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Author Hortense Calisher once called the short story "an apocalypse in a teacup." Critic Jane Ciabattari presents her favorite mini-apocalypses of 2012, from veteran authors like Sherman Alexie to newcomer Claire Vaye Watkins, who combines a unique voice and a shadowed family history in her debut collection.

Congress returns to work this week after taking most of the autumn off to campaign. Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Washington editor, Ron Elving, about the long congressional to-do list during the so-called "lame-duck" session.

Now married and a mother, the Grammy-winning songwriter says she's more aware than ever of the habits that allow her to stay productive.

Talking about Jews in sports touches a "very central place in the Jewish psyche," says Franklin Foer. He and co-editor Marc Tracy have compiled an "unorthodox hall of fame" celebrating Jewish contributions to American athletics.

Members of Congress say they'll investigate why the FBI and Justice Department didn't tell them earlier about an investigation involving former CIA Director David Petraeus. But the legal authority for reporting such sensitive information to lawmakers is murky.

Serena Frome is more bookworm than spy, but her bosses at MI5 have the perfect mission for her: to cultivate and fund British writers whose politics align with those of the government.

President Obama, in his victory speech, noted that the hours voters had to wait in line are something "we have to fix." One solution: Spend more on equipment and poll workers. But that would be tough in this fiscal climate. Another is to expand early voting. But states such as Ohio have had their early-voting laws challenged in court.

With the election over, attention in Washington has turned to the nation's debt and deficit challenges — most immediately $600 billion worth of expiring tax breaks and automatic spending cuts. Both the president and congressional leaders are signaling a willingness to work together to avoid a fiscal disaster.

On the new album Glad Rag Doll, Krall reimagines Prohibition-era songs, which she first heard as a child on weekend visits to her grandparents' house.

Mexican immigrant Robert Silva says he just wanted to form a union. The Milwaukee pizza factory worker is one of several dozen employees embroiled in a labor dispute against a frozen pizza company founded by Italian immigrants.