengers' set to rescue Disney - and Hollywood

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Both Disney and Hollywood could use a hero right about now -- and here comes "The Avengers" in the nick of time.

"The Avengers," a mash-up of Marvel comic heroes, hits 4,300 U.S. movie theaters this weekend. It's expected to break box office records and become Walt Disney's top-grossing film ever.

Disney is still reeling from its epic flop "John Carter," which lost an estimated $200 million and cost the head of the company's studio unit his job. For its part, in 2011, Hollywood posted its worst year for ticket sales in 16 years.

"This is happening at the right time for them to erase that ugly memory," said Box Office Mojo analyst Reagen Sulewski.

Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) gained the rights to the legendary characters with its $4 billion purchase of comic book publisher Marvel three years ago.

The three movies made with Marvel characters have grossed $1.4 billion worldwide.

Disney made the unusual move of opening "The Avengers" overseas a week before its U.S. debut. It has been rewarded with $281 million in overseas box office so far.

Box Office Mojo projects "The Avengers" will pull in $172.5 million on its opening weekend, topping the record set last July by existing record-holder "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2."

"The Avengers" is projected to gross a total of $1.07 billion worldwide. That would top "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which has reigned as Disney's biggest movie since 2006.

"The Avengers" is the first of several Hollywood hits that analysts hope can help revive the industry after an extremely disappointing 2011.

Total U.S. box office in the first quarter was about $2.3 billion, up almost 46% from a year earlier, according to Box Office Mojo.

"It's already started out to be a strong year," said James Gross, analyst with Buckingham Research.

"The Hunger Games" from Lionsgate (LGF) posted a strong showing when it debuted earlier this year. Next up is "Men in Black III," which is due from Sony (SNE) on Memorial Day weekend. And Disney should get a lift from the movie "Brave," which is coming in June from its Pixar unit.

Other summer hits include "The Amazing Spider-Man," out July 3 from Marvel Studios and Sony, as well as "The Dark Knight Rises" from Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500) unit Warner Bros., which hits theaters July 20. Time Warner is the parent of CNN and CNNMoney.

"What Hollywood has been doing well this year is giving us movies that need the big screen treatment, said Box Office Mojo's Sulewski. "They need the three-story high screen where it makes an impact, compared to a quieter film where they'll say 'I'll watch that at home."

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Searching for a medical miracle

(CNN) -- I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish for a miracle when I was staring down a catastrophic illness almost five years ago.

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Microsoft to offer $99 Xbox-Kinect?

(Ars Technica) -- Buying a home video game console may soon become a lot more like buying a cell phone, according to a new report suggesting Microsoft is planning to offer a subsidized, $99 bundle including a 4GB Xbox 360 and Kinect sensor to anyone who commits to two years of a new, $15 monthly online service package.

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Review: ' Avengers' a smackdown

(CNN) -- A celebration of specialness, Joss Whedon's slick blockbuster "The Avengers" presents what may be the ultimate team: half a dozen Marvel Comics superheroes for the price of one.

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Cancer claims Adam Yauch at age 47

(CNN) -- Adam "MCA" Yauch, a founding member of the pioneering rap band Beastie Boys, died Friday after a nearly three-year battle with cancer, the band's publicist said.

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Miami beyond the beaches

(CNN) -- Everyone knows the beach is the thing in Miami, and specifically South Beach, where all the beautiful people go to see and be seen. But what if you're traveling with children or grandparents or people who don't want to be covered in suntan lotion and little else all day? We asked for your recommendations beyond the beach, where you go when you're not lying on a towel. "There are so many Miamis to visit when you are here," one iReporter said. Here are a few of our iReporters' favorites.

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Chen case is another human rights issue for Obama

Washington (CNN) -- Iran, Syria, and now China. President Barack Obama faces a third front of vulnerability on his administration's record of defending human rights with the muddled situation involving activist Chen Guangcheng.

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Review: ' Avengers' a smackdown

(CNN) -- A celebration of specialness, Joss Whedon's slick blockbuster "The Avengers" presents what may be the ultimate team: half a dozen Marvel Comics superheroes for the price of one.

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Green Mountain shares sink 40% on weak outlook

It's been a rough ride for Green Mountain shares over the past few months.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters shares plummeted in late trading Wednesday after the company reported quarterly revenue that missed estimates and lowered its guidance for 2012.

Green Mountain (GMCR) shares sank more than 40%, dipping below $30 after closing earlier in the day at $49.52.

The company's quarterly earnings came in line with expectations at 64 cents a share, though its $885 million in sales missed estimates of $972 million.

Green Mountain also reduced its fiscal 2012 sales guidance from between $4.3 and $4.5 billion to between $3.8 and $4 billion. The full-year earnings-per-share projection was cut from between $2.55 and $2.65 to between $2.40 and $2.50.

In a conference call with analysts, Green Mountain executives said they didn't have a full explanation for why sales were weaker than expected. They suggested that low brewer machine sales and weak demand for holiday drinks during the warm winter -- like cider and hot cocoa -- were partially to blame.

"We're very positive about this business going forward, but there's a lot of moving parts," Green Mountain CEO Larry Blanford said.

Green Mountain currently dominates the single-serving coffee market with its popular Keurig, or K-Cup, machines.

It was one of the fastest-growing companies of the past decade and one of the best-performing stocks, handing investors 110% gains on an annualized basis until last fall.

Things changed in October, when hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital outlined a case for why Green Mountain would see its market share crumble, citing its expiring patents. He also raised concerns about the firm's accounting.

More recently, Green Mountain's stock took a hit after Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) unveiled its own single-cup home-brewing machine. Shares gained some of this ground back after the two companies announced they were joining forces to sell Starbucks-branded single-serving coffee packs for Green Mountain's newest coffee machine, the Vue.

Green Mountain and Starbucks first paired up to sell Starbucks' coffee in Green Mountain K-Cup machines in March 2011.

Today's featured rates:

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Getting away, celebrity style

(CNN) -- Do you find yourself enviously clicking through pictures of celebrity homes on your lunch hour? Instead of turning green over the multibillion-dollar estates of George Clooney or Brad and Angelina, why not follow their lead? Plan your own getaway in a place where the stars have found solace, far from the fray.

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The facts must decide the case

Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- If George Zimmerman were a 28-year-old black man who shot and killed a 17-year-old white teenager under the same circumstances as alleged in Trayvon Martin's death, would he have been immediately arrested? After 30 years as a trial attorney, I can unhesitatingly say, "Of course."

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New Orleans between meals

(CNN) -- Last week we asked readers to weigh in on New Orleans' best dishes, and boy, did you deliver. We received delicious descriptions of beignets and bacon sundaes, shrimp po' boys and alligator sausage cheesecake. But a person can only eat so much.

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Senate renews Violence Against Women Act

(CNN) -- The U.S. Senate voted to renew a law designed to combat domestic abuse Thursday after Republicans stepped back from what was becoming a politically risky fight over some of the expansions they oppose .

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Witness: Gunmen attack Nigeria campus

(CNN) -- Gunmen attacked Christians worshipping on a Nigerian university campus on Sunday, with witnesses reporting multiple explosions and gunfire.

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3 dead in California-Mexico boat race

(CNN) -- Three people are dead and another is missing after a boat race Saturday from Newport, California, to Ensenada, Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

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Rangers Roll Late

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rangers rookie Chris Kreider scored the go-ahead goal and then set up Brad Richards' insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday.

Kreider, who earlier this month helped Boston College win the NCAA championship, scored his second goal of his NHL career - and these playoffs - and he did it at the perfect time to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead 7:00 into the third. Richards made it a two-goal lead off a feed from Kreider, and gave a two-fisted punch into the glass behind goalie Braden Holtby to celebrate his third goal of the playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist earned the win, and needed to make only 17 saves to do it. The Rangers mustered just 14 shots on Holtby, but scored on two in a row to put the game away.

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Brazilian ex-prostitute plans suit against U.S. Embassy

Brasilia, Brazil (CNN) -- A former prostitute plans to sue the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, alleging that members of its security team in December threw her from a van and ran over her, the woman's attorney said.

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Romania's government falls after Parliament vote

Bucharest, Romania (CNN) -- Romania's government collapsed Friday and a new prime minister was appointed after a censure motion filed by the opposition won approval in Parliament.

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Opinion: Obama, don't apologize

(CNN) -- The Secret Service scandal has all the elements of a salacious story: Sex, alcohol, national security, politics, exotic tropical settings and sex -- or did I already mention sex? But beyond the breathless coverage and oh-so-shocked commentary lie some serious repercussions.

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Brian Cazeneuve: Defensemen get offensive as Rangers put away scrappy Senators

NEW YORK -- Thanks to a defense-turned-offense that was unexpected and timely goaltending that was presumed, the New York Rangers are alive to play another game, the remaining top-seeded team after a first round of playoffs that cleared out a number of favorites and left eight fortunate and resilient survivors.

Much like the Bruins-Capitals game a night earlier, this one was hard fought, but without excessive chippy play. New York's Brian Boyle sat out, still feeling post-concussion effects after a high hit by Senators enforcer Chris Neil, who avoided suspension. Neil was generally on his best (read: he didn't want to take a bad penalty) behavior in Game 7.

Backliners Marc Staal and Dan Girardi scored in a 2-1 win for the Rangers, who have sometimes failed to generate offense from the front line. Then New York's defense turned to blocking shots (28 on the night, compared to eight by Ottawa) and creating obstacles in front of ace goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 26 saves, but had a lot of help from his willing teammates.

SECOND-ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

At different times, Girardi, Staal and Ryan McDonagh all made key blocks of shots that resulted from rebounds or extra passes that left Lundqvist in a tough position. "It's playoff hockey at its finest," said Rangers captain Ryan Callahan. "They are making a last surge, trying to play for their season. We stood in there and blocked some shots. Hank came up with some key saves. It's how we've been playing all year."

The Senators dominated much of the territorial play against the Rangers, who nevertheless packed in their defense and prevented shots from getting through. "We were happy to let them pass it around the outside," said Staal, "as long as we took away some key areas and helped out Hank when he needed it."

For Washington -- New York's next opponent -- or any other foe the Rangers may face this spring, it was a clear indication of what to expect from this opportunistic team that tends to play it safe. On Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers seized two chances. Nearly five minutes into the second period, Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen left his position to go for a hit along the boards. This allowed New York forwards Derek Stepan and Callahan to retrieve the puck while Staal, behind the play, sprinted to the net. Staal then beat Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, who otherwise played a sharp game in the net, finishing with 27 saves.

"They made good on a couple of chance we gave them," said Anderson. "A couple of mistakes we made, they made really good shots on. Other than that I thought we battled hard. We made a strong push in the third. We threw everything we had and we left it out on the table."

Four minutes later, the Rangers again took advantage of the Senators' defense, which had overloaded one side of the rink. Brandon Dubinsky found Girardi wide open in front of Anderson, who couldn't stop the defenseman's conversion. "We talked about how the defensemen have to jump into the play and they did that quite a few times tonight," said Rangers forward Marian Gaborik.

Lundqvist appreciated the help. "Our D made a couple of huge plays out there tonight," he said. "I was lost on one play trying to find the puck and it was Girardi who made the save. We talked all year about playing as a team and that's what you saw tonight."

For the Senators, their scrappy effort was worthy of an eight seed that refused to pay attention to the standings. Concussed in Game 2 by an elbow from New York's Carl Hagelin (who received a three-game suspension), Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson beat Lundqvist over his right side with a blast from the left face-off circle to pull his team within a goal with eight minutes left in the second period.

Alfredsson's determination showed through again with his team short-handed in the third when he stole a loose puck in the Rangers' zone, fed Milan Michalek for a shot from the slot, then chased Gaborik around his own end for another ten seconds. "It's an empty feeling, especially when the game goes down to the last seconds like it did tonight," Alfiedsson said. "It's over. It feels weird. And tough."

Now comes decision time. At 39 and with 416 goals and 1,082 points on his resume, Ottawa's classy captain faces questions about his future. Though he has an Olympic gold medal, Alfredsson is still without a Stanley Cup and he seemed unusually frustrated by his team's inability to score in Game 6 when it had a chance to clinch the series on home ice. "I'll take some time, obviously see how I feel physically and mentally after time off," he said. "This year has been unbelievable. I had a lot of fun and it's been a great group of guys to be a part of."

After a first round that saw early exits from the Presidents' Trophy winners (Canucks), defending champions (Bruins) and presumed favorites (Penguins), the Rangers can look ahead with optimism. Their defense is stocked by players who are in their 20s, but it's a group that matured during the course of the season. This was the first time since 1950 that an NHL team won a Game 7 without getting a goal from a forward. Instead, the forward thinking came from the back and it propelled New York into the second round.

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Getting away, celebrity style

(CNN) -- Do you find yourself enviously clicking through pictures of celebrity homes on your lunch hour? Instead of turning green over the multibillion-dollar estates of George Clooney or Brad and Angelina, why not follow their lead? Plan your own getaway in a place where the stars have found solace, far from the fray.

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Timeline

(CNN) -- Here's a look at the timeline of events in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, and the ensuing uproar.

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Joe Lemire: Unlikely aces, rejuvenated sluggers among early season surprises

Just three weeks into the season, a journeyman castoff has pitched a perfect game and a two-time Cy Young winner has an 8.20 ERA. Those might be two of the biggest surprises from the first three weeks of the season but they are far from the only ones. Here are five good, five bad and one very curious unexpected development so far.

1. Anonymous ace-like performances

The White Sox's Philip Humber -- the fifth starter in the team's original rotation, whose first turn was skipped thanks to an early-season off-day -- threw a perfect game against the Mariners on April 21. That makes him the headliner of a surprising group of no-name standout starters.

Scan the ERA leaders among pitchers with at least 16 innings and one, not unexpectedly, finds Stephen Strasburg's name (1.08 ERA) and, not too surprisingly, the Braves' Brandon Beachy (0.47), on whom Bill James placed great expectations for the season. But the rest of their top-five companions are shockers: the Nationals' Ross Detwiler (0.56), the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse (0.99) and the Tigers' Drew Smyly (1.13), especially Detwiler and Smyly who were only named their clubs' fifth starters days before the season began.

Detwiler only earned his spot when Washington lost Chien-Ming Wang to a hamstring injury, but the young lefty has won two of his three starts while allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning. As a whole, the Nationals' rotation has a paltry 1.72 ERA -- 0.85 better than any other staff's -- with a .182 average against while allowing just two home runs in 104 2/3 innings. In addition to Detwiler and Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann is tied for sixth in ERA (1.29) and Gio Gonzalez is 13th (1.52).

2. Matt Kemp and the Dodgers

That Kemp is a great baseball player is hardly surprising -- last year's NL MVP runner-up who had 39 homers and 40 stolen bases to go along with a .324 average -- but the extent to which he is currently wreaking havoc is.

His stat line for this season is a jumbled mess of bold and italics, the back-of-the-baseball-card shorthand for a stat that is leading one's league (bold) or leading the majors (bold and italics). Kemp leads the majors in homers (nine), runs (18), RBIs (22), average (.460), on-base percentage (.514), slugging percentage (.952), OPS (1.466) and total bases (60) while leading the NL in hits (29) and games played (17). His OPS+ -- on-base plus slugging, adjusted for league and ballpark -- is a major-league-leading 303, which means he is 203 percent better (!) than the average player.

Kemp's play overshadows the fine work Andre Ethier is doing (4 HRs, .957 OPS) to protect him in the batting order, and that the rotation is doing (2.92 ERA, fifth in the majors) to support him. Los Angeles has the NL's best record at 13-4; its first 16 games came against clubs who currently have losing records. The schedule will get tougher from here.

3. David Ortiz and Derek Jeter

As the only Red Sox and Yankees position players who were involved in both the 2003 and 2004 ALCS showdowns, Jeter and Ortiz have become the old stalwarts of the rivalry and both have endured long stretches at some point in the last two seasons when everyone wondered if they were done.

This year? They rank first and second in the AL in batting average with Ortiz at .444 and Jeter at .416. Ortiz is first in OPS at 1.200 and Jeter is fourth at 1.088. They are the majors' only two players with multiple four-hit games.

In fact, Ortiz is proving it's not all bad news for the 6-10 Red Sox this season. (Just mostly.) He is tied for the major league lead (with teammate Ryan Sweeney) with eight doubles. He's only a .266 career hitter against lefties, but he's mashing at a .450 clip (9-for-20) against them so far this year. He earned a slow-starter label after batting .191 combined in the Aprils of 2008, '09 and '10 and hit .267 last season but right now only Matt Kemp and Josh Hamilton (and maybe Jeter) are having an equal or better month.

Jeter, the major league hits leader with 32, finished 2011 on a remarkable tear. Beginning with his 5-for-5 on the day he reached 3,000 hits last July 9, he ended the year hitting .338. He's even hitting with renewed power this April. After smacking only six home runs last season, he's got four in his first 17 games this year. He's also hitting a major league-best .630 (17-for-27) against lefthanded pitchers.

4. AL -- American League and aging lefty -- power hitters

Carlos Pe a appeared to be slipping into the twilight of his career, while the production of Adam Dunn and Justin Morneau seemed to fall off a cliff, yet these three seemingly declining veterans have all been reborn in the first three weeks of the year.

Pe a, who rejoined the Rays in the offseason, is batting a career-best .300 after hitting a combined .224 in the past four season. He also has four home runs and a 1.007 OPS which, if continued, would be only his second season above .900. (Apparently, only former NBA forward Matt Geiger can stop Pe a these days.)

Dunn was the game's most consistent player from 2004 to 2010 -- freakishly so, even, that he hit exactly 40 home runs in four straight seasons and then 38 home runs in back-to-back years. His average always ranged from .234 to .267. And then last year, inexplicably, he stopped hitting. He had only 11 home runs in his first season with the White Sox, along with a .159 average and .292 OBP in 122 games. In 2012 he may lead the majors with 27 strikeouts, but he already has four homers and he is also making better contact, batting .246 with a .361 OBP.

Morneau's last two seasons were derailed by post-concussion symptoms, as he played only a total of 150 games for Minnesota while hitting four homers with a .618 OPS in his 69 games in 2011. This year he's hitting only .224 but he has already hit four homers with a .811 OPS. Most importantly, he's played 16 complete games out of the Twins' 18, including two at first base (and the others at DH), suggesting he's in much better health.

5. The reinvention of Jason Heyward

The Braves' spring refrain could be reduced to this: great pitching but not enough offense, unless Heyward rebounds. Scouts' reviews weren't encouraging, as one insisted Heyward's swing was too long.

Heyward, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up who struggled mightily in 2011, appears to have figured out the problem. This April he has a .306/.377/.500 batting line with six extra-base hits (two homers) and six stolen bases.

Thanks to the on-base skills of Michael Bourn (.402 OBP at leadoff), the run production of Freddie Freeman (three HRs, 15 RBIs) and the all-around play of Heyward, the Braves' offense -- 10th in the NL in runs last year -- is leading the league with 97 runs in 18 games (5.4 per game) so far this year.

1. Tim Lincecum

Lincecum's Monday start -- five innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts but also five walks against the Mets -- will only quell a little of the concern surrounding the two-time Cy Young winner's rough April, in which he is now 1-2 with an 8.20 ERA in four starts, allowing 17 earned runs, 26 hits and nine walks in 18 2/3 innings.

Lincecum has had bad months before, most notably going 0-5 in five Aug. 2010 starts with a 7.82 ERA. He shed those struggles, in part, by making his slider a major part of his arsenal and helped pitched the Giants to a World Series title.

This year, however, he said he didn't throw a slider in spring training and only two in his first two starts, but he reincorporated it for starts three and four without a ton of additional success. Also troubling is that his fastball velocity is down on average two miles per hour for the season, though in Monday's win it sat closer to his 2011 average of 92 mph.

2. Pirates offense

In 16 games this year the Pirates have yet to play a game in which either team scored more than five runs. On the bright side, their pitching has been outstanding (48 runs allowed, second-fewest in the majors; 2.72 ERA, third in the majors). But the offense -- sans Andrew McCutchen -- has lagged considerably. While their franchise centerfielder is hitting .339, the rest of the club is hitting a collective .193. Pittsburgh is scoring 2.2 runs per game.

The Pirates weren't much better last year, scoring only 3.8 runs per game, which ranked 14th in the NL, but that rate is nearly double what they've accomplished so far this season. Four everyday players -- catcher Rod Barajas, shortstop Clint Barmes, third baseman Pedro Alvarez and rightfielder Jose Tabata -- are hitting below .200 while those four players and second baseman Neil Walker all have an OPS of .509 or worse.

3. Red Sox pitching

In failing to add a proven fourth or fifth starter to the rotation during the offseason, the Red Sox set themselves up for problems with pitching depth. Who knew that those fourth and fifth starters, Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard, statistically would be their two best starters in the young season.

The proven three of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have a combined 6.21 ERA and have given up 47 of Boston's 102 runs allowed, which are tied for the most in the majors. On top of that, the Opening Day eighth- and ninth-inning relievers, Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves, have a 28.50 ERA in their 11 appearances, and Melancon has been demoted to Triple A.

The pitching struggles are the biggest factor in Boston's surprisingly poor start, which has left the Red Sox in last place in the AL East entering play on Wednesday.

4. Reeling Royals

So much for forward progress. Last year Kansas City introduced its first wave of prospects; this year was supposed to start showing results with the playoffs a realistic consideration for either next year or the one after.

Instead, the Royals are in the midst of a 12-game losing streak and have a major-league-worst 3-14 record, which includes an 0-10 mark at home. No one facet of the team is to blame, as they rank second-to-last in the AL in runs scored and third-to-last in runs allowed.

5. Albert Pujols

Less than two weeks ago I wrote, regarding Pujols' slow start through seven games, that, "For Pujols, especially, such a small sample is basically irrelevant." At the time that was true, but now that his slow start has stretched to 17 games -- with Pujols still batting .232 with a .284 OBP and zero home runs -- one has to wonder what is going on.

His batted ball and plate discipline data at FanGraphs.com suggest he is hitting a career-high 25 percent of his batted balls for line drives, which ought to lead to more hits, though his 15 percent infield pop-up rate is two and a half times his career average. Also, he is swinging at 42.4 percent of pitches outside the strike zone, nearly double his 21.7 percent career rate.

Sacrifice bunts and intentional walks

Devotees of small ball are disappointed but the sabermetrically inclined are cheering: Sacrifice bunts and intentional walks are at an all-time low.

Through Tuesday there have been an average of 0.28 sacrifice bunts per team per game, the lowest since the statistic has been recorded in 1894. The previous low is 0.31 per game in 2008; in 2011 there were 0.34 sac bunts per game.

Intentional walks are also down to unprecedented lows with only 0.20 such free passes issued per team per game this season, the fewest since they began being tabulated in 1955. The previous low is 0.22 in 1998; in 2011 there were 0.25 intentional walks per game.

One wonders, in regard to the sac bunt, whether managers are gaining a new appreciation for the value of an out, whether hitters have merely been less successful in executing a sacrifice (data for success rate is unavailable) or whether it's something else altogether.

It does not appear to be a just an early-season trend with NL managers showing less willingness to push their starting pitchers deep in the game at this point in the year and instead calling on pinch-hitters (who are less likely to bunt) in earlier innings. Through the first 259 major-league games this year, there have been 147 sacrifices; through an equivalent date last year at which time 267 games had been played, there were 194 sacrifices.

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How Google Drive compares to its competition

(Mashable) -- Now that Google Drive is finally a reality, how does it stack up against the cloud competition?

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Sanford police chief's resignation refused

(CNN) -- City commissioners in Sanford, Florida, voted Monday to reject the proposed resignation of their embattled police chief, who has been under fire for the handling of the probe into Trayvon Martin's death in February.

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Gotye thinks 'Glee' botched his song

(EW.com) -- Things we know Gotye doesn't like: cardboard boxes, dinkiness, and "Glee's" version of his #1 single "Somebody That I Used to Know."

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Black Keys on Coachella

(Rolling Stone) -- "This guy looks like he was created by Wes Anderson," says Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach as Pulp's Jarvis Cocker gambols across the stage.

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After 'John Carter' fiasco, Disney film chief resigns

John Carter's quest for box office sales didn't pan out, and Disney's film boss Rich Ross is paying the price.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The titular hero in the sci-fi epic "John Carter" slayed evil aliens, decimated enemy armies -- and now, he's killed Rich Ross' position as chairman at Walt Disney Studios.

Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) released the movie "John Carter," based on a Martian adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, to theaters on March 9. The studio placed a huge bet on the sci-fi extravaganza. Box Office Mojo estimates the movie cost $250 million to make, and the studio spent heavily to market it.

But box office sales were so weak that just 11 days later, on March 20, Disney made a dismal announcement: The company would lose $200 million on "John Carter" in its fiscal second quarter, which ended March 31.

The debacle was enough to end the Disney film boss' run. On Friday -- exactly one month after the $200 million loss announcement -- Rich Ross resigned his post as chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

"I believe in our strong slate of films and our ability to make and market them better than anyone else," Ross wrote in his resignation letter. "But, I no longer believe the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me."

Ross had been at Disney for 15 years, and he signed onto the chairman role in late 2009. Disney did not name a successor in its announcement, but issued a short statement from CEO Bob Iger wishing Ross well.

The "John Carter" flop was a sharp blow to the struggling film industry, which saw ticket sales dip to a 16-year low in 2011. But the rest of the 2012 slate looks more promising: widely anticipated titles include Disney's own "The Avengers" as well as "The Dark Knight Rises" from Warner Bros. (which is owned by CNNMoney parent company Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500)).

Lionsgate (LGF) has already scored a massive hit this year with "The Hunger Games," which debuted in March, and the studio will release the final "Twilight" movie in November.

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Media wants court docs unsealed

(CNN) -- George Zimmerman's defense team formally requested Monday that the Florida judge assigned to their client's case be removed after she revealed her husband works with a CNN legal analyst.

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Judge disqualifies herself from case

(CNN) -- A bond hearing is scheduled for Friday in the case of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida, the court said Wednesday.

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Soak in Costa Rica's hot springs

(CNN) -- Ziplining through tropical rain forests, rappelling down steep waterfall cliffs and whitewater rafting satisfy the rugged outdoor cravings of Costa Rica's tourists.

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Ted Nugent should be in jail

Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) -- Ted Nugent should be arrested.

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Twitter trying to end tech patent wars?

(Mashable) -- Twitter announced an internal patent agreement on Tuesday that it says will empower designers and engineers -- as well as hopefully begin a movement to quell the tech world's rash of patent infringement lawsuits.

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N.C. lures 'Hunger Games' fans

(CNN) -- The young stars of "The Hunger Games" may remember the blockbuster movie as the one that propelled their careers to the next level. But the biggest breakout star of the "The Hunger Games" may well turn out to be the state of North Carolina.

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Kill the progressive tax rate system

Atlanta (CNN) -- Last week we learned that Barack and Michelle Obama's effective tax rate for 2011 was 20.5%. They had adjusted gross income of $789,674. We also learned that their tax rate was slightly lower than President Obama's secretary, who had about $95,000 of income.

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N.C. lures 'Hunger Games' fans

(CNN) -- The young stars of "The Hunger Games" may remember the blockbuster movie as the one that propelled their careers to the next level. But the biggest breakout star of the "The Hunger Games" may well turn out to be the state of North Carolina.

