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The drama over the fiscal cliff and the familiar up-against-a-deadline dysfunction of Congress have largely overshadowed the leave-taking of some Capitol Hill originals. A look at the legacies of Barney Frank, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar and Joe Lieberman.

The former Soviet citizens who flooded into Israel two decades ago have changed the country's demographics, helped strengthen the economy and played a significant role in the general rightward shift of the Israeli electorate.

In Silicon Valley and around the world there are thousands of folks toiling away on new technologies, convinced that the thing they are building will transform the way we live. NPR's Steve Henn introduces us to five techies whose research and work he'll be keeping a close eye on in the coming year.

With the president in Hawaii and the bill back in Washington, D.C., a machine did the signing. That's been done before, and was declared to be legal by President George W. Bush's lawyers.

In an interview with NPR, Pelosi said the GOP has "made enormous contributions to the success of our country." But she added: "There are many members in the Republican caucus who do not believe in government. And bless their hearts, they act upon their beliefs."

At its height, American tennis consistently fielded the world's top male players. Now that American dominance is gone, so too are many of the top U.S. men's tournaments. They're moving overseas, snapped up by groups offering more lucrative payouts in a sport enjoying huge global appeal.

California Democrat Eric Swalwell, one of the youngest new members of Congress, defeated a 40-year incumbent for his seat. But his first challenge in Washington might be getting people to pronounce his name correctly.

By letting the House take up the Senate's fiscal cliff-dodging legislation that raises income tax rates on the wealthiest earners, Speaker John Boehner answered affirmatively a question that had been on many minds: Would he allow an up-or-down floor vote on a bill opposed by most fellow House Republicans?

For the first time since the Dec. 14 mass shooting, the children and educators are gathering. A nearby school building that was empty has been transformed into a new Sandy Hook Elementary. Twenty children and six adults were killed by a gunman who then took his own life.

Last year, American companies announced the fewest number of layoffs for any year since 1997. That's good news. In December, they added on 215,000 workers, according to a new survey. That's good news too. But last week more people filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance.