The number
$1.9 billion
“Cash for clunkers” money spent by U.S. auto dealers through Thursday. With $3 billion allocated, the White House says the program will end Monday.
Desperately seeking
Five hot Internet searches Thursday, as tracked by Google Trends:
* “Caster Semenya photos”
* “Rick Bayless”
* “Usain Bolt 200m video”
* “Plaxico Burress”
* “World’s cheapest car”
News released
In our inbox Thursday: The American Kennel Club and the Cat Fanciers’ Association want to know, are you a dog person or a cat person? The groups “have joined forces to put an end to the centuries-old dispute once and for all.” Finally. With all that divides us — religion, race, death panels — it’s crucial that the world make peace on that dog and cat thing. You can weigh in at meetthebreeds.com.
The list
Top 10 pet-safe vehicles, according to pet-safety advisers Bark Buckle Up and auto industry analyst group Edmunds:
1. Dodge Journey
2. Ford Flex
3. GMC Acadia
4. Hyundai Tucson
5. Jeep Liberty
6. Kia Borrego
7. Mazda 5 Grand Touring Minivan
8. Mitsubishi Outlander
9. Subaru Tribeca
10. Volvo XC70
Just sayin’
“She is my little girl. I raised her, and I have never doubted her gender. She is a woman, and I can repeat that a million times.”
— Jacob Semenya, father of Caster Semenya, the South African runner whose gender is now in question at the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin
