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A massive civil lawsuit over liability for the worst oil disaster in U.S. history goes to trial next week in New Orleans. The U.S. Justice Department and Gulf states say BP was grossly negligent and put profits over safety, leading to the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon. Eleven rig workers were killed. Settlement talks have continued but states say they are pushing for a trial to make sure BP is held accountable and pays to restore the Gulf Coast environment and economy.

The Pentagon plans to notify members of Congress Wednesday about its plans to furlough some 800,000 civilian employees later this spring. That's just one consequence of the federal government's automatic spending cuts, which are due to take effect next week. President Obama is urging Congress to halt the cuts, at least temporarily, while lawmakers try to craft a more lasting budget agreement.

Chris Morgan Jones' The Jackal's Share finesses the fundamentals of the spy novel with admirable economy. The clever premise has our detective investigating his own client in order to certify his sterling character. Naturally, complications arise.

In New Jersey, thousands of discarded Christmas trees have dodged the wood chipper and hit the beach instead. They're being used to jump-start new dunes, but scientists warn that these man-made dunes could be less sturdy than dunes that form naturally.

The federal government once considered whistle-blowers a nuisance, or worse. But over the past few years, that attitude has slowly started to change. More agencies have been reaching out for tips about fraud and abuse, even if digging through the stacks of complaints can present a challenge.

A pretrial hearing in the Sept. 11 case was suspended briefly last week to investigate allegations of eavesdropping. The commissions' chief prosecutor launched an investigation, and said no one was "listening, monitoring, recording" the proceedings. Defense attorneys seemed to take his word, which given the history of the commissions, is a baby step toward progress.

A 2009 White House memorandum protects federal scientists from political interference. But a watchdog group alleges that federal officials allowed politics to affect the design of a scientific study — exactly the sort of abuse the directive was designed to prevent.

GOP voters welcomed Newt Gingrich as he campaigned in South Carolina this week. Gingrich crossed the state from the coastal counties to the mountains as he continued to rise in some polls. The former House Speaker is showcasing his experience and his ideas to Southern Republicans as he vies to become the GOP presidential nominee.

Fresh Air's resident linguist explains how the magic of metonymy gave "occupy" its symbolism — and how the word implies a culture that made a bunch of protests feel like a movement.

The accuser tells an Atlanta TV station that she had a physical relationship with the Republican presidential candidate for 13 years. Cain says that while the accuser was a "friend," their relationship was not sexual.