They call him the Sodfather. Roger Bossard is the head groundskeeper at US Cellular Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox. He’s got 24 days to get the field ready for baseball - following one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record. After removing the snow, the Chicago Tribune says he’ll have to bring in massive heaters to warm up the soil so that grass can grow.

USA Today says our current bull market is only the sixth in the post-war era to reach the five-year mark. And only three of the previous five reached their sixth birthday. So what could kill the bull market? USA Today says there are four bull market killers: recessions, fed interest rate hikes, excessive valuations and exogenous shocks.

Lawyers tell clients all the time not to put anything incriminating into an email. But several executives at a New York law firm apparently ignored that advice when they allegedly plotted to cook the firm’s books to keep it alive during the financial crisis. Prosecutors say the accused men talked openly in emails about “fake income,” “accounting tricks” and fooling their firm’s “clueless auditor.”

Sophia Hoffman and Kush Sharma made national news two weeks ago, when they went head to head for 47 rounds of the Jackson County Spelling Bee after all the other competitors had been knocked out. They exhausted the organizers’ list of words, forcing them to postpone the contest. The Kansas City Star says the two will resume the competition Saturday.

A Fort Lauderdale dry cleaner is doing his part to lower the unemployment rate. The Sun Sentinel says John O’Brien offers free dry cleaning to anyone who is unemployed and needs an outfit cleaned for a job interview. O’Brien says so far about 50 people have taken his offer.

It’s not often we mention high school sports, but this is not your average family. The Newark Star-Ledger says the seven brothers of the Bethea family have combined to win 19 county championships, 13 district titles, five regional crowns and one state championship. The boys and their two sisters were home schooled before enrolling in Trenton High School. They staged daily wrestling matches and tournaments on a 16 square foot patch of carpet in their home.

There’s nothing like waking up to the smell of bacon, sizzling in the frying pan. Now you can do it every day. Oscar Meyer’s new alarm app and device called “Wake Up & Smell the Bacon,” plugs into your iPhone jack. When the alarm goes off - it produces the smell and sound of bacon. The Chicago Tribune says the company has come a long way since Oscar Meyer opened his first butcher shop in Chicago in 1883.

Quizzes and games are becoming a huge draw for news websites. The New York Times says Time Magazine’s recent How much time do you spend on Facebook quiz led to the site’s highest Internet traffic day ever. Slate.com’s Adele Dazeem name generator, poking fun at John Travolta’s mispronunciation of Idina Menzel at the Oscars was Slate’s most viewed article in its 18-year history.

The Charlotte Observer has some good advice for men looking to organize their closets. You’ll need to assess your wardrobe and eliminate items you don’t wear. Most people wear 20 percent of their clothing 80 percent of the time. Saving items you think will come back in style is a bad idea. When paisley does come back into style, the width of the tie is going to be different.

The Washington Post says despite his huge impact around the world, Pope Francis has failed to have much of an impact on the number of Americans attending mass, converting to Catholicism or donating to Catholic charities. A recent Pew poll found 40 percent of U.S. Catholics say they pray more often, 21 percent read the Bible more and 26 percent say they’re more excited about their faith.

The College Board is making more changes to the SAT exam. Students will no longer be required to write an essay, they won’t be penalized for guessing and the top score will once again be 1600. So-called SAT words will also be dropped. The changes will be implemented in 2016. The Washington Post says the changes are designed to eliminate the tricks of the test.

Students and school staff in tornado-devastated Moore, Oklahoma are getting some extra protection against more extreme weather. The Oklahoman says a group is donating 34,000 skating helmets. Doctors say skating helmets offer strong protection in the event of a tornado since most tornado-related deaths are the result of head injuries.

For all the talk of the polar vortex this winter, few have stopped to consider the plight of the grave digger. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says cemetery workers have had to bust out the big guns to break through the frozen ground this winter. Workers use jackhammers to outline the grave, and special “frost teeth” on the backhoe that digs the grave.

