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A lot of residents in the Rockaway section of Queens walk around wearing surgical masks. The streets are jammed with sanitation trucks, supply trucks and tractors. It looks and sounds like a construction area, but it's not. It's a demolition zone as residents gut their homes to fight mold.

Andrew Solomon's new book is about families with children who are profoundly different or likely to be stigmatized. "We all love flawed children," says Solomon, "and the general assumption that these more extreme flaws make ... children somehow unlovable — it wasn't true of most of my experience."

Robert Siegel talks with Yaser Tabbara, spokesman for a newly formed umbrella organization of Syrian opposition groups. The coalition, forged over the weekend in Doha, is much broader than its predecessor, the Syrian National Council, bringing together roughly 90 percent of Syria's opposition. Tabbara, an attorney typically based in Chicago, helped broker the coalition's agreement.

The petition from Texas has received more than 28,000 signatures, requiring a response from the White House. The petitioners claim that seceding would put their states back in line with the founding fathers.

Oberhausen — Germany's most indebted city — borrows nearly $500,000 daily. It needs the funds not just to keep itself afloat but also to make regular payments intended to revitalize former East German cities. Critics say the payments are unwarranted when Oberhausen itself is in such dire straits.

Some Republicans say Romney's loss is partly the fault of conservative media that kept overstating the candidate's real strength.

Boardwalks are the commercial anchors of many beach towns. But as a result of Hurricane Sandy, boardwalks in New Jersey towns like Seaside Heights and Belmar lie buckled and shredded. Now, the people there are assessing the damage and figuring out what it will take to rebuild.

President Obama is meeting with labor leaders at the White House on Tuesday — the first in a series of meetings aimed at avoiding automatic tax increases and spending cuts in the new year. The newly re-elected president is hoping to translate victory at the ballot box into success in shaping policy.

Denmark plans to abolish its so-called fat tax after barely a year, citing hardships on business and the poor. And while some Danes might celebrate by spreading on the "toothbutter," other countries are watching closely for signs of whether regulating food works as a way to get people to eat healthier.

Irish writer Colm Toibin's novella recounts familiar stories of the New Testament, as seen through the eyes of Jesus' mother. But this isn't the iconic blushing virgin you're used to seeing. Toibin's Mary is modeled after the fierce heroines of Greek tragedies — and she is filled with anger.

Men have always outnumbered women on America's roads, but that's no longer the case. According to the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, the switchover happened in 2010.

The Los Angles Lakers have hired a new head coach but not everyone is sold on the choice of Mike D'Antoni. He replaces Mike Brown, who was fired just five games into the season when the talent-loaded team was 1-4. Many fans wanted the Lakers to hire Phil Jackson, who was ready to come out of retirement to take over the team again.

British author Ian McEwan is known for multilayered tales with surprise endings, and his latest novel doesn't disappoint. The story of a Cold War intelligence agent who falls for the target of her investigation is sprinkled with hints of subversive intents, making it a clever bonbon of a book.

"GIF," as in the file type, has been chosen as Oxford Dictionary's American word of 2012. It's short for graphic interface format. The runner up? "YOLO," which is short for "You only live once."

In fiction, Ann Beattie channels first lady Pat Nixon, while Ben Marcus looks at the consequences of nasty rhetoric, and Jonathan Odell imagines a slave healer's life. In nonfiction, the creators of Portlandia offer a guided tour of Portland, Ore., and Ellen Forney reflects on her bipolar disorder.

If the government goes over the "fiscal cliff," millions of households could see tax increases because of an obscure part of the tax code, known as the alternative minimum tax. Host Michel Martin talks with NPR Business Editor Marilyn Geewax about exactly what could happen and who would be affected.

The alternative minimum tax is looming over about 27 million more taxpayers this year. It's just one part of the so-called fiscal cliff — a big cluster of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that will occur if Congress does not act. Those taxpayers could end up paying an average of $3,700 more without a fix.

The discovery of new foods by chefs of the prehistoric age may have helped our human ancestors evolve, archeologists say. Hominins that lived about 3 million years ago began eating grasses and sedge, which helped them survive in different environments.

This is the first time in the award's 64-year history that the honor goes to a car without an internal combustion engine. The magazine said the Model S is a testament to the greatness of American engineering.

Marcus Brauchli has been the Post's top editor since 2008. He'll stay with the company, focusing on new media opportunities. Martin Baron leaves Boston to join the Post on Jan. 2.