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Despite uneven economic signals, the stock market boomed to record levels in 2013. To find out why, NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with Jeremy Siegel from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business about what's behind the rise, and what to expect in 2014.

Emergency unemployment benefits are ending, the auto bailout is over, and the Federal Reserve is scaling back its market support. All these are signs that federal stimulus is coming to an end. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with TIME magazine's Michael Grunwald about the winding down of government recovery efforts following the financial collapse of 2008.

Thirty-four firefighters died in the line of duty this year. The unusually high number is sparking a larger conversation about the dangers firefighters face as more homes are built in and around drought-stricken forests.

The Conversation Project is encouraging families to discuss their end-of-life preferences before it's too late. Founder Ellen Goodman speaks with NPR's Linda Wertheimer about helping people initiate these conversations, and why they are so important.

Fake stories on the Internet are not new, but their nature is changing. They seem to be more calculated, more elaborate and have a deeper intent to elicit a swell of emotion. Grantland writer Tess Lynch explains why she thinks 2013 was the year of the hoax — and which story even fooled her.

Children in low-income families hear dramatically fewer words, which often sets them back in school and later life. The gap was officially documented in the 1990s, but has persisted. Now an entire city is trying to close the divide.

Stories that titillate, amuse or arouse flash-in-the-pan outrage may be more widely read and shared than solid information. Celebrity and scandals have always attracted media attention, but in the Internet age, the balance is shifting more toward entertainment.

Fewer than 5,000 black rhinos are thought to exist in the wild, but the Dallas Safari Club is auctioning off a permit to hunt one down. It says the controversial fundraiser is a conservation effort.

The flare-up in tensions comes while Israelis and Palestinians negotiate a peace deal and just as Israel announced it would release 26 longtime Palestinian prisoners.

Ten cities and states have passed laws guaranteeing access to some kind of family leave this year, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. NPR's Jennifer Ludden speaks with director Vicki Shabo about efforts to make family leave mandatory.