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1940 Census records unlock family mysteries

(CNN) -- Finding a long-lost uncle's name on a census form or discovering that Grandpa identified himself as a mural painter: It's the stuff genealogists and history hunters live for.

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Brazilian police arrest 3 on suspicion of murder, cannibalism

Sao Paolo, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazilian police have arrested three people suspected of killing at least two women, eating parts of their bodies and using their remains to make stuffed meat pies sold in the northeastern town of Garanhuns.

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1 dead, 4 missing after yacht race accident

(CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for four crew members from a 38-foot sailing vessel that ran aground during a yacht race near San Francisco.

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Bieber and Swift to collaborate

(Rolling Stone) -- Justin Bieber has revealed that his upcoming album "Believe," his third, will feature a songwriting collaboration with Taylor Swift.

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The surprising draw of 'Draw Something'

(CNN) -- Chris Pirillo is many things: a self-proclaimed geek, a blogger, an entrepreneur -- and according to him, an average gamer.

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Bieber and Swift to collaborate

(Rolling Stone) -- Justin Bieber has revealed that his upcoming album "Believe," his third, will feature a songwriting collaboration with Taylor Swift.

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Is there a bias against creativity?

(CNN) -- Creativity has taken center stage in recent years, with a slew of books, articles and TED talks extolling the virtues of imagination and exhorting young and old to go out and exercise their creative muscle.

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Coup attempt rocks Guinea-Bissau

(CNN) -- Guinea-Bissau was in the grip of an apparent coup attempt by military forces Friday after gunfire and explosions rocked the capital overnight.

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Jeff Diamond: Teams must weigh Jenkins' talent over any potential headaches

'Tis the season for NFL scouts. With two weeks until draft day, teams are making their lists and checking them twice -- and more. As the old carol goes, they've "got to find out who's naughty and nice."

For talented but troubled North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins more than any other player in this year's draft, this in-depth review of his past transgressions could well mean a tumble down draft boards.

It's mid-April in the NFL and teams are wrapping up visits and physical checks on draft-eligible players. Long, intense draft meetings have begun in which every prospect is thoroughly dissected via tape review and discussion among GMs, player personnel directors, scouts and coaches.

No stone goes unturned during this laborious process, and players with serious question marks -- whether due to character or injury issues -- usually generate the most discussion and concern in the risky business of the NFL draft.

Jenkins has been called potentially the best cover corner available this year by some scouts and analysts. He is quick, athletic, instinctive, smooth and plays with great anticipation. On talent alone, the 5-foot-11, 193-pounder with 4.4 speed carries a mid-first-round grade. He started three years at Florida, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2008 and snagging eight career interceptions as a Gator. In his junior year, he held future high-first-round picks A.J. Green and Julio Jones to a combined eight catches for 61 yards. He is also a top kick returner.

But off the field, problems mounted for Jenkins. He was arrested after a bar fight in Gainesville in 2009. On April 26, 2011, a year to the day before this year's draft, he was booted from the Gators team after two marijuana possession arrests within three months. He also has fathered four children with three different mothers. There have been questions about his attitude.

Jenkins says he stayed clean during his senior season after transferring to Division II North Alabama, saying "I'm done with that" in reference to his past drug use. He and his supporters have tried to rebuild his image, and he has been forthcoming with NFL GMs, coaches and scouts -- and the media -- by admitting his mistakes. He had a very good showing at the Senior Bowl and Combine.

And then another red flag suddenly arose earlier this month, when he mysteriously parted ways with his highly regarded agent, Ben Dogra of CAA. Depending on who you believe, either Dogra dumped him or Jenkins fired Dogra. Either way, it doesn't reflect well on Jenkins.

Where he gets drafted is highly uncertain. Cincinnati, with the No. 21 pick, needs corner help, and they have been willing to take a chance on troubled players in recent years, including Pacman Jones. The Patriots have two late No. 1s and could target Jenkins to aid their shaky pass defense, and if any team can keep Jenkins in check, it's Bill Belichick and Co.

Without the baggage, Jenkins would be in the discussion to be the second corner drafted, after LSU's Morris Claiborne, a likely top-five pick. But his character questions will likely cause a drop at least into the bottom of the first round. He may even fall into the second round, as corners like Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina and Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick will likely get picked before him.

The Jenkins situation reminds me of the 1998 draft. With the Vikings, we took a calculated risk on receiver Randy Moss when we selected him in the first round out of Marshall. We trusted our area scout, Conrad Cardano, who had coached under Moss' college coach Bob Pruett at Marshall. Cardano spent extensive time researching Moss, including talking at length with Pruett, who convinced Cardano that Moss was a supreme talent whose off-field problems were in the past.

Moss was in a bad high school fight over a racial slur against a friend, and had an alleged failed marijuana test that caused Florida State to release him.

Cardano's evaluation and Moss' college film (which included 54 touchdown catches in his two seasons at Marshall) sold us on his abilities as a player. Just as importantly, we considered him a moderate-risk/high-reward player, especially since we would be picking him at No. 21 overall. At that draft spot, the financial risk (four years, $4.5 million total) was significantly less than it would have been for the many teams who passed up the top-five talent earlier, such as the Cowboys, who at No. 8 were trying to clean up their image after several off-field incidents. We would also protect the team with strong punitive clauses in his contract in the event of any misbehavior.

Another reason we felt comfortable taking Moss was because we were confident in the chemistry of our veteran playoff team. We felt star receiver Cris Carter would be a great mentor, which turned out to be the case early in Moss' career.

Cardano reminded me recently of the long debate on Moss in our pre-draft meetings. He called it "the longest I've ever been involved in," and I would concur based on my many years in draft meetings.

Moss rewarded our faith in him with a 17-touchdown season that earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He played a huge role on our 15-1 team, which lost to Atlanta in the NFC title game. And while he's had a few behavioral issues over the years, he has also been involved in many charitable endeavors that benefit children. He is surely a future Hall of Famer who ranks as one of the NFL's all-time great receivers.

While the Moss selection was successful for us in Minnesota, we, along with 10 other teams, passed on Warren Sapp in the first round of the 1995 draft, when unconfirmed but unsettling drug rumors surfaced regarding the future All-Pro defensive tackle. The damage was done to an obvious top-five talent who lasted until Tampa Bay picked him at No. 12 overall, one spot after we selected the safe pick -- defensive end Derrick Alexander, who started several years before injuries shortened his career (though he certainly was not the player Sapp became). So it goes with the inexact science of choosing players.

The obvious difference in the Jenkins case, as opposed to Sapp, is that there is no disputing the facts of Jenkins' arrests.

Another prime recent example foremost in teams' minds involving a troubled player drafted in the first round not working out is Pacman Jones. The Titans chose Jones No. 6 overall in the 2005 draft. He played well in his two seasons on the field in Tennessee, but was a disaster off the field. Multiple run-ins with the law and a suspension by the NFL for the 2007 season for violation of the NFL player conduct policy marred the beginning of his career. While the now-Bengal he has kept his nose clean lately, he certainly has not had the career success expected of a top-10 pick.

As teams examine Janoris Jenkins, they will weigh all the positives and negatives. The debate will be lively as they look at a draft board with colored dots signifying drug, character and legal concerns next to Jenkins' name. Though skeptical by nature, there will be some scouts, coaches and execs who somewhat believe his well-rehearsed interviews at the Combine or think they, along with the veteran leaders on that team, can change him and help him mature into an excellent NFL player, on and off the field. Then there will be the naysayers in the draft room who prefer to go the safe route when it comes to character and attitude.

Ultimately, the GM or top decision-maker will make the call. If there is a player with equal grades on their board at a position of relative need, the player with the clean background will triumph over Jenkins. GMs know there is some risk in every pick. The key is to reach a comfort zone where the GM feels he is making the best possible pick for the team in every round, with added emphasis on the first-rounder, who is expected to contribute immediately.

If Jenkins does fall late into the first or even into the second round, it could serve as motivation for him to prove other teams wrong, as it definitely did with Moss. And with the new NFL rookie wage scale, the financial risk is lower than it was in the past for first-rounders, helping Jenkins' cause. His contract will certainly include punitive clauses that protect against off-field problems or any potential league discipline. Even if he falls in the draft, playing up to his high talent level will enable him to strike gold in his second and third NFL contracts, but only if he makes the right choices off the field.

So will Jenkins follow the Randy Moss high road or the Pacman Jones low road in his NFL career? Is his talent at a high enough level to take on the headaches and the risk in the hope that he will become the next great shutdown corner? Will he have a GM, coach or scout willing to go out on a limb and recommend him, as Cardano did for Moss? The jury is still out, and NFL teams will deliver their verdict later this month in New York.

Jeff Diamond is the former VP/GM of the Minnesota Vikings, former president of the Tennessee Titans and was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. He currently does sports and business consulting along with media work.

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Augusta beyond the golf club

Augusta, Georgia (CNN) -- Golfers worldwide generally know Augusta, Georgia, for one thing: the Masters, and the Augusta National course on which the fabled tournament is played each April. The course is arguably the most famous in the world -- and certainly the most exclusive.

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Houston death probe closed

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The police investigation of Whitney Houston's death is "officially closed" with the conclusion that her death was an accidental drowning, the Beverly Hills Police Department said Wednesday.

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Obama needs more than symbolism of 'Buffett Rule'

(CNN) -- In the early 1980s when I served on the staff of the Joint Economic Committee, we invited the Republican deficit scourge, Peter G. Peterson, to testify on Reaganomics, but he wouldn't come. Somewhat understandably, he declined to sabotage his own team. This week, when I was asked to comment on President Barack Obama's proposed "Buffett Rule," I had a similar urge to duck. But it passed.

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Charles Manson to have parole hearing, but he may not attend

Los Angeles (CNN) -- When a two-member panel holds a California parole hearing for notorious murderer Charles Manson on Wednesday, he will be represented by state-appointed attorney DeJon R. Lewis, who will urge the state to put Manson in a mental hospital, Lewis told CNN.

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New Orleans between meals

(CNN) -- Last week we asked readers to weigh in on New Orleans' best dishes, and boy, did you deliver. We received delicious descriptions of beignets and bacon sundaes, shrimp po' boys and alligator sausage cheesecake. But a person can only eat so much.

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Pelosi: We cannot fail the women of Arab spring

(CNN) -- Last month, a delegation of members from the U.S. House of Representatives, which I was honored to lead, met with inspiring women of North Africa who are helping to change the world.

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Twitter launches legal assault on tweet spammers

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Twitter is cracking down on spammers.

The company on Thursday filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco against five of its most aggressive spam enablers.

The defendants include JL4 Web Solutions, based in the Philippines and referred to in the suit as "TweetAttacks." Other defendants include Tennessee-based Skootle Corporation, referred to as "TweetAdder"; "TweetBuddy"; and the individuals James Lucero and Garland Harris.

The lawsuit takes aim at the people building spamming tools, such as software that latches on to trending topics and starts injecting irrelevant marketing messages into the mix.

"With this suit, we're going straight to the source. By shutting down tool providers, we will prevent other spammers from having these services at their disposal," Twitter said in a blog post. "Further, we hope the suit acts as a deterrent to other spammers, demonstrating the strength of our commitment to keep them off Twitter."

By Friday afternoon, several of the websites named in Twitter's suit -- TweetAttacks, TweetBuddy, and a site operated by Lucero -- were offline. TweetAdder's site was still running, as were several of Harris' sites. The site operators could not immediately be reached for comment.

Twitter says it has spent around $700,000 in anti-spam efforts to combat the defendants' marketing blitzkrieg. It is seeking injunctions against each defendant as well as monetary damages.

Twitter is starting to take its spam problem -- a longtime annoyance -- more seriously. In January, the company acquired Internet security company Dasient, a deal aimed at bringing in new technology to fight off spammers.

Performics, a company that monitors its clients' brands on social platforms, says it sees significantly more spam on Twitter than on Google and Facebook.

"You have to eliminate all the irrelevant content to see what people are really saying," said spokesman Dan Malachowski. "On Twitter, a lot of it is irrelevant spam."

Twitter said on its blog that its engineers have recently launched new anti-spam measures "to more aggressively suspend a new type of @ mention spam." The company is also using its t.co link shortener as a defense: It tracks what's tweeted and tries to shut down links to malware or malicious content.

According to PeekYou, a search company that monitors Twitter's spam levels, the efforts are noticeable.

"Twitter has gotten a lot better over the last six months," CEO Michael Hussey said. "I think they're more quickly detecting and deleting lots of spam."

But it's still pretty far from perfect.

"You can go on eBay today and type 'twitter followers' or 'buy twitter followers,' and you can pump up your number," Hussey said. "Those are great examples of completely spam accounts."

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Officials waiting to give 'all clear' after jet fighter crash

Virginia Beach, Virginia (CNN) -- Residents who were missing after a Navy fighter jet crashed into apartment buildings in Virginia Beach were accounted for Saturday, but authorities have yet to give the "all clear" until they check under the wreckage, the fire department said.

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Federal deficit so far: $777 billion

The federal government is on track for another year of $1 trillion-plus deficts.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The federal government racked up an almost $780 billion deficit in the first six months of the fiscal year, according to new data from the Congressional Budget Office.

While that's quite a large number, it's actually $53 billion less than the same period last year, when the deficit totaled $829 billion.

The deficit is the annual gap between what the government spends and what it takes in. Accumulated deficits make up the national debt, which is currently north of $15 trillion.

The lower deficit for the first six months of the fiscal year is a product of slightly less government spending and an increase in revenues, or money collected by the government.

The CBO attributed about two-thirds of the $46 billion -- or 4.5% -- increase in revenue to corporations paying more in taxes. The government also collected more income tax from individuals. That's good news, as increased income tax collection indicates an improving economy and higher incomes for workers.

Total government spending dropped by $7 billion -- a very small number when compared to the total budget. But certain programs fared better than others.

Spending on Medicaid dropped $24 billion, and the government spent $15 billion less on unemployment benefits due to improvement in the job market in recent months. Defense spending declined by $9 billion.

Spending on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased by $12 billion. Social Security benefit payments rose by $18 billion and spending on Medicare jumped $6 billion.

Last year, the federal government closed out its fiscal year in October with an estimated deficit of $1.3 trillion. That was the third straight year that the deficit exceeded $1 trillion.

The deficit will do so again this year -- marking the fourth straight year of $1 trillion-plus deficits.

This year, exactly how much money the government is spending relative to revenues is extremely important.

The deal cut this summer to end the debt ceiling standoff provided for a $2.1 trillion increase in the country's legal borrowing limit, which now stands at $16.394 trillion.

At the time, it was estimated that such an increase could carry the Treasury Department safely beyond the contentious presidential election season and into early 2013.

But now that Congress has extended the payroll tax cut, emergency unemployment benefits and the so-called Medicare doc fix -- only some of which was paid for -- there is a greater chance that U.S. borrowing could reach the debt ceiling sooner.

It's possible that the limit could be reached smack dab in the middle of the fiscal firefight that Congress is expected to have over the expiring Bush tax cuts. That's to say nothing of Election Day, which falls on Nov. 6 this year.

Should the limit approach, the Treasury Department could still avert a U.S. default by employing "extraordinary measures" -- such as suspending investments in federal retirement funds.

So even if Treasury is at risk of hitting the ceiling at the end of November, it's possible that its moves could take the risk of default off the table until early 2013.

-- CNNMoney's Jeanne Sahadi contributed to this story.

Today's featured rates:

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A non-fan's baseball pilgrimage

(CNN) -- Growing up in New York City, there are a few things I never imagined myself doing, like driving a car, living in a house or attending big high school games like the ones I'd seen on TV.

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Pelosi: We cannot fail the women of Arab spring

(CNN) -- Last month, a delegation of members from the U.S. House of Representatives, which I was honored to lead, met with inspiring women of North Africa who are helping to change the world.

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Conn. Senate votes to halt death penalty

(CNN) -- The Connecticut Senate on Thursday voted to repeal the death penalty, setting the stage for Connecticut to join several states that have recently abolished capital punishment.

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Don't-miss Caribbean beach bars

(CNN) -- The Caribbean's tropical weather, beautiful beaches and clear blue waters attract travelers seeking a place to kick back and relax.

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Chelsea earn Barcelona clash; Real Madrid ease past Cypriot minnows

(CNN) -- Chelsea booked a semifinal date with Champions League holders Barcelona with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge over 10-man Benfica Wednesday.

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Carrey back for 'Dumb and Dumber 2'

(EW.com) -- Peter and Bobby Farrelly have been quietly developing a sequel to "Dumb and Dumber" for awhile now.

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iPad is Consumer Reports' top tablet

(CNN) -- Guess that overheating issue isn't such a big deal after all.

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Hoodie hypocrisy in House?

Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Bobby Rush's hoodie on the House floor sure got attention.

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Where to get married like a star

(CNN) -- The approach of Valentine's Day may have you entertaining thoughts of love, perhaps even marriage.

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Woman convicted of killing patients with bleach awaits fate

(CNN) -- A woman who was found guilty of killing five patients at a Texas dialysis center by injecting them with bleach will learn her fate this week.

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2 killed, 12 injured in mass shooting during funeral in Miami

(CNN) -- Gunfire rang out outside a Miami funeral home, killing two people and injuring 12 others, police said.

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Tea party groups target Senate

Washington (CNN) -- After six terms in the Senate, Indiana's Richard Lugar finds himself the latest target of the tea party movement's desire both to have more influence over the policy agenda in Congress and to make the Republican Party more conservative.

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Lawmaker wearing hoodie removed from House floor

Washington (CNN) -- A congressman was removed from the House floor Wednesday after giving a speech about Trayvon Martin while wearing a hoodie.

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Plan a 'wabi sabi' family trip

(CNN) -- Traveling with young children is an imperfect art. Sure, there are urban myths about parents who tour Europe with their silent, serene baby in an organic backpack. But that's just folklore peddled by luxury retailers selling couture children's clothing. Real kids are loud, smelly and fidgety.

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Former gymnasts claim systemic physical, sexual abuse by ex-coach

(CNN) -- Anne Malver, then 11, thought she was heading to the trophy store with her gymnastics coach.

