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Last month's school shootings in Connecticut have prompted communities large and small to hold gun buybacks. On the surface, they seem to have been a success, with record numbers of firearms recovered in some cities. But experts say such programs have limited value in reducing gun violence.

Now that Congress has removed some of the uncertainty over the "fiscal cliff," most forecasters are saying the U.S. economy will expand by about 2 percent in the new year. That's a sluggish pace, but strong enough to keep lowering unemployment and boosting housing. Prospects for aircraft makers and farmers are also looking promising, helped by exports.

Since 1900, citizen scientists across the Americas have braved bad weather and lack of sleep to participate in the yearly count — essentially, a bird-watching marathon. In the process, these birds have created the world's longest-running database in ornithology and given scientists a great tool for assessing the health of bird populations.

Health care has been a major focus in recent budget battles. New legislation provides a temporary fix in payments for doctors, but it will be paid for by a decade of cuts to hospitals. And a program for long-term-care insurance won't ever get off the ground.

Manti Te'o, who nearly won the Heisman Trophy, is at the center of what Deadspin calls a "hoax," in which the story of lost love was created to bolster his personal myth. The site is questioning the existence of a girl Te'o has said inspired him to new heights. He has not yet responded to the story; we'll update this post with any new information as it emerges.

Mitt Romney announced Saturday that his running mate is Paul Ryan, a Republican Congressman from Wisconsin. The two men launched a multi-day, multi-state bus tour Saturday morning. Host Guy Raz talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro, who's traveling with the Romney campaign.

Anti-nuclear protests are growing in Japan over Tokyo's decision to restart two nuclear reactors in the wake of the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Many Japanese fear another accident, but others say the lack of nuclear power will further hurt the ailing economy.

In reaction to the announcement that Congressman Paul Ryan is the GOP vice presidential candidate, guest host Linda Wertheimer speaks with the junior senator from Ryan's home state of Wisconsin, Ron John Johnson.

Despite having one of the lowest HIV rates in Europe, Greece's recent jump in the number of infections, particularly among injecting drug users, is alarming. Health workers blame cuts in health and social services, including the end of what had been a successful needle exchange program.

It's always been a challenge to make eastern music using western composition software. Until now. The musician Jace Clayton has invented a program called Sufi Plug Ins to adapt commonly-used software for international users.