Woody Harrelson is putting his paper where his passions are.

A government analyst says the merger of American Airlines and US Airways would reduce competition on more than 1,600 routes traveled by more than 53 million passengers.

Celebrity cook Paula Deen says she has used racial slurs in the past but insists she and her brother, who are accused of racial and sexual discrimination in a lawsuit by a former manager of their restaurant, don't tolerate hateful behavior.

"World War Z" _ Might there be a real zombie apocalypse one day? The way zombies have invaded our pop culture the last several years, it's maybe a bit less implausible than it once was. What IS increasingly quite plausible, alas, is a global pandemic, and "World War Z," the long-awaited Brad Pitt thriller, cleverly melds that real-life threat into the more fanciful zombie premise. Talk about more bang for your buck: Once you've settled back into your seat after a good snarling zombie chase, there's nothing like the thought of a SARS outbreak to get the blood racing again. Despite the much-discussed production delays and budget overruns, this movie, based on the 2006 novel by Max Brooks (son of Mel), is pretty much what you'd want in a summer blockbuster: scary but not-too-gross zombies, a journey to exotic locales, a few excellent action scenes, and did we mention Pitt? As Gerry Lane, a former U.N. investigator called upon to save the planet, Pitt is a calm, intelligent presence amid the insanity. The most impressive scene is at the beginning, as the streets of Philadelphia are suddenly overrun by packs of wild, raging zombies. For an hour, the action is swift: North Korea, Israel, a harrowing plane crash. The final act takes place on a dramatically smaller scale, and at a slower pace. Oh, a reminder: Turn off those cellphones. After all, it's not just your movie-going partner you'll annoy here. Cellphones also happen to awaken zombies. Consider yourself warned. PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence and disturbing images. 116 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Sophia Loren wore green silk and sunglasses for her date with the taxman, Luciano Pavarotti a suit and sneakers. Diego Maradona gave up his diamond stud earring to pay off a tax debt.

Best-selling author Vince Flynn, who wrote the Mitch Rapp counterterrorism thriller series and sold more than 15 million books in the U.S. alone, died Wednesday in Minnesota after a more than two-year battle with prostate cancer, according to friends and his publisher. He was 47.

Madonna said there were days when she was exhausted during her recent "MDNA" world tour, but she decided to press on.

The World Food Prize Foundation on Wednesday took the bold step of awarding this year's prize to three pioneers of plant biotechnology whose work brought the world genetically modified crops.

Country singer Slim Whitman, the high-pitched yodeler who sold millions of records through ever-present TV ads in the 1980s and 1990s and whose song saved the world in the film comedy "Mars Attacks!," died Wednesday at a Florida hospital. He was 90.

Daniel Radcliffe has won magical reviews for his latest stage role as a disabled Irish dreamer in Martin McDonagh's "The Cripple of Inishmaan."

"Children of the Jacaranda Tree" (Atria Books), by Sahar Delijani

Jet packs, sky pirates and mountaintop taverns.

A heat wave hitting Alaska may not rival the blazing heat of Phoenix or Las Vegas, but to residents of the 49th state, the days of hot weather feel like a stifling oven _ or a tropical paradise.

ABC News "Nightline" anchor Terry Moran is getting a new posting as the network's London-based chief foreign correspondent.

With Prince William and the former Kate Middleton expecting their first child in mid-July _ and much of the world interested in the birth of a future monarch _ the royals' office has released some of the couple's plans, although many details are still being kept private. Kate has made several public appearances recently but is expected to keep a low profile in the final weeks of her pregnancy. Here is the latest news about the infant who will, upon entering the world, be third in line for the British throne.