USA
Looking to defend themselves in 9/11-related cases, major US airlines and aviation-related companies sued the CIA and FBI Tuesday in an effort to gain access to special investigators of the terrorist attacks. The litigants, who face lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in damages for injuries, fatalities, and property damage stemming from the terrorism, say they're entitled to evidence that shows they weren't negligent in preventing the attacks.
The impacts of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Louisiana's population were more disruptive than previously reported, according to a new study by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Besides the 398,000 people who moved away from 18 parishes, another 151,000 relocated within the area.
Scientists have discovered a new planet 1,400 light-years away that is the largest in the universe, about 20 times the size of Earth. TrES-4, as the planet is called, is a 2,300-degrees F. ball of mostly hydrogen that probably has no really firm surface, astronomers said.
In an effort to send a fire-safety message to the public, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged 10 people Tuesday with carelessly starting wildfires that burned thousand of parched California acres during the past four years. The misdemeanors included starting campfires illegally and failing to take proper precautions when operating power equipment.
Virgin America Inc., the low-cost airline backed by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, launched Wednesday in the US after two years spent surmounting regulatory hurdles. Its first flight was delayed by a torrential New York rainstorm that flooded subways and rail lines, stranding commuters for two hours or more.
The supermarket industry does the best job of serving consumers, according to a Harris Poll that ranks various industries. Ninety-two percent of adult customers say supermarkets generally do a good job. Online search engines and computer companies also scored well, while tobacco companies were given the lowest marks.
The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn., named singers Vince Gill and Mel Tillis along with disc jockey Ralph Emery as 2007 inductees. Formal enshrinement will occur in October.