When a jet from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was forced to abort a takeoff after hitting what the crew believed to be a bird - Lindsey Garven, the wildlife manager at MacDill Air Force Base set out to look for the bird. The only thing she found was a fish. DNA tests confirmed the plane had hit the fish, a nine-inch sheepshead. The Tampa Tribune says Garven believes a juvenile bald eagle snacking on the fish dropped it on the jet.

If you’re expecting a letter or package from someone in Orange County, California, you may be out of luck. A big rig crash involving a U.S. Postal Service truck led to a fire that destroyed 120,000 letters and large envelopes. The Postal Service says there’s really no way to know which letters were on board. But the Postal Service will offer documentation of the fire to anyone hit with late fees as a result of their payments being destroyed.

95-Year-Old Joe Bell has become a viral sensation. The World War II veteran was wearing his full uniform while cheering on runners taking part in a race that benefits fallen Army Ranger Pat Tillman. One by one, runners left the course to shake Bell’s hand. By Tuesday evening, the video captured by a San Jose Mercury News reporter had been viewed and shared more than a million times. VIDEO

Atkins and Paleo diet disciples, take note: The Washington Post details a study that found adults who ate a diet high in protein in middle age were four times more likely to die of cancer than those who ate a diet with moderate amounts of protein. But while eating too much protein in middle age could be bad for you, researchers say it benefits people over 65, as it combats muscle and weight loss.

Your backyard swingset is getting modernized. The Wall Street Journal says more and more parents are turning to customized playsets made to blend in with the backyard and grow as the child grows. Built-in halfpipes, rock walls and ziplines are all making their way to residential playsets. Some are being designed to mimic a home’s architectural features.

Think it’s tough to get a toddler to hold still for the doctor? How about a 383 lb. gorilla? The Detroit Free Press talks to veterinarians at the Detroit Zoo about how they manage to get their gorillas to sit still for ultrasounds of their hearts. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of apes in captivity. Vets say if the animals don’t want to cooperate, the bottom line is, “you don’t argue with a gorilla.”

Believe it or not - Disney animation struggled so much with the transition to computer-generated filmmaking that there was actually talk of shutting the unit down. So it was extra sweet for Disney when the company took home two Oscars for Frozen on the same day the film topped the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Pixar and DreamWorks Animation had won all 13 previous Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature.

The Wall Street Journal examines whether it’s better to go without shoes in your home. While your shoes do track dirt and bacteria, the chances of catching anything harmful off the floor are low. Families with crawling babies may want to consider going without shoes at home. For everyone else, as long as people wipe their feet at the door, shoes should be fine.

The New York Times introduces us to 18-year-old Kayla Montgomery, one of the fastest young distance runners in the country. Kayla has multiple sclerosis. The disease blocks nerve signals from her legs to her brain, so she cannot feel pain. The disease also causes her legs to go numb, but as soon as she stops running, she loses control and falls, collapsing after every race.

The New York Daily News has a graphic as part of its Ukraine coverage that shows how overmatched Ukraine is when it comes to military power. Russian troops outnumber Ukrainian troops 8 to 1. Russia has more than 3,000 warplanes to Ukraine’s 27 and nearly a thousand attack helicopters to just 4 for Ukraine.

What’s the best music to work out to? Music that fits the cadence of your activity. Research shows that music with a beat that matches the tempo of your running, cycling or weightlifting will make you work harder. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says there are websites that will help you determine the tempo of your favorite music to see if it fits your activity.

Wingtips on aircraft are becoming more and more popular for good reason. They save money. Lots of it. The Chicago Tribune says even though they cost up to a million dollars per aircraft to install, the 8 foot tall wing extensions pay for themselves in a few years. One set of winglets on a United plane saves 45,000 gallons of fuel - or the amount you’d put in a car over 72 years.

