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Former House Speaker Tom Foley has died. The Washington Democrat spent 30 years in the House until he lost his seat in the 1995 Republican revolution. He went on to serve as ambassador to Japan under Clinton. Foley was 84 years old and died of complications from a stroke.

Not only are Chicago's schools troubled, the city's homicide rate spiked last year to its highest point in 10 years. Unemployment is 9 percent. And the city's deficit is looming near the $1 billion mark. That's just the short list of urgent problems facing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The new RoboRoach project allows users to influence the movements of cockroaches with a smartphone. Greg Gage of Backyard Brains says it's not brain control but more like the bridle of a horse. The RoboRoach just provides a sensation that makes the cockroach perceive an obstacle.

Earlier this year premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, became a recognized mental disorder. But not everyone is convinced that's a good idea. Some researchers worry that medicalizing this unrelenting form of PMS could be used against women, even though only a small percentage of women meet the criteria.

Two million Syrian children have been displaced by the war. Many have witnessed violence and experienced trauma that could have life-long consequences. One of the biggest challenges for international aid agencies is healing the invisible scars of the youngest victims.

New Jersey became the 14th state to allow same-sex marriage Monday when gay couples began marrying just after midnight. A state judge forced the state to recognize same-sex marriages. Initially, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appealed that ruling. But he dropped that appeal Monday, saying the New Jersey Supreme Court had already made clear how it would rule.

At auto plants, the tension is typically between the workers and the management. But not at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, where it's Republican officials who are trying to stand in the way. One of them is the Tennessee governor, who says a unionized plant might discourage other companies from coming to his state.

Janet Hamlin was the only courtroom sketch artist allowed at the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals in 2006. Her work has been collected in a new book, Sketching Guantanamo — and she tells NPR's Renee Montagne that getting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's nose right ended up being a challenge.

The demand for Russia's high-value timber is fueling organized crime, government corruption and illegal logging. The hardwood often ends up as flooring and furniture in the United States, Europe, Japan and China.

In August, Lynn Ellins, the clerk of Dona Ana County and a long-time supporter of same-sex marriage, decided to "put the ball in play" by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. More than 900 marriage licenses have been issued to gay couples across the state.