The food-stamp economy
On the last day of every month, shoppers at Walmart load their carts with food and household items and wait for the midnight hour. Is this the new normal in America? Full Article
Britney Spears shears hair off
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pop star Britney Spears got ready for the weekend by shearing all her hair off and dropping by a Los Angeles tattoo parlor, where she quickly drew a crowd.
The Friday evening visit to the "Body and Soul" tattoo shop in the Sherman Oaks district of Los Angeles came on the same day People magazine and other entertainment media reported that Spears, 25, had recently entered a rehabilitation center in Antigua and checked out a day later.
Spears representatives could not be reached for comment on the rehabilitation reports, but the Access Hollywood entertainment news outlet cited a representative denying them and saying she was not in rehab.
Los Angeles television station KABC showed video of Spears entering the parlor with a small tattoo visible on the back of her neck and her head completely bare. People magazine carried a picture of her shearing her locks herself, with an electric clipper at a hair salon.
Tattoo artist Max Gott told the station Spears got a "dainty" new tattoo. "She got some cute little lips on her wrist -- red lips, a little pink," he said.
Outside, police controlled a large crowd of onlookers and cleared the way for her to leave.
Spears reached pop stardom with hits such as "Oops!... I Did it Again," and developed a reputation for a reckless spontaneity, including her two-day marriage to a childhood friend.
A mother of two young sons, Spears has acknowledged her image had taken a beating in recent months. She has become a regular fixture on the circuit of big-city U.S. nightclubs since her split in November from husband and former backup dancer Kevin Federline.
Spears was repeatedly photographed in December climbing out of automobiles without wearing underpants while in the company of celebrity Paris Hilton.
Spears and Hilton recently made the cover of Newsweek magazine with a story headlined "The Girls Gone Wild Effect" and a poll of readers who said celebrities like them were having too much influence on young girls.
In January, Spears posted a message on her Web site acknowledging the negative publicity while writing, "I look forward to coming back this year bigger and better than ever and to reaching out to my fans on a more personal level."
Her Web site, www.britneyspears.com, was down on Friday, apparently being revamped.