When it comes to moving goods efficiently, the Washington Post says trains will always be better than trucks. Steel wheels and steel tracks give trains a huge advantage, reducing friction. A train’s aerodynamics and engine efficiency are better too. It’s also easier to make advances in train technology since a small number of companies dominate American rail freight.

These guys ARE your father’s sportscasters. And maybe your grandfather’s too. USA Today says some of the most popular sportscasters are in their 70s. Guys like Dick Vitale, Brent Musburger, Verne Lundquist and Marv Albert are a hit, even among young sports fans. Long gone is the mandatory retirement age that forced broadcasters like Walter Cronkite off the air.

The Washington Post’s Will Englund breaks down the conflict in Ukraine - saying it stems from a lack of national identity as the country is split between those who lean toward Europe and those who favor Russian influence. Both Russia and Europe have shown keen interest in Ukraine, despite its problems, resulting in today’s crisis.

“12 Years a Slave” won the Best Picture Oscar, beating out “Gravity” in what the Los Angeles Times describes as one of the closest races ever. Steve McQueen becomes the first black director to make a Best Picture winner. As expected, Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for her role in “Blue Jasmine” and Matthew McConaughey was named Best Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club.”

Lupita Nyong’o may be a newcomer to Hollywood, but she certainly knows what she’s doing on the red carpet. The Washington Post says Nyong’o, who won Best Supporting Actress for “12 Years a Slave,” continued her run of impressive red carpet looks with an ice blue, custom Prada gown. Jennifer Lawrence earned praise for her red, Christian Dior gown.

Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar night selfie with some of the biggest names in Hollywood has been retweeted almost 2.5 million times. The New York Post says that makes it the most retweeted tweet ever, beating out President Obama’s “Four More Years” tweet from the night he was re-elected. All the retweets disrupted Twitter for about 20 minutes last night.

Start the presses. IBT Media, a small digital publisher that bought Newsweek last year is bringing the magazine back to newsstands Friday. The company plans to print 70,000 copies and sell them for $7.99 each. One analyst says politicians and celebrities like seeing themselves on the cover of a magazine.

Despite all the advances in technology, the humble business card has yet to fade into oblivion. The Wall Street Journal says actor Damon Wayans is among those pushing an alternative to traditional business cards. He’s developing an app that will allow users to swap information through their phones. But while he drums up interest in the unfinished app, Wayans hands out - you guessed it - business cards.

The term global warming may seem like a joke to many people in the U.S. this winter, but as the Chicago Tribune points out, the average global temperature in January was the fourth highest since record keeping began in the 1880s. While many of us were dealing with bitter cold, parts of South America and Africa were hit with record warmth. One climate scientist explains that global warming is a symptom of climate change but it’s not the symptom most of us see. She describes the symptom we see as “weather weirding.”

Researchers have long held that breast-fed babies have an academic edge over their formula-fed peers. But a new study from Brigham Young University says it’s not the breast milk that is behind that advantage. Mothers who breast feed were found to be more likely to read to their children and to respond to their emotional cues. Those techniques, the researchers say, can lead to a 2 to 3 month cognitive development boost by the time the child is 4 years old.

The Los Angeles Times has a front page story about the chauffeurs who get Hollywood’s elite to the Academy Awards. It’s a complicated effort as more than a thousand limos and SUVs must make their way through heavy security to get the stars to the show. So where do all those cars go during the show? The Hollywood Bowl, where one driver says they feed everyone; one burger, one fry, one soda.

Targeted ads are big business for Facebook. But what happens when ads reach people they’re not intended for? The Wall Street Journal says younger Facebook users are sometimes being exposed to ads that are not age appropriate. Facebook says it removes inappropriate ads when notified about them, but the Journal says that with more than a billion users and more than a million advertisers, policing Facebook is no easy task.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Tesla Motors is looking to power more than just cars. The upstart company wants to build batteries capable of powering homes or businesses. Tesla executives believe the company can become a leader in low-cost energy storage.

