1. General John Abizaid will appear before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to discuss the course of the war in Iraq. Congressional Democrats will likely use the appearance to press for the start of a troop withdrawal from Iraq. The hearing is the first since the election and the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

2. Thousands of residents in Japan have evacuated to higher ground after a powerful earthquake rocked several islands off the country's coast. The magnitude 8.1 quake caused many to fear that a tsunami could hit the region.

3. US Airways is offering 8 billion dollars in cash and stock for Delta Airlines once Delta comes out of bankruptcy. If the deal's approved, it would create one of the world's largest airlines operating under the Delta name.

4. O.J. Simpson is putting out a new book called "If I Did It". In the book, Simpson discusses how he would have committed the killings of his ex-wife and her friend if he were responsible for the crimes. He is also appearing in a 2 part television interview to air on Fox.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

put out : PHR-V
If you put out an announcement or story, you make it known to a lot of people.