Photos show Congresswoman Giffords

HOUSTON | Images of a smiling Rep. Gabrielle Giffords were posted Sunday on her Facebook page, photos that show her with shorter hair but few signs that she suffered a gunshot wound in the head. The photos were taken May 17 outside the rehabilitation facility where Giffords has been undergoing treatment since she was wounded in the Jan. 8 attack in Tucson, Ariz. Since then, access to the Arizona congresswoman has been tightly controlled. Until Sunday, no clear images had been released. Giffords spokesman

C.J. Karamargin said staff members released the photos Sunday to help satisfy “intense interest in the congresswoman’s appearance.” The timing coincides with plans to release Giffords from the hospital later this month or in early July. But the photos give little indication of Giffords’ cognitive abilities — what, for example, her speech is like after being shot in the left side of the head. The images also provide no hints as to when, or if, she will be able to resume her job. Pia Carusone, Giffords’ chief of staff, has indicated that while the congresswoman is able to speak and walk, she remains a shadow of her former self.