Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

The first paper money:

was issued in the U-S on this date in 1862. The denominations of the notes were $5, $10 and $20. These notes were redeemable in coin on demand, which is why, back then, they were called "Demand notes." But because of the green ink used to print these notes they became known as Green Backs.
   Trivia: What is the largest denomination ever printed? Answer: $100,000 Gold Certificate of 1934 featuring the portrait of President Wilson. This note existed only for official transactions and none of them ever circulated outside Federal Reserve banks. Currently, the highest denomination bill in circulation is the $100 bill, after President Nixon told the Federal Reserve to take the high-denomination bills out of circulation in 1969 as an anti-drug measure. Slate.com reports that as of 2009, there were only 336 of the $10,000 bills in circulation; 342 remaining $5,000 bills; and 165,372 $1,000 bills still being used.

Small-town politics:

Here's what Florida's contentious U-S Senate race has come down to: Republican Gov CHARLIE CRIST is accusing former Florida House Speaker MARCO RUBIO of... getting a back wax! He told Fox's GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, "...it has come out in news accounts he had a Republican Party of Florida credit card that he charged (a) $130-dollar haircut, or maybe it was a back wax --we are not sure what all he got at that place."
   Crist and Rubio are currently locked in a nasty battle for the Republican Senate nomination, although the winner is all but a lock to win the general election. Several polls show both Crist and Rubio ahead of the Democratic front runner in hypothetical matchups. (Pacelli)
   Editor's note: A back wax. Glad to see they're hitting all the big issues in this campaign. (Maiman)

Broadcast, cable and video news:

How long did it take for DAVID LETTERMAN to beat JAY LENO? A total of five days.
   Overnight Nielsen ratings show Monday night's "Tonight Show" pulled down a 1.1 rating of adults aged 18-49, while  Dave's "Late Show" had a 1.3 rating. Dave also laid a beat-down on Jay with adults 25-54, with a 1.6 rating to Jay's 1.4 rating.
   The one place Leno still wins: total viewers, 4.36 million to 4.19 million.

Reality Round-Up:

CBS has renewed its surprise hit series, "Undercover Boss," for a second season.

Designer Update:

Retailing Today reports that snowboarder SHAUN WHITE and his brother, JESSE, are designing an exclusive line of skateboarder shoes for Target that will debut this fall. (Kaye)

Casting Call:

Can you see ROBERT DE NIRO as famed football coach VINCE LOMBARDI of the Green Bay Packers? Evidently the folks at ESPN Films can, since they've hired the "Raging Bull" actor to play the legendary coach, who died in 1970 at age 57. The film is expected to be released just before the 2012 Super Bowl.
   Lombardi led The Pack to become five-time NFL champions in the 1960s after starting out with one of the league's worst teams --if not the worst.

Look what I found:

A 101-year-old woman in China thinks she has a horn growing out of her head. If it turns out to be true --she'll have a matching pair.
   Ananova.com says ZHANG RUIFANG of Henan province already has a 2-inch horn on the left side of her forehead (picture). Now, a small lump has appeared on the right side, too.
   Zhang's family says the horns started out as a small rough patch of skin, then kept growing.
   She has no money to see a doctor and have them removed. Zhang says, luckily, the horns aren't painful.
   Editor's note: Unless she head-butts you. (Still)