1. HEALTH CARE HEADS TO THE HIGH COURT
On Monday, the Supreme Court begins three days of hearings on the constitutionality of President Obama's 2010 health care reform legislation. Twenty-six states are challenging the law. The hearings open with what has been called "the most boring jurisdictional stuff one can imagine," as the justices first consider whether the mandate that will require individuals to buy health insurance by 2014 or face a penalty is a tax, and therefore shouldn't be challenged until it goes into effect. Tuesday is the big event, when the court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the individual mandate. [New York Times]
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2. AFGHAN SOLDIER KILLS NATO TROOPS
A man wearing an Afghan army uniform shot and killed two NATO troops inside a NATO base in southern Afghanistan on Monday. The shooting appears to be the latest in a string of attacks in which Afghan forces have turned on their international colleagues, raising questions as to whether those forces can be trusted and relied upon. By the end of 2014, Afghan troops are set to take over security duties as Western forces leave the country. [MSNBC]
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3. U.S., TURKEY TO INCREASE AID TO SYRIAN REBELS
The U.S. and Turkey plan to provide more "nonlethal" assistance, such as medical supplies and communications gear, to rebels in Syria, the White House said Monday. Allies will be urged to follow suit. According to news reports, Syrian troops shelled the rebel stronghold of Homs for the seventh straight day on Monday. [New York Times]
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4. FRANCE CHARGES BROTHER OF SUSPECTED SHOOTER
French authorities have charged the brother of Mohammed Merah, who allegedly killed seven people in a string of motorcycle shootings before being killed in a 30-hour standoff with police last week. Abdelkader Merah was charged with complicity in the murders, terrorist activities, and theft. He says he finds his late brother's actions "reprehensible" and is being used as a scapegoat. [CNN]
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5. NORTH KOREA MOVES FORWARD WITH ROCKET PLANS
Pyongyang moved a long-range rocket to a launch pad on Monday ahead of a planned test, according to a South Korean official. The move came just hours after President Obama, speaking to students in South Korea, issued a direct warning to North Korea that its nuclear pursuits only serve to undermine its security. Obama is in Seoul for a two-day summit that begins today, bringing together leaders from the U.S., Russia, China, and many other countries to discuss nuclear weapons. [CNN]
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6. CHENEY'S NEW HEART STIRS DEBATE
Former Vice President Dick Cheney received a heart transplant Saturday at the age of 71. Cheney appears to have been on the transplant list for about 20 months, and his new heart has reopened questions about whether younger patients should get priority for donor organs. [TIME]
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7. SENATORS QUESTION FACEBOOK PASSWORD DEMANDS
Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have called for a federal investigation into potential employers who ask job applicants for their Facebook passwords to vet them. The practice has inflamed privacy advocates and might violate federal laws. [Associated Press]
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8. HUNGER GAMES BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS
The post-apocalyptic, fight-to-the-death flick took in $155 million at the U.S. box office over the weekend. That makes it the third biggest debut in history, topped only by the last Harry Potter movie and The Dark Knight. It's the biggest opening ever for the first film in a new franchise. [Reuters]
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9. TIGER WINS TOURNAMENT
Tiger Woods prevailed at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, marking his first PGA Tour win since the 2009 sex scandal that destroyed his marriage and triggered a slump that ended his dominance of professional golf. [Associated Press]
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10. JAMES CAMERON REACHES OCEAN'S DEPTHS
The Avatar director reached Earth's deepest point early Monday. Cameron traveled nearly seven miles down in a specially designed submarine to explore the Marianas Trench. He's the first man to do so alone. [Associated Press]
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