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President Obama started the first round of talks Friday about how to avoid fiscal calamity. He has been pushing to end Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, a plan strongly opposed by some House Republicans. But in the end, a deal with the House may come down to Speaker John Boehner and the president.

Several top government officials have been caught up in an embarrassing cheating scandal — including the defense minister, who resigned as a result, and the education minster, who is under investigation for her doctoral dissertation. An informal group of "plagiarism police" has undertaken the hunt.

The stunning resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, a retired 4-star general, has been followed by an investigation into potentially inappropriate communications between Gen. John Allen and a woman in Tampa.

Two top food policy experts square off on the role the food industry should play in the global battle against obesity recently, and the answers are as complex, interconnected and political as ever.

Once referred to as the Muslim Brotherhood's "spare tire," Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has proven much more formidable than many Egyptians expected. But critics say his latest moves, including one to push through a hastily drafted constitution, could tear Egypt apart.

Venezuelan officials say their president Hugo Chavez remains in a "delicate" condition in a Havana hospital following his fourth cancer surgery. If Chavez cannot be sworn in to a new presidential term on Jan. 10, a process of selecting a new president will begin. How well prepared is the U.S. government is for a post-Chavez Venezuela?

President Obama has nominated his counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, to lead the CIA. Brennan's work with the agency under George W. Bush has been controversial, and he's also drawn criticism for his lead role in the Obama administration's use of unmanned drones.

As its economy prospers, the country has gained an enviable reputation in its often-turbulent West African neighborhood. It's admired for being a relative oasis of stability and peace in the region — despite tensions in the build-up to the vote.

NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, about a block from each other. During a visit to StoryCorps, Van recalled the day he first noticed Shirley: "She was about 10 years old, and she was beating up a couple of guys. ... I said, 'Geez, I'd like to meet a girl like that.' "