You may have noticed the ads at Taco Bell and elsewhere pushing fast food options that are diet friendly. But the excessive amount of sodium added to many convenience foods raises red flags for experts. A New York Times piece on the subject looks at whether eating fast food can really help you lose weight.

The Star Tribune reports on a curious Valentine’s Day tradition: candle-lit dinners at White Castle. The chain recommends Sack Meal No. 3 (“10 sliders, two 21-ounce soft drinks and two regular French fries”) for couples celebrating the holiday.

The New York Post introduces us to Matt Prager this morning. Otherwise known as the “Cyber Cyrano,” he writes dating profiles and sets up cheat sheets for people who want to explore the world of online dating but don’t have the time.

This doesn’t seem like much of a surprise given the spate of scandals John Edwards has publicly admitted to recently, but the Raleigh News & Observer confirms what many have long suspected: the former senator and his wife Elizabeth are separated.

We know about the pick up truck. Now what’s up with that brown jacket? The Boston Globe‘s Beth Teitell asks whether Scott Brown, the newly minted Massachusetts senator, and his ubiquitous coat are a natural pair or “did the campaign hire a stylist to find Brown a jacket that said ‘Joe the Plumber’?”

The Washington Post says the tone of President Obama’s first State of the Union focused on one main objective: fixing the economy. Acknowledging a hard year of legislative battles, his hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune, noted the president’s move towards the center of the aisle. The LA Times, meanwhile, highlighted his pledge to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Gail Collins, writing on the opinion page of the New York Times, says if optimism was the hallmark of his first year, “crankiness” is shaping up to be the defining quality of year two.

Howard Zinn died after collapsing before a speaking engagement in California reports the LA Times this morning. He was 87. According to the Globe, Zinn, a longtime professor and political activist at Boston University, wrote his most famous work, “A People’s History of the United States,” in 1980.

A Haitian teenager, who spent 15 days without food or water, was pulled out alive from under a pile of rubble yesterday. The Washington Post says the rescue was a “rare moment of joy” in Haiti as the country continues to struggle with the devastating aftermath of this month’s earthquake.

A TSA airport worker has been put on desk duty after magazine editor Bucky Turco snapped this picture of her sleeping on the job writes the New York Daily News. The TSA says even if the employee was on a break, there are break rooms available.

He only has to work one day a year. But the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that hasn’t stopped PETA from taking up Punxsutawney Phil as its newest cause c?l?bre. The animal rights organization wants to replace Phil with an “animatronic groundhog.”

It’s the year of the Lab, again. The New York Daily News has the American Kennel Club’s annual list of the most popular dog breeds in this morning’s paper. Labrador retrievers kept their number one spot for the 19th year in a row.

On the front page of the New York Times there’s an article about Toyota’s rapid growth. The paper examines whether that contributed to the fact that they’ve got so many cars affected by this gas pedal problem. In the Times’ business section, writer Nick Bunkley says other automakers are using Toyota’s massive recall as a reason to “pounce” on its customers.

Let’s start with the name: iPad. It makes me wonder if there are actually no women that work at Apple. Washington Post writer Monica Hesse wonders whether “boyfriends everywhere [will] refuse to purchase it unless they [can] simultaneously buy some really manly products, like shaving cream and batteries.” Despite the name, Troy Wilverton of the San Jose Mercury News says the new device is neat but he advises waiting for version 2.0 to drop.

Some people just don’t know when to leave. Michelle Slatalla has a funny column in today’s New York Times about having guests over for dinner. She says if it weren’t for “late stayers,” she could probably convince her husband to have dinner parties every day of the week.

The Indianapolis Star takes a look at the hidden calories in the beverages we reach for every day. The paper says eliminating one regular soda from your daily routine can take off about 15 pounds in a year.

First we had the staycation. And now, the “nakation.” According to the American Association for Nude Recreation, traveling sans clothes is a good way to thumb your nose at the airline industry - all you’ll need to pack is a small carry-on. The Chicago Tribune says the group is looking for new members to vacation at its 250 clubs.

He’s ranked number two in the world. But in the absence of a troubled number one, Phil Mickelson is golf’s golden child for the moment. The LA Times catches up with him as he teed off at Torrey Pines. When the subject of Tiger Woods came up, Mickelson kept it brief: “The game of golf needs him to come back.”

We know about the pick up truck. Now what’s up with that brown jacket? The Boston Globe‘s Beth Teitell asks whether Scott Brown, the newly minted Massachusetts senator, and his ubiquitous coat are a natural pair or “did the campaign hire a stylist to find Brown a jacket that said ‘Joe the Plumber’?”

The Washington Post says the tone of President Obama’s first State of the Union focused on one main objective: fixing the economy. Acknowledging a hard year of legislative battles, his hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune, noted the president’s move towards the center of the aisle. The LA Times, meanwhile, highlighted his pledge to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Gail Collins, writing on the opinion page of the New York Times, says if optimism was the hallmark of his first year, “crankiness” is shaping up to be the defining quality of year two.

He only has to work one day a year. But the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that hasn’t stopped PETA from taking up Punxsutawney Phil as its newest cause c?l?bre. The animal rights organization wants to replace Phil with an “animatronic groundhog.”

Let’s start with the name: iPad. It makes me wonder if there are actually no women that work at Apple. Washington Post writer Monica Hesse wonders whether “boyfriends everywhere [will] refuse to purchase it unless they [can] simultaneously buy some really manly products, like shaving cream and batteries.” Despite the name, Troy Wilverton of the San Jose Mercury News says the new device is neat but he advises waiting for version 2.0 to drop.

The Wall Street Journal says that in some circles, the all-denim look worn by Jessica Biel on the cover of the February issue of Vogue is referred to as a “Canadian tuxedo.” The fashion industry’s obsession with jeans this season prompts the Journal to ask: Is the all denim trend too much? Retailers say the material’s appeal is related to the economy.