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The Supreme Court may soon decide if the federal government will recognize same-sex marriage, a decision with profound implications for unions between American citizens and their foreign-born spouses. The family of one Washington, D.C.-area couple is "watching for that decision big time."

After sifting through thousands of submissions for our short-story contest, we have found a winner. This round, guest judge Karen Russell asked you to write a story in which a character finds something he or she has no intention of returning.

In California, activists and environmentalists are seeking to halt construction of a new $500 million rail yard next to the Port of Los Angeles. Activists say the massive project would mean even more pollution for nearby neighborhoods that already have some of the worst air in the country.

Nearly 1 in 4 tell pollsters they're having a hard time paying for needed prescription medicine; 1 in 3 say they struggled to pay bills from hospitals or doctors last year.

President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963 in an effort to abolish wage discrimination based on gender. Half a century later, the Obama administration is pushing Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, designed to make wage differences more transparent.

Snowden, 29, says he was a mediocre student but that his computer skills landed him a job with the CIA. It was there, he says, that he became convinced that surveillance programs are violating Americans' rights to privacy. Now, he's stepped forward to say he leaked secrets about those programs.

Also: U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey to be given second term; the best books coming out this week.

The trial gets started Monday in Florida. George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder. Experts say prosecutors will look for young jurors, while the defense will focus on older people. Trayvon's death sparked protests and a national discussion about race relations.

Also: Nelson Mandela remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition; Apple has some announcements to make; and was the Tony Awards' opening the best ever?

The credit rating agency had previously listed the United States' credit outlook as negative. They cited improved tax receipts and the attention being paid to the long-term budget as reasons for the upgrade.