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Opinion: If only Sarah Palin had run

(CNN) -- The Republican presidential primary hasn't exactly overflowed with talent. In December, it was a roll call of the undesirable Right: Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, Paul, Perry, Huntsman and Bachmann -- a list so long and bizarre that Count Dracula could have slipped in on the end and no one would have noticed. Except, as the citizens of Chicago will tell you, the dead always vote Democrat.

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Google demands payment through Google Wallet for its conference

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- If you want to attend Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, you'd better be prepared to use the company's technology to secure a spot.

When it opened registration on Tuesday, Google required potential attendees to use a Google+ account and pay the $900 general admission fee using Google Wallet, the company's new -- and not exactly widely adopted -- mobile payment system.

It's a mandate that drew criticism from some in the tech realm. In a blog post titled "Why I'm letting my Google IO Invitation expire," entrepreneur Jeffrey Zeldman blasted the obstacles involved in signing up.

Google itself acknowledged the potential hurdles."In case your bank declines your purchase through Google Wallet, you may need to call the bank that issued your credit card and let them know that you want to make a large purchase," the company wrote in an email to potential attendees.

Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) spokeswoman Elizabeth Markman defended the Google Wallet requirement, saying it was intended to speed things up.

"Because you can configure information ahead of time, we used Wallet to expedite the registration process," she said, noting that it's not the first time Google required registrants to use its own tech services. It required Google Checkout, the predecessor to Google Wallet, for Google I/O registration in 2011.

Google Wallet is intended to be a phone-based payment system, but right now it's only available on a small number of Sprint phones. A Web version has a broader potential audience, but even there, the service not available yet in some countries. To register for Google I/O, people in those countries had to call or email Google for assistance.

"The number there was minimal," Markman said.

It may have been a hassle, but the Google Wallet requirement clearly wasn't a dealbreaker. The conference sold out in 20 minutes, Google executive Vic Gundotra announced on Google+. The gathering will take place in late June in San Francisco.

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Rangel to pay $23,000 fine for campaign violation

New York (CNN) -- Veteran congressman Rep. Charles Rangel and his campaign have agreed to pay a $23,000 civil penalty in a settlement over the use of a rent-stabilized apartment as his campaign headquarters, according to Federal Election Commission documents.

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Sam Amick: Despite angst on Lakers bench, Brown insists he's in total control

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Another day, another drama for Lakers coach Mike Brown.

First it was the audacious fourth-quarter benching of Kobe Bryant against Memphis on Sunday, when Brown sat his star with 5:45 left and the Lakers trailing by 14 and didn't bring him back until there was 1:51 remaining and Los Angeles was down nine in an eventual 102-96 loss. Then came the Andrew Bynum experience in the Lakers' 104-101 victory at Golden State on Tuesday, when the All-Star center launched a three-pointer early in the shot clock with 10:05 to go in the third quarter and played just three minutes the rest of the way as a result.

The back-to-back benchings were enough to make you wonder yet again where Brown stands with his players, not to mention what his Buss bosses would think of such bold tactics. But anyone who thinks the first-year Lakers coach is fretting over his handling of the team or his job security would be, well, as wrong as Bynum's acting as if it's a good idea to keep launching from long range.

In a postgame chat with SI.com, Brown -- who signed a four-year, $18.25 million deal to replace Phil Jackson and has the Lakers in third place in the Western Conference despite the endless fits and starts -- discussed the relevant dynamics of his position and made it clear that he's acting with confidence.

"I have to make tough decisions all the time," he said. "That's what the head coach does. I listen to a lot of people, but at the end of the day, every decision that is made is my decision.

"Yes, at times, I may say, 'Dang, I wish I would've done that.' But I'm also a guy who understands that that was in the past, and I can't sit and dwell on it. It's easy to be that Monday morning quarterback and say, 'Dang, I should've done this or that.' "

It wouldn't be unfathomable if Brown were being pushed from behind, though, with those above him offering advice and applying pressure to the new guy in the group. Owners and executives aren't typically the patient and quiet sort, especially when we're talking about a storied franchise where the men of influence above the coach -- i.e., owner Jerry Buss, vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak -- have many more years invested than the man controlling the rotations and playing time. And when your predecessor was a my-way-or-the-highway type like Jackson always was, a shift toward the collective approach would seem natural.

But Brown, who was never known as the hard-line sort during his days with LeBron James in Cleveland and may be trying to change that perception now, insisted that he has autonomy.

"Nobody has told me to do anything with [players], just like, for the most part, I haven't said, 'Hey trade this guy or trade that guy,' " Brown said. "That's not my area. Mitch has made it clear, too -- that I'm the coach and I've got to coach this team to win.

"No pressure is coming from Jimmy. ... I'm coaching this team how I see fit, and nobody is putting pressure on me to do this or do that. I'm making all the decisions. And at the end of the day, if the decisions don't work -- when it comes to coaching the team on the floor -- it's because they were all my decisions. If that happens, I'll be able to sleep at night no matter what happens. That's how I look at it."

Bynum told reporters after Tuesday's game that he didn't know what was "bench-worthy" about his three-point shot, his eighth attempt in seven seasons. The 24-year-old Bynum, who made his first career three-pointer Sunday against the Grizzlies, said he would continue to shoot them.

While forward Pau Gasol made it clear he backed Brown on the Bynum issue, Bryant seemed to see it differently.

"I understand where [Bynum is] coming from," he said. "The first thing you want to do if you want to get the best out of somebody or if you want to get the best out of your players is you have to understand what they're feeling. You have to understand where they're coming from, what they want to accomplish. That's why it's not that big a deal to me. You don't see me sitting here tripping or sweating or anything like that. I've been there."

Bryant, not shockingly, saw shades of his younger self in Bynum's defiant reaction.

"It's somewhat amusing to me, because in some ways the edginess and the chippiness of him makes it very easy for me to relate to him because I had some of that when I was young," Bryant said. "It's easy for me to see where he's coming from."

Asked if he thought the coaching staff overreacted to the Bynum situation, Bryant said, "They have a lot of youth [on the roster], and they're not used to dealing with players of Drew's ambition, I'm sure -- and at this stage of his career. I was in that position. Obviously, I have a lot of experience in dealing with myself and playing with Shaquille [O'Neal] when Shaquille was young and being mentored by Phil and things like that, so nothing really rattles me."

Yet, as Brown made clear, the latest drama didn't rattle him either.

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Justice, not revenge, for Trayvon

Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) -- As the rallies for Trayvon Martin grow, as the media coverage surrounding the tragedy deepens and as the calls for justice get louder, we all must remember one thing: Revenge and justice are not the same thing.

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Chris Mannix: With Stoudemire out indefinitely, Knicks' hopes hinge on Melo

NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony caught a Baron Davis entry pass in the first quarter, turned and knocked down a 7-footer before 15 seconds had bled off the game clock. It was one of nine shots in the quarter, 11 in the half and 20 for the game for Anthony, numbers that likely would have swelled had he not picked up a second foul late in the first quarter.

It was classic Anthony, a circa 2010 performance that was enough to push the Knicks to an 89-80 win over Milwaukee on Monday night -- and, more importantly, give them a 2 1/2 game lead for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Classic, however, may need to become new again. Hours earlier head coach Mike Woodson dropped a bombshell: Amar'e Stoudemire had a bulging disk in his back and would be out indefinitely. Bulging disk injuries are unpredictable, several sports injury experts told SI.com. The Knicks will likely shoot Stoudemire up with cortisone for the next few days and hope it calms down. If it works, he could only miss a couple of weeks. If it doesn't, then surgery may be required, ending Stoudemire's season and, potentially, putting his career in jeopardy.

"You don't wish that on any player, especially Amar'e who's a big part of what we do," Woodson said. "All we can do is hope it's not as serious as it may be and that he has a speedy recovery. If he has to have surgery, he's got to rehab and come back. He's still a young player. He's got a lot of games left in him."

Woodson's announcement was a stunner, though in hindsight, maybe it shouldn't have been. For all the talk about Stoudemire's surgically repaired knee, his back has been the Knicks' biggest concern. Last spring, Stoudemire pulled a muscle in his back, an injury that kept him off the court for the better part of seven months. Stoudemire tacked on 15 pounds of muscle onto his 6-foot-10 frame in the offseason, in part to protect his back from future problems. After a sluggish start, Stoudemire later admitted that was a mistake, and had been gradually reducing his weight to close to the 245 pounds he played at last season.

Bulging disks usually are not considered serious -- most heal on their own -- but the fact that the Knicks are publicly opening the door to surgery suggests this one might be. The team has a history with this kind of injury: Danilo Gallinari suffered a bulging disk in the 2008 summer league that limited him to 28 games in the '08-'09 season and ultimately required a laminotomy, a procedure where doctors shaved down a bony plate in his back that was irritating a nearby nerve.

The Knicks will run much of their offense through Anthony now, and Monday night offered a glimpse into how it will look. With Stoudemire gone, en route to Miami for a second opinion, and Jeremy Lin (knee) out, New York scrapped most of Mike D'Antoni's system -- "This is all Woody," said a scout -- and ran most possessions through Anthony, who responded with an awkward looking 28-point, 12-rebound and one-assist night.

