Nov. 23, 2009 Raisin Monday, Beatles penguins, Sarah Palin book signing, news and features.

Get up close and personal with famous faces, including Eva Mendes, Hilary Swank, Salma Hayek and other celebrities.

The nation's rising unemployment has afflicted young African Americans at greater rates than any other socioeconomic group, reaching Great Depression proportions and accelerating a reversal of hard-won economic gains of the 1990s.

This week's events from around the world.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

Area elementary school students test out toys to see which are best for this gift-giving season in KidsPost's annual toy test.

Just weeks after Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead and 37 others wounded, some battalions must start looking ahead to an impending deployment to Afghanistan.

Cleveland Park's historical Tregaron Estate opens to the public after decades of battles between private owners and the forest's neighbors.

The Redskins went to Dallas seeking their first NFC East victory of the season.

Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried 17,650 sea creatures that have never known sunlight living nearly three miles below the sea. Scientists used deep-towed cameras, sonar and other technologies to find the species.

The adoptions of three dozen children were finalized in front of hundreds of family members, social workers and lawyers during the annual event.

In this bleak economy, the lines are growing long at organizations like Martha's Table, a nonprofit in the District where a record number of people wait each day for a bit of something -- food or clothing or medicine -- to see them through.

Mounted police, colorful floats and musical groups march through downtown Silver Spring on Nov. 21 for the annual event.

The Caps' late comeback bid falls short after Mike Green's shot caroms off the post.

A funeral was held Friday for the 9-year-old shot in his Columbia Heights apartment.

Few honors rival that of being invited to dine at the White House and through the years, presidents have used state dinners as a means of bringing dignitaries, celebrities and -- most importantly -- countries, together.

As a young black man with a passion for flying, Colin Banks is an anomaly. A senior at South Country Secondary School in Virginia, he has his sights on the U.S. Air Force Academy and dreams of becoming an Air Force fighter pilot.

As the entertainment industry powerhouse announces the end of her successful afternoon talk show, we look back at her years in broadcasting.

A few days after first meeting, Hagir Elawad and Medhat Ismail decided they'd found life partners in each other.

Researchers have been increasingly recognizing play as crucial to a child's social and emotional development and at schools like Oakridge Elementary School in Arlington, Va., preschools have been incorporating structured play into their programs.

Missoula native Melissa Meyer never expected that she would return home to Montana to rethink her future plans. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from George Washington University, moving home has become an unexpected time out to rethink future plans and the various roads she could take in the coming year.

Explore sculptures, scenes and slides created from two million pounds of ice at the Gaylord National Resort.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station for a one week stay to repair the outpost.

Lucrative slash-and-burn farming practices in the Indonesian island of Borneo are uncovering and drying out carbon-rich peat moss, causing fires that burn for weeks and gush carbon into the atmosphere.

Jeanne-Claude, well-known for large-scale, temporary art projects that she created with her husband, Christo, died Wednesday of complications after a brain aneurysm.

Washington snaps a six-game losing streak by defeating Cleveland, 108-91.

Animal Views Highlights of this week's gallery include a baby panda, the National Dog Show, elephants and some unusual birds.

"Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor" opens Thursday at the National Geographic Museum in Washington. The exhibition offers the public the rare chance to examine these lifelike figures up close, each sculpted by hand, no two faces alike. The 15 warriors that will be on exhibit at National Geographic are the largest group of them to tour the United States.

This is not your standard-issue holiday gift guide. Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration. So we turned to an assortment of notable locals and asked: Around the holidays, what is your favorite gift to give? Their suggestions range from classic to quirky, from elegant to offbeat.

In an increasingly interconnected world, school leaders reasoned, English is insufficient to succeed at international business or diplomacy, and thus foreign language instruction should be a top priority. However, lean budget years are testing that resolve, with parents and board members are debating whether to keep some of the programs in place.

This week's events from around the world including Bangladesh, Somalia, Rome and China captured in photographs.

A glimpse at the changing natural environment and how people might be affecting it.

With a daily caseload that has surged as much as 80 percent, the emergency room at Children's National Medical Center has become a local ground zero for the pediatric treatment of the H1N1 virus.

Hundreds go for a ride in old-fangled garb, proclaiming the return of the dandy.

As health-care reform proposals advance in Congress, one of the loudest controversies has erupted over how to make sure illegal immigrants do not benefit from government programs. Now, the lengths to which immigrants go to secure care, and the efforts of providers trying to serve them, suggest the challenges facing reformers.

The Broncos ride into town looking to end a two-game losing streak against the 2-6 Redskins.

In 2006, Chris Riley became the Republican chairman for St. Joseph County, Ind. At the time, he inherited a volunteer database consisting of 11 people and an antiquated Web site. Now, he sees the signs of a local Republican resurgence.

President Obama embarks on a nine-day tour of Asian countries, including Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea. Obama is expected to address topics such as security, environment, the economy and U.S.-Asia relations.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

Early next year, some 75 orangutans will relocate from a wildlife sanctuary to a remote forest in Central Kalimantan, an Indonesian province on the island of Borneo. After years of living with assistance from humans, can they survive?

After years of break ups and make ups, a life-threatening diagnosis made Hope Galley and William Kurpiel take a second look at their relationship -- and get it right.

As the rest of the world embraces French-inspired gastronomic luxury, young Parisians are becoming more casual, seeking out good food and wines at bargain prices.

Smar Abuagla is 13 years old and a typical American teenager. She also happens to wear a head scarf at school. In her own words, she describes how she arrived at this decision and how her classmates have come to regard her.

Eight years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, it still can take real courage for a girl to put on a headscarf and venture into a public middle or high school. When Smar Abuagla, 13, began wearing hers at Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston, the reactions from her peers were mixed.

Author Edward P. Jones's stories of black Washington have made him one of his generation's greatest writers.

Local rescue teams are providing foster homes for "surplus" dogs from Missouri puppy mills, many of whom have never been held and suffer from psychological and physical ailments.

Wednesday's Country Music Assocation Awards in Nashville served as the coronation of Taylor Swift as country's reigning queen. The 19-year-old singer won four awards including the evening's biggest honor, entertainer of the year, becoming the youngest ever to capture the prize.

Chris Clark has the decisive goal in the 11th round of the shootout to help the Capitals beat New York, 5-4.

At 81-years old, Lillian Orlich has spent almost 60 years working as an educator in Prince William county. And she's not done teaching yet.

People in the U.S. and abroad take time to honor military veterans during the annual holiday.

A look at this week's amazing moments in sports.

Redskins defensive end Albert Haynesworth, a two-time Pro Bowl participant, visited Woodburn Elementary School on Tuesday to encourage kids adopt healthy lifestyles.

Highlights of this week's gallery include an Eagle Owl, sea horses and a baby baboon.

This week's highlights in political events from Washington and across the country.

Mourners at a memorial service at Fort Hood remember the victims of a mass shooting that left 13 dead and 37 wounded.

John Allen Muhammad, a former soldier from Louisiana, and his teenaged sidekick, Lee Boyd Malvo, were responsible for killing ten people and wounding three in the Washington area during a cold-blooded sniper spree the fall of 2002. Muhammed is scheduled to be executed Tuesday, Nov. 10. Malvo is serving life in prison.

The expansion of global trade may enrich the U.S., but it has overwhelmed this manufacturing area beside the Blue Ridge Mountains. The region has lost more of its jobs to international competition than just about anywhere else in the nation, according to federal trade assistance statistics.

This week's events from around the world including Ukraine, Iraq, El Salvador and India captured in photographs.

Berliners celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall which for decades divided communism from democracy, east from west and families from each other.

Hurricane Ida swept through El Salvador, triggering floods and mudslides that killed more than 120 people in the Central American nation.

Darvin Moon, a logger from western Maryland, is back in the spotlight as one of the two finalists in this year's World Series of Poker No Limit Texas Hold 'em main event.

An Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire Thursday in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, Tex., killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens more.

Trailing at the beginning of the third period, the short-handed Caps get a lift from some unlikely sources in a 7-4 win over the Florida Panthers.

The Redskins return from their bye week with a 31-17 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta.

Gilbert Arenas and Andray Blatche lead the way at Verizon Center with 20 points apiece, but the Wizards lose to Phoenix for the sixth straight time, 102-90.

Loudoun and Arlington counties are among several of Washington's suburbs where a growing number of young, high-earning professionals reside. Even during an economic downturn, many of them have money to burn.

Swat teams and ambulances descended on the 16-story Gateway Center after multiple people were shot at the highrise office building.

Divorce had made Julie Avetta hesitant about tying the knot a second time. Then, she met Andrew Martin and found love all over again.

A tour of eight of Florida's Gulf Islands reveals that each key of the archipelago has a unique vibe -- offering enough variety to match any personality.

Maryland basketball's Greivis Vasquez is a star in College Park -- and a bright hope back home in Caracas, Venezuela.

Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar is the coolest new neighborhood bar on H Street NE, with a funky New Orleans-inspired decor, a lush patio, DJs spinning wide-ranging musical selections and an eclectic crowd.

Gaithersburg High School's football team reflects the diversity of the school.

This November marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Washington Post Editor Marc Fisher, who served as The Post's Berlin correspondent in 1989, remembers the jubilation on the streets and reflects on the lasting legacy of the fall of the wall.

First lady Michelle Obama has kept an active schedule throughout her first year in the East Wing.