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The 69 new laws limiting reproductive rights in 2011 were one short of the record set in 1999. And action is already heating up for 2012, with several states looking at "personhood" ballot amendments, which define life as beginning at fertilization.

Astronomers want increasingly large telescopes to peer into the depths of space. To build a solid telescope mirror nearly 30 feet across, you need an oven that heats to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and spins around like a top.

Pundits, reporters and campaigns have put a lot of energy into setting expectations for the candidates' performances. But playing the expectations game doesn't always land you on top or, for that matter, anywhere at all.

The public relations problem for private equity capitalists at firms such as Bain, KKR and Blackstone is that they are the agents of the creative-destruction part of capitalism. They aim to take over underperforming firms and operate them more efficiently. In that process, people do lose their jobs.

Four of the top commissioners of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are locked in a feud with the fifth — the chairman, Gregory Jaczko. In a letter to the White House and in a congressional hearing on Wednesday, they called Jaczko a bully who is destroying their ability to do their job.

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney has long held a commanding lead in the polls ahead of Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire. Taking nothing for granted, Romney campaigned in the state on Sunday with two of his top surrogates: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

On Thursday, a bid to extend the payroll tax cut failed in the Senate, and Republicans blocked the president's nominee to head a new financial watchdog agency. But the White House is still convinced President Obama is winning the broader political argument.

New York Time columnist Gail Collins has written extensively about the idiosyncrasies of presidential families. But her fascination with Mitt Romney may take the cake. Dozens of her columns have cited the tale of Mitt Romney tying his dog in a crate to the roof of his station wagon and driving the family on vacation.

Detroit is in danger of going broke. The city's elected leaders insist they can handle the crisis but haven't agreed on a plan of action. In the meantime, the governor is taking steps that could lead to an emergency manager taking over the city. To top it off, a petition drive to overturn Michigan's emergency manager law threatens to undo any actions the state would take. It's a wild, financially troubled situation. Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek reports.

It's known as the quiet period — the SEC-mandated time before an initial public offering when a company's top officials have to avoid anything close to hype. And with Facebook's IPO expected next week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his colleagues are pretty much staying mum.