What Caught My Eye Today

President Bush - President Bush said he and Pope Benedict XVI discussed the pontiff's deep worries that Christians in Iraq would not be embraced by the Muslim majority. The two men, meeting each other for the first time, appeared intent to look beyond their differences in Iraq. The pope, in his Easter message, had denounced the "continual slaughter" in Iraq and said that "nothing positive" is happening. Bush said his meeting with the pope, in which the president stressed his record in fighting AIDS and supporting other humanitarian causes, was a "moving experience." With due respect to the pope, I think Iraq has bigger problems than embracing the Christian minority, like say, finding a way for the Muslim majority to peacefully co-exist within its own ranks.

Space Shuttle - Atlantis' seven astronauts spent much of their first day in orbit on a mandatory inspection of the shuttle's delicate heat tiles, outer edges and blankets for problems similar to the kind that caused the fatal Columbia accident in 2003. The crew spent extra time using a robot arm to look at a gap in a thermal blanket on the left side of the shuttle. NASA mission managers discussed the gap Saturday and were not ready to pronounce the blanket completely OK until more analysis was done. It was not expected to change the astronauts' plans in the next several days. During the 11-day flight, the astronauts will deliver a new segment and a pair of solar panels to the orbiting outpost. They plan three spacewalks to install the new equipment and retract an old solar panel. Astronaut Clayton Anderson will replace astronaut Sunita Williams as the U.S. representative aboard the space station, and Williams will return to Earth aboard Atlantis. She has spent the past six months in orbit.

Paris Hilton - Paris Hilton awoke Saturday behind bars again in a maximum security detention center where the distraught hotel heiress was believed to be undergoing medical and psychiatric evaluations. The evaluations will help determine the best jail to keep her in as she serves the rest of her sentence for violating probation in a reckless driving case. Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail and was told she could not serve it at home. When she was released she had served only three full days but was credited with five because she surrendered to authorities late Sunday night after attending the MTV Movie Awards and was released early Thursday morning. Before her release, she was fitted with an ankle bracelet and ordered not to leave her house until her sentence was up. Hilton was credited with both her time served in jail and at home, so by Saturday she had completed seven days of her sentence. With time off for good behavior, she could be released in a little more than two weeks. Is it just me or does our legal system have its own alternative form of math? And as far as good behavior goes, I may be in the minority here, but throwing a temper tantrum in a courtroom doesn't strike me as good behavior.

Belmont Stakes - Rags to Riches become the first filly to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in more than a century outdueled Curlin in a breathtaking stretch run and won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Rags to Riches, despite a slight stumble at the start, became the third filly to capture the Belmont — Ruthless took the first running in 1867 and Tanya won in 1905. Only 22 fillies have tried the Belmont, with Rags to Riches the first since Silverbulletday finished seventh in 1999. When the field of seven 3-year-olds made the turn for home in the 1 1/2-mile race, fours horses fought for the lead, with Rags to Riches, the Kentucky Oaks winner, on the outside and Preakness winner Curlin moving between rivals. And then it became a two-horse race — a true battle of the sexes. In a furious stretch battle, with Velazquez urging his filly on, Rags to Riches won by a head — the same margin Curlin edged Street Sense by in the Preakness three weeks ago. And so ends the last horse racing story that most of us will care about until next year's Kentucky Derby.

French Open - Justine Henin overwhelming No. 7 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-2 Saturday for a third consecutive French Open championship. This was Henin's fifth consecutive final at a major she entered; she skipped the Australian Open in January while working through personal issues, including separating from her husband. Henin was as good as ever at Roland Garros, where she's won 35 consecutive sets. Henin is the first person since Monica Seles in 1990-92 to win three French Opens in a row. Admittedly, this may have only been a problem for those of us on the West Coast, But I figured getting up at 7:00am Pacific Time would be early enough to catch the end of this match, but apparently I was wrong. The award ceremony was wrapping up by the time I turned the TV on. Lucky for me the men's final between Federer and Nadal is a best-of-five. I may actually get to see the third set or more.

Golf - Michelle Wie's woes continued Saturday at the LPGA Championship when she shot an 11-over 83 at Bulle Rock, leaving her in last place by five shots among the 84 players who made the cut and uncertain if she would show up for the final round. Her left wrist was clearly bothering her, and Wie had it wrapped in ice immediately after signing her scorecard. Asked if she would return Sunday, the 17-year-old from Hawaii said she wasn't sure. An LPGA Tour official clarified midway through the back nine that "Rule 88," in which non-tour members are banned for a year if they fail to break 88, would not be an issue because it only applies before the cut is made. A week ago, Wie withdrew at 14 over par with two holes to play with a bad wrist, raising speculation that she was worried about losing the rest of her LPGA Tour schedule with two more bogeys. I hate to see anyone suffer, but honestly. Don't start something that you aren't healthy enough to finish.