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Kim Thuy based her award-winning novel Ru on her own experiences as a refugee from war-torn Vietnam. She says the word "ru" has a poetic double meaning: In archaic French, it means a rill or stream, but in Vietnamese, it means a lullaby to soothe a child.

Host Scott Simon talks to retail analyst Patty Edwards of Trutina Financial about the escalating holiday-retail battle: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and this year, the big-box stores which opened on Thursday night.

Scientists say that whether tipping waiters or trading Christmas cards, we're programmed to reciprocate when we receive a gift. But the rule of reciprocity can also complicate politics and medicine.

After Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi helped broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, he expanded his powers at home by exempting his rulings from judicial review until a new constitution is ratified. Egyptian judges have condemned the move, and some have called for a strike.

Commentator Sandip Roy tells the story of classical dancer Alokananda Roy, who was inspired to teach dance to convicted murderers and rapists after a visit to a Calcutta prison.

The U.N. ambassador may be tapped by President Obama to be the next secretary of state. Before then, though, she'll face more questions from lawmakers about what she and other officials said and knew about the attack in the days after it happened.

For those reading tea leaves from the presidential election, here's something else to digest from the swing state of Florida: There are signs that the long relationship between politically active Cuban-Americans and the Republican Party is beginning to fray.

Former CIA Director David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill on Friday. In his first appearance since he resigned from the CIA over an extramarital affair, Petraeus, briefed members of Congress on the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The secret session focused, according to members of Congress, on how the attack began and whether the Obama administration mischaracterized events.

President Obama hasn't even named his choice to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who plans to step down at the end of this term. But there's already been a lot of heated rhetoric this week over one of the front-runners, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

President Obama's critics say the September attack in Libya and the official response reflect poorly on his administration. While they focused on TV comments by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, David Petraeus' resignation from the CIA complicated the debate. Some — but not all — questions were answered in closed hearings this week.