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A girl runs under a canopy of blossoming cherry trees Wednesday at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in New York.

Seth Wenig/AP Photo

I Want Revenge, a contender for the 2009 Kentucky Derby, which is Saturday. Aboard the horse is jockey Joe Talamo.

Ed Reinke/AP Photo

Aleta Thompson, recently laid off from her job in energy conservation planning, sits at a downtown Seattle corner to listen to music after shopping Wednesday. Thompson said now that she was laid off, she had time to shop and was out “helping the economy.” The economy shrank by a 6.1 percent pace at the start of this year, as consumer spending rebounded but was outpaced by sharp business cutbacks and the biggest drop in U.S. exports in 40 years.

Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

The KU debate champions were honored in Topeka on Wednesday.

Photo by Scott Rothschild

Pigs roam in their pens Wednesday on Jeff Schmitt’s farm in Holy Cross, Iowa. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and others have suggested a new name, arguing that swine flu implies a problem with pork products. China, Russia and Ukraine are among countries that have banned pork imports from Mexico and parts of the United States affected by swine flu.

Jeremy Portje/Telegraph Herald Photo

Free State junior starter Hayden Emerson delivers to the plate during the fifth inning against Shawnee Mission South Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at Free State High School.

Photo by Nick Krug

Wal-Mart employees listen to a speech commemorating the opening of the new store Wednesday morning.

Photo by Philip Heying

A child stands in front of an opposition poster reading “Resign Saakashvili” during a protest rally Wednesday at the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi. Since the daily demonstrations began April 9, protesters have gathered in late afternoon at several sites in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city. On some days, tens of thousands have protested. But on others only relatively small crowds have gathered, and it is unclear whether the opposition can muster sufficient numbers to break the stalemate.

Shakh Aivazov/AP Photo

Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Co., right, discusses the future of his company with Stuart Bell, Kansas University’s dean of engineering, Wednesday in Bell’s office. Mulally visited his alma mater and met with KU students at Eaton Hall.

Photo by Philip Heying

Kate Dinneen, duty officer with Douglas County Emergency Management, drops a weighted line to the surface of the Kansas River to measure the water's level Wednesday at noon. The county is tracking the river's level as additional rain fell on Lawrence Wednesday on top of ground already saturated from the weekend storms.

Photo by Mike Yoder

Wal-Mart manager Ryan Edwards stands proudly in the mian aisle of his brand new store just after the grand opening at 7:30 this morning in Lawrence.

Photo by Philip Heying