Google News now has two recommendation services built in: "Recommended Articles" and "Most Popular." Recommended articles are based on your personal choices of news articles - as you read more (assuming you have your search history turned on), it will begin to suggest to you recent articles worth reading. So far its not exactly in real time and not entirely targeted like engines such as Findory, but more grouped by sub-categories. Most Popular articles are based on what everyone in aggregate is reading.
Also of note: Google is generating a lot of buzz for their decision to turn down the Federal Justice Department's request for search query records. To date, MSN, Yahoo and AOL have all agreed, but Google has stood their ground. Apparently no information that is being requested would be even remotely personally identifiable, but Google is concerned with the slippery slope of handing over their data, and the public confusion that would occur over the what can be linked to individuals. Also, their "do no evil" mantra pretty much requires them to stay firm as long as possible, though the Justice Deparment has requested a court order to force their hand.
