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Rye was all but pushed off the market by sweeter, corn-based bourbon after Prohibition, but it might be coming back, no illegal still required. Bartenders from coast to coast seem to prefer its intense flavor for their cocktail creations.

Want a little more kick to your cocktail? Rina Rapuano explains how to infuse your liquor with citrus, spices and more. She shares recipes from some serious spirit-makers — for Mandarin Tea Vodka, Pecan-Infused Rye and Pineapple-Habanero Tequila.

The Seattle songwriter covers unsettling topics, including teen suicide and his own mother's experience with sexual abuse.

It was a busy year for federal authorities pursuing insider trading cases, such as the one against hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam. Investigators say that success comes largely from their decision to attack insider trading the way they take down the Mafia and drug cartels — with wiretaps, informants and cooperators.

Holiday Sales rose by less than 1 percent from the year before, according to MasterCard's SpendingPulse unit. That's the slowest growth in spending since the 2008 recession. Even online sales — which posted double digit gains over the past few years — were lackluster this year.

A sad tale's best for winter, as Shakespeare wrote — and reviewer Alan Cheuse recommends The Snow Child, a sad but ultimately hopeful winter tale touched with myth and fairytale. Cheuse says this novel about Alaskan homesteaders, out now in paperback, has "a mysterious onward-pulsing life force."

The call to the online shoe retailer lasted more than 10 hours. For one thing, the customer on the line wanted to know how the Zappos employee likes living in Las Vegas. The conversation even ended with a sale of Uggs boots.

Also: In video, commander of Syria's military police says he has defected; Egypt has a new constitution; gunman in Western New York left note saying that killing is "what I like doing best;" actors Jack Klugman and Charles Durning have died.

The comedian, who plays Tom Haverford on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation,just released a new comedy special directly on his website. He's also embarking on a multicity tour, where he'll be riffing on the things that terrify him — marriage, for instance, and babies.

The obesity rate in preschoolers dropped a fraction of a point between 2010 and 2003, a federal study found. Although the change was small, it may signal that the obesity epidemic has peaked.

The suburban Journal News took publicly available information to produce an interactive database. Critics say the newspaper has treated gun owners as if they are sex offenders.

Many Syrian children have lost family members and are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Even those who have fled into neighboring Turkey have not been able to leave the trauma behind.

The president's coming back to the White House from his vacation. But that was expected. Senators are returning to the Capitol, but don't seem to be in a hurry. And House members haven't yet been told to get back to work. Many signs point to a partial deal, if that, before the New Year's Eve "deadline."

NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics and reflects on some of the significant political moments of the year. He also faces off in a trivia battle with burgeoning political junkie Gabe Fleisher, a fifth grader who drafts a political newsletter everyday before school.

From a charming tale of the tooth fairy to the very grown-up fiction of Graham Greene, read by the very grown-up Colin Firth, Robin Whitten of AudioFile magazine picks some of 2012's best audiobooks for your holiday listening.

Both the House and the Senate were in session Sunday evening, but a bipartisan push by Senate leaders fell short. Monday is the last day to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts, though Congress may still reach a deal over the next few days.

Congressional negotiators have one more day to work out a compromise to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, or else taxes will go up across the board in the New Year. Both the House and the Senate convened Sunday, but a bipartisan push by Senate leaders fell short.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in a New York hospital for treatment of a blood clot. Clinton suffered a concussion after a fall earlier this month.

William Gibson's Neuromancer is a hacker classic. Author Nick Harkaway says it's also a door to a greater world. Is there a book that took you outside of your comfort zone? Tell us in the comments.

Talks continue on a deal to avoid automatic spending cuts and tax increases. But with just hours to go before they kick in, an agreement remained elusive.