Anthony didn't get much help -- the Knicks shot 35.1 percent from the floor, 22.6 percent from beyond the arc -- but he didn't look for much, either. It was enough to outlast Milwaukee, a team playing its fourth game in five nights, a team still trying to develop chemistry between back-court mates Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. The question is, even when Lin returns, will it be enough to compete with everyone else?

"[Carmelo] is going to have to do his part, knowing that other teams will probably try to double and take the ball out of his hands," Woodson said. "I feel comfortable with other guys making shots. Tonight we just didn't make them. He reached down and did what he had to do to get the job done."

Indeed, the Knicks are Anthony's team now, his to carry, his to control. No one expects New York to compete for a championship this year, but with a little breathing room the Knicks, even with Stoudemire out, will be expected to stave off Milwaukee and claim a playoff berth that might just salvage the season. The road won't be easy -- the combined winning percentage of the teams left on the Knicks' schedule is .528 -- but if they can do it, it might just redeem a roller coaster ride of a season for Anthony, too.

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Regional banks ready to rally

In 2012, large bank stocks have outperformed regional banks.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Investors may be able to find some big bargains while betting on smaller regional banks.

Financial stocks are in the midst of a 2012 comeback, but shares of regional banks haven't enjoyed the same surge as their larger peers. While Keefe Bruyette & Woods' large bank index (BKX) is up more than 26% in 2012, its regional bank index (KRX) is up about 15.5%.

Still, analysts say it could be time for the stocks of regional banks to shine.

Several hundred banks closed or were taken over by the FDIC since 2008. The remaining community and regional banks are a healthier bunch and are well positioned to benefit from the nascent uptick in demand for consumer and business loans.

"So many banks went belly up during the crisis that the regional and community banks that are left are in much stronger condition to pick up market share now that lending is picking up," said Scott Siefers, head of equity research at Sandler O'Neill.

Merger activity among community and regional banks may finally be set to increase too.

California bank Pacific Capital Bancorp (PACIFIC CAPITAL BANCORP) agreed to be bought by UnionBanCal for $1.5 billion earlier this month, a 60% premium to Pacific Capital's share price.

Several investment bankers and analysts say we're in the beginning of what's expected to be extensive consolidation among the roughly 7,000 U.S. banks.

The too-big-to-fail set of banks are mostly excluded by regulators from engaging in M&A activity by regulators. But regional banks may be ready to pounce. Investment bankers said lenders with assets between $500 million and $2 billion are in the sweet spot for many potential acquirers.

In a recent note, Keefe Bruyette & Woods listed First Horizon (FHN), BancorpSouth (BXS), Regions Financial (RF, Fortune 500), and Synovus Financial (SNV) as banks that could look to sell themselves.

While investors continue to pore over individual earnings reports from large banks like Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) to determine who is now healthy, investors have largely painted regional banks with one broad brushstroke

"Whether you were a good or bad performer, regional banks were cut off at the knees equally," said Josh Siegel, a managing director at StoneCastle Partners, an asset management that invests in community banks. "Investors started thinking that most regional banks were sitting on land mines of embedded losses."

Siegel said now many regional banks have overestimated potential losses from potential defaults and are now rolling back what they had in reserve as payments pick up.

Of course, some regional banks may still run into trouble. Analysts say investors should avoid regional banks with more than 10% of their loan portfolio in residential construction.

Even with a pickup in loan demand, smaller banks also still must grapple with the Federal Reserve's promise to keep interest rates low until 2014. Low interest rates make it harder to turn a profit on the difference between what banks charge for loans and pay out to depositors.

But while big banks have more diversified revenue streams, investors may still be nervous about possible exposure to Europe's debt crisis and the low volume trading environment on Wall Street.

Investors in smaller banks, on the other hand, can breathe a little easier. It's a lot easier to clearly see where profits and losses are coming from with banks that are mainly lending money and taking in deposits.

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GOP focuses on health care law repeal

(CNN) -- Ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court review of the health care reform law that many Republicans call "Obamacare," and a day after the law's two-year anniversary, Sen. Mitch McConnell used the GOP weekly address Saturday to hammer President Barack Obama over the measure.

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Secrets to 10 cruise ports

(Budget Travel) -- If you're planning a cruise in 2012, chances are high that you'll be traveling to the Caribbean. According to CruiseCompete.com's annual report, nine of the ten most popular cruise ports in the world are in the Caribbean (or close enough to count).

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Secrets to 10 cruise ports

(Budget Travel) -- If you're planning a cruise in 2012, chances are high that you'll be traveling to the Caribbean. According to CruiseCompete.com's annual report, nine of the ten most popular cruise ports in the world are in the Caribbean (or close enough to count).

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Gingrich, Santorum know how to lose?

(CNN) -- So we're at a point in the campaign where health care reform is about to go on trial at the Supreme Court, unemployment remains high and gas prices are skyrocketing.

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Cherry blossoms coming soon

(CNN) -- It was a simple ceremony on the northern bank of Washington's Tidal Basin, attended by only a few people.

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Cherry blossoms coming soon

(CNN) -- It was a simple ceremony on the northern bank of Washington's Tidal Basin, attended by only a few people.

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Spectacular hotel rooftop pools

(Departures ) -- The Skypark pool atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore might be one of the most magnificent pools on earth: It's an infinity-edged oasis 650 feet above ground with a mind-blowing view of the city's skyline. It's part of a massive rooftop entertainment platform perched atop three skyscrapers.

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New iPad can overheat, some say

(CNN) -- The new iPad may be a hot item in more ways than one.

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China hits rough patch, but landing looks soft

Chinese manufacturing is slowing but the overall economic outlook remains fairly robust, easing worries of a hard landing.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The high-flying Chinese economy appears to be losing some altitude, but experts say the danger of a hard landing still seems remote.

Thursday's disappointing reading on Chinese manufacturing was just the latest data to take the wind out of the U.S. stock market and pressure prices for industrial commodities.

Investors have been worried that China's economy may be slowing at a faster clip than previously thought.

Shares of U.S. companies that do a lot of business in China bore the brunt, with Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500), Alcoa (AA, Fortune 500) and Boeing (BA, Fortune 500) falling sharply.

The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) and the Heng Seng (HSI) have both declined more than 1% so far this week.

Crude oil and copper prices have also tumbled this week. Copper, in particular, is considered a barometer of overall economic health because it's used to manufacture everything from pipes for plumbing to cars to semiconductors.

While the Chinese economy is definitely slowing down, concerns about a so-called hard landing may be overdone, said Brian Gendreau, professor of finance at the University of Florida.

"I don't know that this is the clarion call for people to exit their China positions," said Gendreau, who is also a market strategist at broker-dealer Financial Network. "If they do that, they may find themselves having to buy them back later this year."

Economists expect China's gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, to grow between 8% and 8.5% this year. That would be down from 9.2% last year and well below the most recent peak of 14% in 2007.

Even a decline to 8% is pretty robust compared with developed economies such as the United States, which is forecast to grow about 1.8% this year.

The Chinese government has taken steps to cool the nation's economy in an effort to combat inflation and deflate a bubble in the property market.

Earlier this month, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao lowered the nation's GDP target for 2012 to 7.5% from 8%, highlighting the government's focus on more sustainable growth.

Yet the recent spate of less-than-stellar economic news may raise pressure on the Chinese government to move toward more growth-friendly policies.

"The policy bias is clearly towards easing and being more preemptive," said Xian Liang, senior China analyst with U.S. Global Investors. "The government would act before things get worse."

In addition, economist say the slowdown in China is being driven largely by declining exports to the nation's main trading partners, including Europe and the United States.

Thursday's manufacturing report is "reflective of the fact that export growth has declined because of the slowdown around the world," said Jay Bryson, global economist at Wells Fargo Securities.

Official statistics due out next month, which include state-run enterprises, could show a slightly different picture of the Chinese manufacturing sector, he added.

Still, some economists warn that the data out of China could continue to disappoint investors and stoke concerns about a hard landing in the near term.

China's economy is expected to expand 7% in the first quarter, which would be the weakest quarter of the year, according to Barclays Capital's estimates.

While growth is expected to pick up again later in the year, worries about a hard landing could continue to weigh on financial markets.

"Whether our base case of a soft landing or the worse case of a hard landing materializes, the risk that investors take fright from a spate of weaker data is material," Barclays analysts said in a report.

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Closing arguments completed

New Brunswick, New Jersey (CNN) -- The defense and prosecution wrapped up their closing arguments Tuesday in the trial of a former Rutgers student accused of spying on and intimidating his gay roommate, who later killed himself by jumping off New York's George Washington Bridge.

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Smith, 49ers working to finalizing three-year deal

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers were working Tuesday night to finalize a three-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made, said Tuesday night final details were still being worked out and it could be complete as soon as Wednesday.

"Oh, I'm excited," tight end Vernon Davis said in a text message. "I'm glad. Alex deserves all good things that come his way."

NFL Network first reported the sides had agreed on a new deal, which ESPN reported to be worth $24 million. Earlier in the day, Peyton Manning was formally introduced in Denver after the 49ers pursued the four-time NFL MVP. Coach Jim Harbaugh worked out Manning at Duke last Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Smith had met with Miami on Sunday but ultimately decided to stay put with the storied franchise that drafted him first overall in 2005.

Smith had a breakthrough season last year, helping San Francisco reach the NFC title game.

"Welcome Back (hashtag)AlexSmith. Let's get the train rolling now," tweeted 49ers defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois.

Both sides made it clear after the Niners' 20-17 overtime loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the NFC championship game they planned to work out a new deal.

It just took a little while longer than expected after Manning briefly entered the picture.

While Smith told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Sunday he was surprised Manning became a free agent, he said he understood the business side of the NFL - so perhaps it won't take long for Harbaugh and Smith to get over San Francisco's weeklong courting of Manning.

"It's a very strong relationship," Harbaugh told reporters while leaving team headquarters Tuesday, noting nothing had changed in Smith being "our guy." He declined to discuss negotiations.

Last spring, Harbaugh handed over his playbook to Smith during a brief lifting of the lockout - a show of confidence in the QB even though he wasn't under contract. Smith wound up re-signing for $4.9 million, then earned a $1 million bonus for making the playoffs as the 49ers ended an eight-year stretch without a postseason berth or winning record.

"I don't think there will be any bad blood because he went to Miami for an interview," former 49ers running back great Roger Craig said Tuesday. "That's part of the process, it's the nature of the beast. He has to do what's best for him and his family. I'm pretty sure the 49ers are going to work something out. Players love him, fans love him. I love him.

"I think Alex wants to get this put to bed so he can focus on having a great year, an All-Pro year this year," Craig said. "He doesn't want this dark cloud over him. It's really his time, and he understands the business. He knows it's a good situation."

49ers CEO Jed York had said the team's three-year offer still stood despite the pursuit of Manning, and it was just up to Smith to sign.

Long booed by his home fans at Candlestick Park, Smith threw for 3,150 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions last year as San Francisco went 13-3 to win its first division title since 2002. That was a remarkable turnaround under first-year coach and 15-year NFL quarterback Harbaugh - the NFL coach of the year - who declared his confidence in Smith as a winner from Day 1 when hired away from Stanford in January 2011.

San Francisco went 6-2 on the road and won four of those games in comeback fashion - and Smith rallied his team from behind five times in all, not to mention a 36-32 victory against the favored Saints in the NFC divisional playoffs. Smith completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Davis with 9 seconds left to seal it after Drew Brees had put his team ahead.

"I can see these guys dominating for the next decade," Craig said. "The kind of intangibles Harbaugh brings to the table, he's very competitive and a smart guy and players believe in him, and just look how Alex stepped up his game."

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Spectacular hotel rooftop pools

(Departures ) -- The Skypark pool atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore might be one of the most magnificent pools on earth: It's an infinity-edged oasis 650 feet above ground with a mind-blowing view of the city's skyline. It's part of a massive rooftop entertainment platform perched atop three skyscrapers.

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Peyton Manning joins Denver Broncos

(CNN) -- Free agent quarterback Peyton Manning will play for the Denver Broncos, the team announced Tuesday.

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Illinois 'must-win' state for Romney

Wheaton, Illinois (CNN) -- Here we go again -- another Tuesday, another "must-win" primary state for Mitt Romney.

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Ian Thomsen: Even without their MVP, the Bulls look like contenders in Magic rout

ORLANDO -- Derrick Rose is turning out to be more valuable on the bench than Dwight Howard and other NBA stars have been on the floor. With their defense setting a franchise record in an 85-59 win over the Magic on Monday, the Bulls improved to 10-4 this year in the absence of Rose, the injured MVP. Their winning rate of 71.4 percent without him is better than all but two teams -- Oklahoma City and Miami -- in the everyday standings.

In a league ruled by the most talented individuals, Chicago is transcendent. Howard (18 points, 12 rebounds and four turnovers) was easily the biggest talent on the floor, yet he was outplayed by Carlos Boozer, who finished with 24 points on 12-for-18 shooting to go with 13 rebounds and four steals. The Bulls have overcome the absence of Rose, All-Star Luol Deng (who has missed nine games) and shooting guard Richard Hamilton (31 absences) to enable second-year coach Tom Thibodeau (100-30) to win his 100th game faster than any coach in league history. It's worthwhile to point out that Phil Jackson started out 100-42 with Michael Jordan -- who, by the way, was rarely injured.

"He's the hardest-working guy I've ever been around and he deserves it," said Bulls center Joakim Noah of his coach. The coach, in turn, would say the same kinds of things about his team, and no one in the league would argue with either one of them.

The other day Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy was mentioning to his assistants that the Bulls might be able to win games even if they were missing all five of their starters. "To me, they're the best team in the league as far as a team collectively playing together, being unselfish, being committed -- doing all of those things it takes to win," said Van Gundy before this game. "They're the best team.''

Then, without having to worry about Rose, Van Gundy watched the Bulls nonetheless control the pace and hold the full-strength Magic to 59 points, which is the fewest Chicago has ever allowed in a regular-season game. The Magic made 4 of 20 threes, provided Chicago with 25 points on 19 turnovers and shot no better from the free throw line than the Bulls did from the three-point line, as each went 7 of 18, respectively. When he wasn't acknowledging the superior teamwork of the Bulls, Van Gundy was criticizing himself. "Our offense was pathetic, and that's something that I have got to take a look at because we've got better players than that," he said. "I don't want to lay it on one or two guys, and I also don't want to absolve anybody. This is a team-wide thing."

A night like this raises intriguing questions for May and June. Might the Bulls be able to win a championship while overcoming the superior star power of the Heat, Thunder and other contenders? In the last week alone the Rose-less Bulls have beaten Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia, the other top seeds in the East. Rose should be in no hurry to push himself back from his latest groin injury because his absence generates opportunities for his teammates to grow more confident at the expense of their rivals. "Right now they're the No. 2 offensive team in the league and the No. 2 defensive team in the league," said Van Gundy. "You see those numbers, you're saying (they're a) championship contender."

The normal NBA thinking is to give a hard-driving team like these Bulls credit for their work in the regular season while asking whether they can raise their level of play in the postseason, which is something the stars of Miami should be able to do. But couldn't it also be true that the Bulls won't need to play any better or more efficiently than they have at their best this season? Or how about this one: If they can win as impressively as they have in recent days without Rose, then maybe they can yet elevate their overall game when he's at full strength when the real season starts in six weeks?

A team known for its point-guard play earned a clobbering victory on a night when its starting point guard, C.J. Watson, went 0 for 8 from the field with three assists and two turnovers. The Bulls are malleable and resilient. They pulled away at the end of the opening quarter on a trio of threes by aptly-named third-string point guard John Lucas III. He finished with 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench to outscore anyone in a Magic uniform, and each time Lucas made a shot the Chicago fans made the arena sound like it belonged to them.

"We've got a deep team," said Thibodeau, who is not one to exaggerate.

Someday soon enough, when Rose is healthy, we're going to find out if they have a championship team. There's no sense in saying they don't, because if they've shown a talent for anything, it's for creating splendid surprises.

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Marshall recovering from surgery

The father of North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall said Monday his son is recovering from surgery on his broken right wrist and it's unclear if he'll return for the NCAA regional games in St. Louis.

Dennis Marshall said the procedure done in Chapel Hill, N.C., to insert a screw into his son's wrist lasted about 35 minutes. He said when Kendall plays again would be based on "what would be best for Kendall in the long term" and that he didn't know whether the sophomore would be ready to play in the round of 16 against Ohio on Friday.

"I don't know because Kendall's just coming out of his anesthesia, we haven't talked and I don't know how he'll feel four days from now," Dennis Marshall said. "We just don't know.

"Is it impossible he plays this weekend? No, it's not. Is it likely he plays next weekend? It definitely is. It's something we just don't know."

The school also said Marshall's status was unclear for Friday's game in an update Monday afternoon. The Tar Heels (31-5) are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional.

The left-handed point guard fractured the scaphoid bone - located near the thumb - when he was fouled driving to the basket during the second half of Sunday's win against Creighton at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Marshall popped right up, then came out of the media timeout and hit 1 of 2 free throws. He left briefly, then returned again and played about 7 minutes before leaving the game late with the victory secured.

"I didn't want my team to worry about me," Marshall said Sunday night. "So I tried to pop up as quick as possible and get to the free-throw line. I didn't want to make a big deal about it. I just want to keep playing and find a way to win."

Marshall, from Dumfries, Va., is a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference pick who has 351 assists in 36 games, the best season total in league history and fourth most in NCAA history.

The pass-first point guard is averaging about eight points and 10 assists, though he has stepped up his offense recently and scored in double figures the past six games. He had 18 points and 11 assists in the 87-73 win against the Bluejays, his fifth double-double in that span.

Marshall has been the Tar Heels' most irreplaceable player, leading the fast-paced offense with his see-everything court vision and perfect pitch-ahead passes in transition.

The Tar Heels lost No. 2 ballhandler Dexter Strickland to a season-ending knee injury in January. If Marshall can't go, the job would fall to freshman Stilman White and versatile senior Justin Watts.

Dennis Marshall said he and his wife planned to stay in a hotel to take care of Kendall - who is wearing a splint - on Monday night. He said the family and Williams would likely wait a couple of days before talking about the point guard's status for the regionals.

"I would just tell everybody not to get their hopes up and just pray and hope for the best," Dennis Marshall said. "That's about all we can do at this point."

Kendall Marshall's scheduled surgery was first reported by CBS.com late Sunday.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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