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Some places have banned fracking, a controversial type of natural gas drilling. Critics say the process contaminates groundwater. But proponents say it creates jobs and energy independence. Host Michel Martin is joined by NPR's Jeff Brady and reporter Scott Detrow from NPR's StateImpact project in Pennsylvania. They discuss the boom and bust of fracking.

Think the apps your kids download are harmless? A federal government report says that may not be true. The investigation found that hundreds of popular mobile device apps have been collecting and sharing data about children. Host Michel Martin talks with Rey Junco of the Harvard Berkman Center, about how best to protect your kids' digital privacy.

Peter Jackson takes his audience back to Middle-earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, set in a time before the Lord of the Rings films. NPR's Bob Mondello says that where the Rings films struggled with what to omit, The Hobbit labors to justify its three-hour running time.

Host Michel Martin is joined by NPR Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax to look at the latest jobs numbers. They talk about why businesses big and small aren't ready to make major hiring decisions yet — and whether that will change if politicians avert the so-called "fiscal cliff."

Justices on the nation's highest court announce they will take up cases involving California's Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, and a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act. Analysts say the court might confine itself to determining jurisdiction, not the merits of the cases' claims.

After lifting President Obama to re-election, African-American and Hispanic advocacy groups want him to champion initiatives that will specifically benefit minorities.

The first married gay male couple featured in Jet magazine marks a cultural breakthrough for African-Americans, many say.

In the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act ruling this summer, it decided that states' plans for expansion of the Medicaid program should be optional. That led governors to ask if they could expand the program in part but still receive federal funding. The administration has said no.

Federal taxpayers will pay the lion's share of the restoration for the Jersey shore damage caused by Sandy. But since most of those who will benefit are private landowners on the shore, one N.J. lawmaker wants to prohibit the shore towns from charging access fees to their public beaches.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo promised to hold the Long Island Power Authority accountable for its performance after Superstorm Sandy. He appointed a special commission to look at how the utility performed. The commission had a meeting Tuesday night on Long Island, where thousands lost power, in some cases for weeks.