Supervising News Editors Samira Jafari and Sarah Aarthun -- 404-827-1401
SATURDAY
Venezuela-Parliament
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez remains in Cuba, battling a "severe" lung infection that has caused respiratory failure. In Caracas, lawmakers gather to elect the president of the National Assembly. The head of the assembly, currently Diosdado Cabello, could potentially assume the presidency if Chavez is not sworn in for a new term on January 10.
US-Superstorm-Threat
The technology exists to protect communities from devastating superstorms. But are cash-strapped governments willing to pay for it?
FEA-Belief-Ahmadi-Muslims
Qasim Rashid says his New Year's resolution is to not die for his faith. Rashid says he hoped that 2012 would bring a revolution among Muslims nations to free oppressed minds, but he finds himself still waiting to not die. That's the "curse" of being an Ahmadi Muslim in too much of the Muslim world, he says.
FEA-Aging-Athletes-Retirement
For pro athletes, the end of a glittering career can feel like falling off a cliff, but some stars share that it doesn't have to be that way. "I keep myself right at the (professional) level, in case somebody feels froggy and says, 'I think I'm going to whup the old man,'" world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield says. "And they'd be shocked."
ENT-Rapper-Nas-Turns-40
In a genre not known for the longevity of its luminaries, making it 10, 15, 20 years means you're a survivor -- and you survive only if people keep buying your music. As Nas turns 40 this year, he's adapted to every sea change in rap and weathered every label, right or wrong, affixed to him.
SUNDAY
FEA-Belief-Jesus-Life
Jesus was a lot more like you than you think, and a lot less clean cut than this iconic image of him that floats around culture, author Johnnie Moore says.
Syria-Civil-War
Coverage of the ongoing crisis in Syria, where more than 60,000 people have been killed in the civil war, according to the U.N.
COMMENTARY-Mlodinow-Optogenics
Physicist and best-selling author Leonard Mlodinow says the hottest field in science this past decade has been neuroscience. In 2013, the big thing to watch out for is "optogenetics."
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ENTERPRISE
DOMESTIC
California-School-Name-Controversy
Tiburcio Vasquez, a 19th century outlaw, is remembered in historical accounts as a notorious criminal who terrorized southern California. But one school district in California wants to remember him another way: as a hero to the Hispanic community who fought back against injustice.
US-Emancipation-Proclamation-myths
150 years later, myths persist about the Emancipation Proclamation.
US-Native-American-Adoption-Dispute
A custody battle involving the "best interests" of an 3-year-old Cherokee girl will be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, an issue spanning the rights of adoptive parents and the desire to preserve Native American families within tribes.
INTERNATIONAL
Venezuela-Chavez-Scenarios
Lawmakers erupted in applause at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's inauguration six years ago. An orchestra played. Chavez beamed. It's a different scene this year.
Plastic-Surgery-Safari
Flicking through her photos on her living room couch, Julia Quinn recounts the array of plastic surgery procedures she has undergone. A few years ago, feeling unhappy about the lines around her eyes and mouth, she first dabbled in surgery. She opted for a private clinic in the UK, but after a bad experience there she started looking around for alternative places to get the work done. That's when she first discovered that South Africa offered the same procedures at a fraction of the cost, she says.
Africa-Big-Five
The deadly church and mosque attacks in Nigeria and Kenya, and the deaths of Ghanaian and Ethiopian leaders dominated sub-Saharan Africa headlines in 2012. But lost in the midst were a series of positive stories. For every conflict, there was a milestone. For every violence, there was reconciliation. For every setback, progress. Here are the top 5 positive stories out of the continent, as chosen by those who call it home.
Indonesia-Motorcycle-Straddle-Ban
The central government may step in to stop a city in Aceh province from prohibiting women from wearing pants and "straddling" motorbikes or bicycles, requiring women to instead ride two-wheel vehicles "sidesaddle." The mayor of the town of Lhokseumawe told the Jakarta Globe earlier this week that the town planned to submit the new rule because "we've seen that people's behaviors and morals are getting far from Aceh's Islamic cultural values."
SPORT-Dakar-Rally-Afghanistan-Veteran
The Dakar Rally is arguably the world's most dangerous motorsport race, but for one newcomer it cannot compare with what he has already been through. British soldier Tom Neathway will be co-driving in the 16-day event, which traverses the mountainous desert terrain of South America, despite losing both his legs and an arm after standing on a booby trap while serving in Afghanistan in 2008.
POLITICAL
POL-Obama-Congress (with art)
