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In his new book, Washington Post correspondent Dan Balz offers an insider's account of the forces that shaped the political strategies of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, and the flaws and misfires that led to Romney's defeat. He discusses the 2012 campaign and the future of the Republican Party.

Carole King wrote songs for others before becoming a performer and writing for herself. In her memoir, A Natural Woman, she details the stories behind some of her most famous songs and her relationships with songwriters like James Taylor, Gerry Goffin and Paul Simon.

NPR conducted the poll of African-American communities with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. While the gap between the well-off and poor in the U.S. has stretched wide in recent years, we found that black Americans describe their financial divide as a nearly 50-50 split, and it affects how they view the world.

Locals in eastern Tennessee have been making moonshine for centuries. But until a few years ago, it was pretty hard for most distillers to do so legally. Now, entrepreneurs have turned their moonshine heritage into a way to boost the local economy and help farmers, too.

Coffee is social stimulant, solitary pleasure, intellectual catalyst. It also connects us to far corners of the globe. From small specialty farms in Guatemala to large, industrial operations in Brazil and unexpected corners of the world, like Vietnam, the world's morning cup of joe makes quite a journey.

The Supreme Court has sent a high-profile affirmation action case back to the lower courts. The case, Fisher v. University of Texas, concerned the admissions policy at the University of Texas, which uses race as one factor for some slots.

For years, salmon farming has gotten a bad rap from marine biologists, who say the fish grown in open-ocean net pens generate pollution, disease and parasites. But now, a few salmon farms have moved on land. From an environmental standpoint, some scientists say, that's "a huge step forward."

The targeting by IRS workers in Cincinnati of the filings of conservative groups for added scrutiny was an innocent mistake, said an agency official who apologized. But President Obama's critics see more nefarious motives in the action.

In California, activists and environmentalists are seeking to halt construction of a new $500 million rail yard next to the Port of Los Angeles. Activists say the massive project would mean even more pollution for nearby neighborhoods that already have some of the worst air in the country.

Sales of McDonald's new soy-based McVegan have far surpassed estimates in Sweden, where half the population says it's interested in more vegetarian options. Are diners just curious or truly lovin' it?