NATIONAL
Bush talks about troop decision
President Bush justified his decision to send 21,500 more troops and more than $1 billion in aid to Iraq, saying in a prime-time TV address last night that the new push would speed the day when American forces could come home. pg 1a
Higher minimum wage OK'd
The House's Democratic majority, exercising its new political power, approved yesterday the first increase in the federal minimum wage in a decade - from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. The measure now heads to the Senate. pg 3a
MARYLAND
DJ found not guilty in death
A city Circuit Court judge found a disc jockey not guilty yesterday of strangling his girlfriend after a trial that stuck on the question of whether the woman had committed suicide. pg 1b
Arundel smoking ban proposed
Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold proposed yesterday prohibiting smoking at county establishments, calling it a way to promote public health and boost the local economy. pg 3b
TODAY
Levinson's perfect NFL script
Barry Levinson imagines a perfect script - a Ravens victory over the Colts and later winning another Super Bowl for the town the NFL once forgot. pg 1c
Purple is always an 'in' color
Purple is the color of kings, emperors and dinosaurs. It seems the color that stands for passion, power and the Ravens always is in style. pg 1c
Ground rent legislation pushed
Several Maryland legislators pledged yesterday to push through emergency legislation to immediately halt the creation of new ground rents, as the first in a package of proposed changes. pg 1a
Home sales fall, but prices gain
Home sales fell sharply to pre-boom levels in the region in 2006 in the first full year of a nationwide housing slump, but average prices still showed a modest gain, according to data. pg 1d
WORLD
Ex-Gaza settlers want to rebuild
Former Gaza settlers want to build again in the Palestinian territories, and they plan to construct a settlement in the hills of the Jordan Valley in the West Bank. pg 1a
20 linked to Al-Qaida targeted
Ethiopia's prime minister said yesterday that the U.S. military targeted 20 high-level members of an Islamic movement linked to al-Qaida in an airstrike Monday in Somalia. An aide to the Somali president said a senior al-Qaida figure was killed. pg 12a
SPORTS
Terps lose to Hurricanes
The Maryland men's basketball team suffered a 63-58 loss to Miami at Comcast Center and dropped to 0-2 in the ACC. pg 1e
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