He’s hiding a fortune under his helmet. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Steelers’ player Troy Polamalu has just secured a $1 million insurance policy—for his hair. The Head & Shoulders’ spokesman is the latest celebrity to draft an unusual policy with Lloyd’s of London. The firm made a name for itself insuring famous assets, including Jimmy Durante’s nose and Bette Grable’s legs. VIDEO

I can’t imagine this will be popular with high school kids busy concocting ways to ditch class for the mall. But the Chicago Tribune says more school districts are outfitting both students and buses with GPS technology to ensure their whereabouts are accounted for. Administrators say it’s a way to help parents feel at ease about sending their kids off alone.

Rachel Uchitel gets some guff from the New York Post for visiting the World Trade Center site while filming scenes for her upcoming stint of “Celebrity Rehab.” After her fiance died on September 11, the Post put Uchitel’s face on it’s front cover under the headline, “New York’s Tragic Face.” It was years later that she became better known as one of Tiger Woods’ many mistresses. VIDEO

President Obama used last night’s speech announcing the end of the US combat mission in Iraq to drive home a lesson about bipartisanship says the Washington Post. Sitting at the same desk where former President Bush declared war seven years earlier, the president said, “the greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and to learn from our experience as we confront the many challenges ahead.”

A Florida woman experienced a parent’s worst nightmare yesterday says the St. Petersburg Times. While visiting her son in Alaska where he works as a police officer, Debbie Greene—along with her son’s wife and two of the couple’s children—witnessed a gunman shoot him to death in an ambush.

Michael Douglas talked to David Letterman last night about his battle with throat cancer. The actor said a sore throat had led him to the doctor earlier this year. Unsure what the problem was, Douglas returned later and was diagnosed with stage four throat cancer. The New York Daily News says Douglas’ wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, is “furious” doctors didn’t discover the problem earlier. VIDEO

Just because he can’t eat doesn’t mean he can’t cook. There’s a fascinating profile about Roger Ebert in the food section of the New York Times this morning. After undergoing several surgeries to rebuild a face ravaged by cancer, the movie critic now eats from a tube fed directly into his stomach. But that hasn’t stopped Ebert from using what he calls his “voluptuous food memory” to begin a new career as a food writer.

The Dallas Morning News says devotees of the Big Green Egg, a ceramic half smoker/half grill, are so enamored with their cookers that they’re willing to spend upwards of $900 to purchase one, schlep the 140-pound device over to friends’ houses, and, well, call themselves Eggheads. It’s the Egg’s ability to cook at both ends of the spectrum—very high and very low heat—that has made it so popular.

Does Apple have something up its sleeve? The LA Times says the company is set to announce a series of product updates later today, a situation that, in tech-obsessed circles, has tongues wagging. Many believe that the focus will be on music-related devices. But some are wondering whether Steve Jobs will announce news about the Apple TV, a product that never gained the traction of the company’s other products.

If you inspect the package of almost any household item—from a Frisbee to a tube of toothpaste to a Brooks Brothers bow tie—you’ll notice a patent number on it somewhere. And according to the Wall Street Journal, those numbers are often expired. Considered anti-competitive, it’s illegal to display a patent number if it references one that’s expired.

The New York Post says after the latest round of Oval Office renovations, ‘The Beige House’ might be a more apt description of the president’s working quarters. In addition to new couches and hand-painted wall coverings, President Obama’s design team added personal touches like a bust of Martin Luther King Jr., photos of his family and a pen holder made from the wood of a ship used to fight the slave trade.

The NFL has created a nation of couch potatoes. USA Today says technological innovations have made the at-home viewing experience so good that the league is now having a hard time convincing fans to go to the stadium. To combat the trend that will likely continue once the NFL starts broadcasting in 3D, teams are offering smartphone applications that feature replays, analysis, and exclusive information available only to those who make the trek.

Facebook is expanding its omnipresence says USA Today. In addition to its 500 million users and an Aaron Sorkin-written film, the social networking giant just announce it will begin selling gift cards at Target later this month. The cards, which will be sold in $10, $25 and $50 dominations, can be used to play online games and buy virtual goods.

At seven miles an hour, Lucas Van Engen had lots of time to take in his surroundings. The actor was hired by Craftsman to drive a riding lawnmower across the country says the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. And after 99 days on the road, Van Engen says he’s learned a few piece of invaluable information—like where the country’s oldest bartender lives and how to use blades to scare away curious dogs. VIDEO