Metro - National

US – Friday, November 20

Hurricane Katrina: U.S. gov’t liable for damage

A U.S. judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers was negligent in maintaining a key navigational channel in New Orleans and was liable for some damage caused by massive flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

OPRAH TO QUIT IN ’11

The end is near.

What women want: Wilmer

How does Wilmer Valderrama do it? The actor has dated a bevy of Hollywood beauties, from Mandy Moore to Lindsay Lohan (pre-career implosion) to Hilary Duff. He’s even claimed that Ashlee Simpson and Jennifer Love Hewitt have had a piece of Vaderrama-action.

The saga continues with rush of ‘New’ blood

REVIEW. No matter how this review of ‘New Moon’ ends, whether this critic loves or loathes the film, is irrelevant. If you’re one of the legions of “Twi-Hards,” you’ll be stepping on heads to see it this weekend anyway.

Wall Street dips after bad outlook for Target

NEW YORK. U.S. stocks fell yesterday after discount retailer Target gave a cautious holiday season outlook, but positive brokerage comments on tech bellwether Microsoft helped limit losses.

Annie Lennox: ‘I am my own aids campaign’

Annie Lennox has been an icon since shooting to fame with the Eurythmics two decades ago. The “Greatest White Soul Singer Alive” won a 2004 Academy Award for best original song. But these days, Lennox’s heart belongs less to Billboard charts than to dying children. She campaigns on behalf of African children infected with AIDS. She talked exclusively to Metro.

Experts: Homegrown terror biggest threat

Terrorist incidents over the past 12 months show that Islamic extremists within the U.S. increasingly are launching attacks against targets such as military bases, antiterrorist experts said Thursday.

National

AOL plans to lay off a third of employees

AOL plans to cut one-third of its work force, or about 2,500 jobs, in an effort to trim some $300 million in costs as part of the Web company’s planned spin-off from Time Warner Inc.

National

Housing construction falls, inflation edges up

Construction of new homes in the United States hit a six month low in October, providing more evidence of the economy's sluggish recovery, while a surge in the cost of new and used vehicles lifted consumer prices.

National

Reid health care bill hits Obama’s cost target

A Senate health care reform plan to be unveiled yesterday meets President Barack Obama’s goals on costs and deficit reduction, budget analysts said, a finding that could boost its chances in a sharply divided Senate.

Food safety likely to get ’10 overhaul

A Senate committee voted unanimously yesterday to increase government oversight of food safety but the first significant overhaul in 50 years may not happen until 2010.

National

Residents fight for the right to hang laundry

Carin Froehlich pegs her laundry to three clotheslines strung between trees outside her 18th century farmhouse, knowing that her actions annoy local officials who have asked her to stop.

National

‘Going Rogue’ No. 1, but not for everyone

With “Going Rogue: An American Life,” Sarah Palin has taken on those she thinks destroyed her chance to be vice president — from the media to John McCain’s advisers — and in the process risen to the top of the charts.

National

Scientists win honors

Eight young scientists at the start of groundbreaking careers were recognized for their work on Monday.

Photo: NICOLAUS CZARNECKI/METROHouse plans jobs action before Jan. 1

Democrats in the House aim to pass job-creating legislation before the end of the year to ease double-digit unemployment levels that threaten the economic recovery, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday.