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Republicans in the Senate on Tuesday blocked ratification of a U.N. treaty that would have helped countries protect the rights of disabled people. It was inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Opponents argued, among other things, it would threaten the ability of parents in this country to home school their children.

After the staff of the village post office was cut to one, it wasn't clear whether the 80,000 Christmas parcels and cards that flow in would get the special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer postmark. But the Toledo Blade reports nearly 75 volunteers have stepped up to keep the tradition going.

Washington state decriminalizes possession tonight. Colorado does so next month. Chong, one half of the stoner duo Cheech and Chong, is all in favor of the new laws. There isn't anything funny about being busted, the comic says.

A nurse who certainly didn't seem suspicious rather cheerfully told the faux queen (and a fake Prince Charles) that the pregnant duchess is doing better. Kate is being treated for severe morning sickness. The hospital is apologizing for sharing the information.

The surf-rock band spends a day hanging out at NPR's Washington, D.C., headquarters and helping to provide All Things Considered's soundtrack. It's the first (and perhaps only) time the show has had its own in-house band playing interstitial music live.

High-level diplomacy helped avert a disaster last month, in a dispute over the unpaid water bill of one of Christendom's holiest sites. The water company that supplies the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem said it owed $2.3 million. Eventually, the bill was waived — but the church now promises to pay going forward.

The way Texans speak, from using words like "y'all" to that old Texas twang, is iconic in American culture. But linguists say the twang is fading — and that, in a few decades, "talking Texan" may sound quite different than it does today.

The Obama administration is expected to ask for $50 billion to $60 billion. Top administrators told Congress Wednesday that they want at least some of that money to go toward preventing the kind of devastation caused by Sandy and other recent storms.

New research suggests older adults may have less activity in the area of the brain that processes risk and subtle danger. Another possible reason older adults don't pick up on warning signs is an increasing bias against negativity.

The coup in Mali earlier this year and occupation of the north by al-Qaida affiliates have devastated the economy, especially the tourism sector, the country's third-largest revenue generator. Tourist arrivals have plummeted, and all Malians, from river guides to tailors, are suffering.