Basketball announcers love to talk about this - a player makes a few shots in a row so he’s got “a hot hand.” But is there really such a thing? The Wall Street Journal says most academics dismiss the idea as people mistakenly seeing patterns in randomness. But the Journal says new research finds the popular notion of a hot hand may have been right all along.

The Arizona Republic says some state lawmakers were surprised about the national firestorm surrounding Senate Bill 1062, vetoed Wednesday by Governor Jan Brewer. It would have allowed businesses to refuse service to gay and lesbian patrons on religious grounds. Last year, a nearly identical piece of legislation passed through the state legislature with little fanfare before it was vetoed by Brewer. Among the differences this year, a rapidly changing gay rights landscape and fewer distractions at the statehouse.

Sarah Jessica Parker attracted attention for the wrong reasons when she launched a shoe line with Nordstrom. She had distractingly visible spider veins in her strappy green shoes.  A podiatrist offers some advice on how she could have minimized the blue lines when her feet were so prominently on display.

Food nutrition labels are getting their first makeover in 20 years, with a new emphasis on calories and sugar content. The Washington Post says the change is likely to have a dramatic effect on what products people choose to eat and drink. Major changes include the calorie count in a larger font and more realistic serving sizes.

Boeing is getting into the high-security smartphone business. The Wall Street Journal says the aerospace company has filed plans with the FCC for a secure smartphone aimed at defense and security customers. Boeing plans to keep many of the details about the phone secret, but it does say the phone is equipped with a self-destruct feature that will be activated if anyone tries to tamper with it.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Oakland Police are increasingly turning to Twitter and other social media tools to fight crime. The platforms allow the police to quickly push out descriptions of suspects wanted for crimes. One police captain says in the past, it would have been days or weeks before the department would broadcast that information to the public.

Don’t believe that guilty look. The dog who just ate your steak feels no shame. Behaviorists say the cowered head and droopy eyes your dog shows you when you scold him are really just a reaction to the tantrum you’re throwing. But these scientific findings haven’t put a damper on dog shaming memes such as dogshaming.com and shameyourpet.com.

It’s a great day for baseball fans, no doubt. And many take the day off or skip out of work early. But should it be a federal holiday? The Washington Post says there’s a movement afoot to have Congress declare baseball’s opening day as a federal holiday. Mind you, we can’t even get Congress to declare Election Day a holiday. If I’m going to get an extra holiday, why would I want a random day in spring and not a nice long weekend in August?

Get ready for another gold rush. The San Francisco Chronicle has the story of a couple who dug up $10 million worth of gold coins in their own backyard. The perfectly preserved $20 coins dated back to the 1890s. The couple is keeping their identity (and location) secret so as not to attract treasure hunters. The coins will soon go up for auction.

New York Times Dining columnist Frank Bruni asks a great question about tastes. Are there foods we don’t like the taste of, or do we just not like the taste of them yet? Just as a child’s tastes broaden with age, so to do ours, Bruni argues. So while he may have sworn off oysters as a young man, he says now at age 49, he could eat them all day.

Do you remember what you got on your SATs? If you’re looking for a job, you may want to track down your scores. The Wall Street Journal says plenty of companies ask prospective employees what their SAT scores were, even if the candidate has been out of high school for decades. A low score doesn’t kill your chances of getting a job, but some firms do have target scores, especially on the math section.

It’s one of the worst parts of office life for many, the conference call. The Wall Street Journal says conference calls are rife with abuses, from the interrupter to the person who zones out to the one who forgets to hit mute as they take care of their kids. The Journal has some tips from experts on improving conference calls, from setting a firm agenda to encouraging all participants to speak up by asking questions and listening more.

A special commission has determined that having the Olympics in Boston is feasible, but the city would face challenges finding space for an 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium and a 100-acre athlete village. The Boston Globe obtained a copy of the report that finds Boston should set up a non-profit group to continue to explore the possibility of putting together a bid for the 2024 games.

