If you like Afghanistan, golf or money (and pretty much everyone likes one of those things) today is a good day on the front pages for you. If you are Tiger Woods however, it's best that you read a book.

The papers have some analysis of Obama's decision on Afghanistan — which will doubtless iterate into meaninglessness or outlandish opinions for the sake of being different within a week. Tiger Woods makes the front on the tabloids and also the Wall Street Journal. But only one paper takes the opportunity to run a picture of his wife looking hot.

The other top stories of the day:

  • The New York Times laments the death of the roll-down shutter on storefronts.
  • The Washington Post goes street. They don't have feuds or battles an more, they have beefs.
  • The Wall Street Journal is back on form with one great piece of journalism (about Iranians in New York whose families back home are victimized when they criticize the government) and a great piece of silliness (about men revealing more chest).

Disclosure: I freelance write and report for newspapers that are included in this roundup. Where there is a direct conflict of interest I will make it clear.

The New York Times: seem genuinely taken aback that the gay marriage bill did not pass the New York state senate. By contrast they concentrate on the upsides of Bank of America paying back its federal bailout money — they go so far as to call it a milestone in the recovery we hear so much about. There are two stories on President Obama's Afghanistan decision and pieces on the death of roll-down storefront shutters in New York and new rules to combat brain damage in the NFL.

The Washington Post: takes the role of the pot in calling the kettle black as it announces the Washington Times is to downsize and change its role. They also use the word 'beefs' to refer to feuds in a headline. Which is pretty street of them. There's a piece on the disproportionately local impact of the stimulus, just one follow-up story on the Obama decision and a report on a new way of getting natural gas.

The LA Times: leads with news that the Federal Housing Administration want mo money from people before it stumps up for housing. There are two follow-up pieces on the Afghanistan news, a look at the NBC Universal/Comcast deal and a feature on the composer Thomas Newman (who did the plinky-plonky theme from American Beauty).

The Wall Street Journal: leads with the news that Bank of America is to pay back its bailout money — but emphasizes that one of the reasons for doing so is so they can get round rules on executive compensation and hire them an expensive new CEO. They run a big picture on the Tiger Woods apology and the de rigueur second-day analysis of the Afghanistan decision. There's the kind of local reporting the Journal wants to do more of in this great piece on the long arm of the Iranian government reaching New York to oppress its citizens abroad. And the news that more men are revealing chest hair.

The New York Post: was clearly too busy with Photoshop and did not read Spencer Morgan's piece in the Observer yesterday, or they would realize that this pun now means Tiger is a 30-something predatory lady.

The Daily News: takes the opportunity to run a picture of Mrs. Woods looking hot.

Star Bulletin, Honolulu: may have found an recovery! And a local man is about to go and play the ukulele for the Queen of England. Which makes you realize how many obscure instrumental performances heads of state must see.

De Standaard (Belgium): we could do with more soothing, oceanic front-page imagery like this (although the story seems to be about climate change disaster). Instead of pictures of politicians or carnage, why not kittens or puppies?