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After the 1917 Russian Revolution, there was a debate over what to do with the spectacular jewels that had symbolized the power and wealth of the czars. Most have remained in the Kremlin, but some can't be traced.

Writers for past presidents say President Obama must be visionary and inclusive but also realistic in his second inaugural address. And many of the usual speechwriting crutches are off-limits: no jokes, no statistics and no funny quotes.

In New Jersey, thousands of discarded Christmas trees have dodged the wood chipper and hit the beach instead. They're being used to jump-start new dunes, but scientists warn that these man-made dunes could be less sturdy than dunes that form naturally.

Environmental activists organized a massive rally on the National Mall on Sunday to protest the Keystone pipeline and pressure the Obama administration to take action to counter climate change. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren talks about the rally with host Jacki Lyden.

A massive civil lawsuit over liability for the worst oil disaster in U.S. history goes to trial next week in New Orleans. The U.S. Justice Department and Gulf states say BP was grossly negligent and put profits over safety, leading to the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon. Eleven rig workers were killed. Settlement talks have continued but states say they are pushing for a trial to make sure BP is held accountable and pays to restore the Gulf Coast environment and economy.

A pretrial hearing in the Sept. 11 case was suspended briefly last week to investigate allegations of eavesdropping. The commissions' chief prosecutor launched an investigation, and said no one was "listening, monitoring, recording" the proceedings. Defense attorneys seemed to take his word, which given the history of the commissions, is a baby step toward progress.

The rules adopted by House GOP leaders in recent years are leaving Speaker John Boehner little room to maneuver. To reach an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff, he may have to break at least one of them, analysts say.

After the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to recognize the Palestinians as a non-member state, Israel announced it would expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. If completed, the project would effectively divide the West Bank in two, according to the Palestinians.

As Congress and the White House wrestle over a variety of expiring tax breaks due to take effect Jan. 1, accountants and other financial professionals face tough questions from their clients. The pros are also in the dark; the best they can offer is advice on various possible outcomes in the fiscal cliff talks.

The Internet has vastly broadened the market for matching children with prospective parents. While some welcome the shift, a new report finds that the rise of Web-based adoption providers also raises ethical concerns.