The Weeks In Review:

Merkel's party routed in big German state
By Stephen Brown | DUESSELDORF, Germany | Sun May 13, 2012 12:49pm EDT
(Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in an election in Germany's most populous state, a result which could embolden the left opposition to step up its criticism of her European austerity policies.

Top Republican woman in Congress becomes a force
By Thomas Ferraro | WASHINGTON | Fri May 18, 2012 4:57pm EDT
(Reuters) - In the last three weeks, she has sparred on national television with Democrats over Republican policies toward women, been called a "lying mouthpiece" by a liberal blog, and chided former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In the world of conservative politics, Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers has arrived.

Parents get more options to control kid phones
By Suzanne Kantra, Techlicious
A cell phone is a big responsibility, especially in the hands of a child. It raises the specter of texting while driving, exposure to mature content, cyberbullying, neglect of schoolwork and astronomical cell phone bills. But the cell phone service providers aren't leaving you hanging.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg weds one day after IPO
USATODAY
Zuckerberg wed 27-year-old Priscilla Chan, his girlfriend of nearly a decade, according to a guest authorized to speak for the couple. The person spoke only on the condition of anonymity.

Cloud Wars: Google Strikes Back With 'Google Drive'
Erik Kain, Contributor | Tech | 4/24/2012 @ 3:56PM
These days everyone wants a piece of the cloud-computing market. Amazon has entered the cloud-space with various cloud storage options, and both Microsoft and Apple provide cloud storage for customers – Microsoft with its revamped SkyDrive and Apple with its iCloud service.

Social Security trustees: We’re going broke
By JOHN C. GOODMAN | 4/25/12 9:25 PM EDT
Here’s some bad news: The latest report of the Social Security and Medicare trustees shows an unfunded liability for both programs of $63 trillion. That is equal to about 4.5 times the entire U.S. gross domestic product.

Top Ten NFL Draft Picks Will Make Two-Thirds Less Than Class Of 2010
Tom Van Riper, Forbes Staff | 4/26/2012 @ 11:03AM
By now you know about the extraordinary good fortune of St. Louis Rams’ quarterback Sam Bradford – the last No. 1 overall draft pick to truly strike gold with a six-year, $78 million deal )$50 million guaranteed) after the Rams selected him out of the University of Oklahoma in 2010.

John Boehner escalates attacks on Obama
By JAKE SHERMAN | 4/26/12 1:23 PM EDT Updated: 4/26/12 5:10 PM EDT
Speaker John Boehner opened a new — and increasingly harsh — line of attack against President Barack Obama, laying almost all of the nation’s woes squarely at the White House steps. He called on the Obama campaign to pay back what’s certain to be millions of dollars of taxpayer money for a swing through a number of swing states this week. He accused the White House of wanting to “control the Internet.” And he ripped the White House for not having an immigration plan.

Galaxy phones power Samsung to record $5.2 billion profit
By Miyoung Kim | SEOUL | Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:55am EDT
(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics posted a record $5.2 billion quarterly profit as it shipped over 20,000 Galaxy smartphones an hour in January-March, outselling Apple's iPhone in a duel for the lucrative high end of the mobile industry.

Heavy debt loads may be holding down consumer spending
By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Households have whittled down the massive debt they racked up in the mid-2000s credit bubble, but apparently not enough to nudge them into a spending binge that could jump-start the recovery, some economists say.

Koch-Backed Americans For Prosperity Announces $6 Million Ad Buy Attacking Obama
The Huffington Post | By Luke Johnson
Americans For Prosperity, the conservative group backed by billionaires Charles and David Koch, announced Thursday a $6 million ad buy hitting President Barack Obama.

Jeb Bush: The vice president pick Democrats fear most
By JONATHAN MARTIN | 4/27/12 4:37 AM EDT
He’s the GOP vice presidential pick that Democrats fear most — a brassy choice who would likely deliver his crucial home state, boost the ticket with Hispanics and Catholics and appeal to both conservatives and independents.