Twitter's audience grew by 95 percent in March to 19.1 million visitors. TechCrunch says the company is now on track to top 50 million visitors some time this summer.

The state's Life Sciences Discovery Fund will receive $38 million in funding over the next two year budget cycle, a 41 percent cut. Xconomy reports that the compromise budget saves the fund from a previously proposed "death sentence."

Wells Fargo has raised objections over the pre-packaged bankruptcy plan of Charter Communications, the St. Louis cable company owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

First Jon Stewart. Now Oprah. Bacon Salt, founded by two former Jobster employees, got a major boost this week after their bacon flavored seasoning was featured on Oprah. That followed a humorous appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart where the comedian nearly barfed after guzzling some of the company's other product: Baconnaise. You can watch some of the prep work for the show on the Bacon Salt YouTube channel.

Robert Guth of The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating read on the relationship between Bill Gates Jr. and his father, Bill Gates Sr. The story leads with the so-called "water incident" when the elder Gates tossed a glass of water into the face of his argumentative 12-year-old son.

Seattle international health non-profit PATH, which has received considerable support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over the years, has received a contract and grant for as much as $52 million to continue work on helping people with HIV/AIDS.

Headline of the day comes via The New York Times: "With Kindle, can you tell its Proust?"