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Justices on the nation's highest court announce they will take up cases involving California's Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, and a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act. Analysts say the court might confine itself to determining jurisdiction, not the merits of the cases' claims.

When we go to the movies, we want our heroes big and our villains bigger. But Hollywood actors are only slightly taller, on average, than their fans. NPR critic Bob Mondello takes a look at actors' heights: who's commandingly short, or diminutively tall.

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.

Superstorm Sandy didn't do as much damage as was expected to the nation's employment situation, at least that's what the government's monthly data on the jobs market told us yesterday when it showed the nation's unemployment rate drop to 7.7 percent. Analysts and businesses, however, are already looking past that report to the dangers to jobs from the fiscal cliff.

In many countries, the very young have zero interest in politics. After decades of conflict, however, Gaza is an intensely political place and its young people were out in force to give Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal a hero's welcome — even though many are still suffering the effects of the recent eight-day missile offensive.

The cheese-and-spinach-filled food called a boyo was once served on the Shabbat tables of Jews who lived in the Ottoman Empire. Today, the Turkish-style pastries are mostly reserved for the holidays.

About 10 years ago, some nasty bacteria became impervious to some common classes of antibiotics. Scientists have sequenced genome samples of this superbug from all over the world. The results helped them figured out how it emerged in the U.S. and then moved to Europe, Australia and Asia.

Congress had hoped to be out of town for the holidays by the end of this week. That's not looking likely anymore, with the negotiations on efforts to avert automatic tax hikes and spending cuts moving slowly, if at all. Tamara Keith talks to Audie Cornish.

Cash registers may be on the wane in some stores as more retailers help customers complete purchases using mobile devices. It's convenient for shoppers, and retailers benefit by leaving customers less time to change their mind about a purchase.

The singer died in an airplane that crashed in the early hours of Sunday morning in Toluca, Mexico. She was a household name and feminist presence in the Latin music scene.