For five months, Connie Culp lay hidden from public view as she, America’s first face transplant recipient, healed. The mother of two has many more months of surgeries ahead, but she recently showed her still swollen and misshapen face to the world in a bevy of press conferences and talk shows. Shot by her husband before he turned the gun on himself, she suffered four agonizing years unable to see, eat, breathe or smell on her own. Doctors chose Ms. Culp for the transplant because of her resiliency, which was apparent at her husband’s trial — she asked the court for leniency on his behalf and told reporters that she had forgiven him. Thomas Culp will finish his seven-year sentence in 2012.

When California voters overturned a state supreme court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, opponents thought they had momentum. Then Vermont, Iowa, and Maine enacted gay marriage laws, and New Hampshire may not be far behind. Now the federal government has been drawn into the fight. Washington D.C. approved recognition of gay marriages from other states, but the law can be overturned if the U.S. House and U.S. Senate pass a joint resolution that President Obama signs. Meanwhile, some gay-rights advocates are disenchanted with the president, who has been notably silent on recent events and who has tried to straddle the issue. Of course, he’s not alone. Besides the highly motivated partisans on both sides, it seems like the only person weighing in publically is Miss California.

An unfamiliar breeze swept through boardrooms and trading floors this week—an air of optimism. Many earnings reports, though lower, still beat expectations, adding fuel to the months-long stock rally. While acknowledging a slow recovery and lingering unemployment, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke — among others —think the recession could be over this year. Stress tests showing that banks need a less-than-expected $75 billion in extra capital, prompting Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to express “reasonable confidence” in securing more funds. The global economic outlook looks similarly less gloomy. So breathe in the unusual air while it lasts.

Thousands are fleeing a major Pakistan military offensive into the Swat Valley, where a controversial truce with Taliban militants has broken down. The Taliban had used a recent lull in fighting to capture Buner, a city only 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad. Locals have chafed under fundamentalist rule, but the U.S. is more concerned about what will happen to the country's nuclear weapons if the country falls to Islamists. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met with President Obama in Washington to discuss the situation. Hillary Clinton has already called the Taliban advances an "existential threat" to Pakistan, echoing some foreign-policy experts who say it's already too late to keep the nation from disintegrating into religious fiefdoms. 

Manny Pacquiao’s second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton further cemented his reputation as the best boxer, pound-for-pound. The only remaining question concerning PacMan is whether he belongs in the boxing pantheon alongside Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Sugar Ray Robinson. Filipinos, of course, have already projected mythical qualities onto Pacquiao, who plays the guitar, sings, and may even appear in a new “Rocky” movie. Politics beckons, as well. And a new mega-fight may loom. Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. – Ring Magazine’s previous pound-for-pound champ - announced his comeback the day of the Pacquiao-Hatton bout. At this point, perhaps only the swine flu can rain on the Manny parade.

Mexico had to cancel festivities during its H1N1-imposed shutdown, but the rest of the world could still celebrate the holiday that commemorates that nation’s fighting spirit. Cinco de Mayo honors the 1862 Battle of Puebla, when an outgunned Mexican army held its own against Napoleon III’s troops. Victory was short-lived, but the date has become an opportunity to celebrate all things Mexican. The country could use some cheering up, given the stigma of being ground zero in the swine flu outbreak. Fears over H1N1’s effects eased by the time Mexico emerged from its economic and social hibernation, but that may not last long: WHO just floated a scenario in which nearly 2 billion might eventually be infected.

Former senator John Edwards is under grand jury investigation this week to determine if he used campaign funds to hush mistress Rielle Hunter during his run for president. Coincidentally, his wife Elizabeth Edwards appeared Thursday on "Oprah" to promote her new book, "Resilience." The book details the trials Edwards endured during her husband's presidential campaign—namely, her fight with cancer and John's confessed affair with Hunter. But not all readers are sympathetic. Some say Mrs. Edwards' initial silence about the affair enabled her husband to run a costly campaign that was doomed to fail. Others question the impact her book will have on her children. Regardless, "Elizabeth Edwards" is spiking four times higher in Search than "John Edwards." We smell a bestseller (and if a paternity test is taken, maybe a sequel).

Mine That Bird's stretch run in the Kentucky Derby resulted in a 6 3/4-length victory and the second-largest Derby payout ever. Although Calvin Borel, who also jockeyed last year's winner, rode the horse, Mine That Bird went off a 50-1 longshot and drew less than one half percent of the $104 million bet on the race. That's a difficult enough pick, but also predicting the three horses that finished behind the victorious gelding might be classified a miracle. Just 23 people guessed the top four horses, a bet called the superfecta, paying out $278,503 on a $1 gamble. But there was an easier (and rare) way to make money: Betting $1 on every superfecta combination would have cost you just $93,024, netting you $185,479 in profit. Mine that Bird now moves on to the Preakness.