The Dallas Morning News has a feature on the road to recovery faced by police officers shot in the line of duty. Many that return to the force struggle with their new roles as they are usually confined to desk duty. Those who do return to the street find moments of doubt, especially during high-pressure situations.

The Boston Globe details a new Harvard University study that finds riding commuter trains with people of different ethnic backgrounds can change people’s attitudes about immigration. Researchers found prolonged contact with people of different ethnic backgrounds initially led to stronger anti-immigrant attitudes. After a little more than a week, those anti-immigrant feelings began to soften. Researchers say the commuter train was an ideal testing ground since it offered a chance to run their experiment in a real-world setting.

Walt Disney World got a head start raising ticket prices this year. A one-day pass to the Magic Kingdom is now $99. That’s up 5 percent from last year - and up 60 percent from 2005. The Orlando Sentinel suspects Disney may be raising prices ahead of the opening of the new Harry Potter-themed land at Universal Orlando. Increasing prices now could allow Disney to raise them again before the summer rush.

The Chicago Tribune calls Harold Ramis the most successful comedy writer-director the city has ever produced, and perhaps the greatest of all time. The man behind Caddyshack, Animal House, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and many more died of a rare autoimmune disease at the age of 69. Reporter Mark Caro says Ramis’ combination of smart and gut-bustingly funny films inspired many of today’s best comedy directors.

The Wall Street Journal says most people don’t think about their sense of balance until they fall. Although most people don’t have balance issues until their 50s, doctors say doing some exercises in your 30s and 40s can keep you steadier as you get older. One issue many people face is that as they age and their balance worsens, they become more sedentary because they fear falling. That compounds the problem of their poor balance.

The Washington Post breaks down the physiological differences that affect the performance of male and female athletes. Men have a greater percentage of lean muscle which leads to more power, giving a man the advantage in sprinting, jumping and lifting sports. Women have more flexibility, leading to better performance in sports such as gymnastics and figure skating.

The Denver Post says state troopers are getting more training on how to spot drivers impaired by marijuana. Troopers say stoned drivers can be harder to spot than drunk drivers. One instructor says some topics still need to be studied, like the nature of different strains of marijuana and the effects of different drug combinations.

In a sign of the times, the Moviefone line, 777-FILM will soon go silent. The New York Times says the company is shutting down the once-popular phone line and shifting resources to its App. At its peak in the mid-1990s, Moviefone received more than 3 million calls a week. It was so popular, it was even lampooned on an episode of Seinfeld. VIDEO

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel says hundreds of sharks and other tagged fish are gathering data on temperatures and salinity in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Researchers hope this data could one day help improve hurricane forecasts since a storm’s strength depends largely on how much warm water it will come across. Scientists realized the fish stay in water that’s about 79 degrees, the minimum temperature required for tropical systems to develop. That could give forecasters an early warning that a system is in the making.

The Wall Street Journal says now that the Olympics are over, there is a question of what to do with all the ski lifts built for the games. More than 50 chair lifts and gondolas were built for the games, 20 more than in all of Vail, Colorado. Sochi was unique in that it wasn’t already a ski resort with all the infrastructure in place. In contrast, Vancouver didn’t build a single lift for the 2010 games.

USA Today’s Robert Bianco says NBC nailed its Olympic coverage by offering live coverage during the day for those who wanted to see it all and the usual, tape-delayed coverage in prime time for those who wanted only the highlights. He says NBC should make a few tweaks to improve for the next Olympics, including keeping Bob Costas healthy and moving skating commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir to prime time.

The New York Daily News says Alec Baldwin is once again threatening to leave New York. In a New York Magazine cover story, the “30 Rock” star says the paparazzi have made it impossible to raise a family in the city. Baldwin says he now craves the privacy of Los Angeles. He also railed against MSNBC, which dropped his talk show after he allegedly used an anti-gay slur on a photographer.