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Emergency managers in New Orleans had been debating whether the levee system would work in a major hurricane before Katrina hit. Federal funding cuts left many projects undone and local engineers were not surprised when water surged into New Orleans.

Pakistani security officials now say several terrorist operatives were killed in a U.S. airstrike that claimed 18 lives last week. But the attack missed al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri -- and the outcome illustrates the difficulty of tracking down al Qaeda leaders.

With the nomination of Judge John Roberts as U.S. chief justice likely to be confirmed, the stage is set for what could be a contentious battle over the nominee who takes Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's place. That nominee has a chance to change the direction of the court.

In the U.S. Senate, lawmakers are considering changes to a massive energy bill. Over the past four years, this bill has already fallen short of passage several times. Some legislators welcome the debate after the heated partisan fights over judicial nominees.

The White House faces renewed criticism after The New York Times reports President Bush signed an order in 2002 that allowed domestic spying. The order authorized the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on Americans in the United States without court order.

Democrats are running an ad in Montana scorching GOP Sen. Conrad Burns for taking $136,000 from Jack Abramoff, the well-connected lobbyist in trouble for huge casino tribe billings. Burns got a $3 million appropriation for an Abramoff client. The Republicans are crying foul, saying he did it to help two Democratic senators.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been talking tough in his bid to take control of the city's large, troubled school district. Such a takeover could put Villaraigosa at odds with the teachers' union, a group he once served as a labor organizer.

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has said that in calling for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, he is passing on the views of military personnel. People on all sides of the debate in Iraq say the military is with them. But verifying such claims can be difficult, since troops are supposed to avoid direct involvement in political debates.

The Boston-based composer is remembered, 100 years after his birth, for a string of three-minute pops-concert classics such as "Sleigh Ride," "The Typewriter" and "The Syncopated Clock."

George Tillman Jr.'s sketch of the life and death of the Notorious B.I.G. looks at how the Brooklyn rapper changed hip-hop. Corey Takahashi takes a look back at the man who would become Biggie Smalls.