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Host Scott Simon catches up on the week in sports with Howard Bryant of ESPN: A surprise contender out of Chicago is taking on a well-funded operation with a mighty offensive attack and an NBA firing that surprised exactly no one.

Through the Very Young Composers program, one fifth-grader gets his music played by one of the world's top orchestras. The central idea of the program is to tap into the kids' creative spirit without getting in the way.

Now the White House chief of staff, Lew finessed the 2011 deal that set up the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set for the new year — and did it in a way that put President Obama in the catbird seat for the current talks. Now he's a possible pick to be the next Treasury secretary.

Republicans want to raise revenue by closing loopholes in the tax code instead of by raising rates. But tax breaks like the charitable deduction and the mortgage interest deduction come with interest groups willing to fight tooth and nail for them.

Farm worker advocates and top Obama administration officials have been pushing hard for new regulations that would improve safety for teenagers working on farms. But facing fierce opposition from the agriculture industry and its allies in Congress, the Department of Labor abruptly withdrew a set of rules that advocates said could save dozens of lives every year.

Critic David Edelstein reviews a film that may sound a lot like a campus-bound version of Glee, but has more to it than that label might suggest.

American symphonies have just begun a new season — but many musicians around the country have yet to play a single note on stage.

A study of online conversation finds some big differences in geographically distinct parts of Florida around the issue of unemployment. This kind of information could be important to President Obama and Mitt Romney in how they shape their messages while visiting the state, and in advertisements.

Despite common perceptions, all pro cyclists did not use performance-enhancing drugs when Lance Armstrong was racing, says Joe Lindsey, a contributor to Bicycling magazine. "There were riders who made the right choice, and there were riders who made the wrong choice," he says.

Gangsters in Karachi are a little different from the American variety. They often control armed groups linked to political parties. Uzair Baloch is known as the don of Karachi's Lyari slum. But ask him if he's a gangster, and he'll laugh. He says he's a politician and a social worker.