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Panda Bear is known for music that sounds like Beach Boys melodies sung around a drum circle in the middle of the woods. On the multifaceted "Take Pills," the one-man band crafts a knockout, elevated by gorgeous melodies and detailed production.

In keeping with the musically offbeat direction of his weekly show ("The New Releases") on Minnesota Public Radio, host Michael Barone introduces 10 overlooked but excellent classical albums from 2009.

As Congress returns to Washington, it's clear that the first order of business is legislation aimed at giving a boost to the economy. With many economists predicting a recession, lawmakers from both parties are proposing ways to ease the sting.

David Horovitz, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, provides an analysis of Israeli politics in the wake of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's hospitalization

This year has seen a lot of "quirky" kids' music, wherein the sweet-voiced folkies of the past were replaced by growling rocker moms and clear, intimate harmonies. The quality was high this year, with albums rooted in reggae, electronica, folk and rock aimed at young ears.

Annual forecasts are brimming with good cheer for 2014: Jobs will come back, stock prices will keep heading higher, and consumer spending will continue to improve, economists predict.

President-elect Barack Obama named Nancy Killefer as his chief performance officer. Her job will be to bring modern ideas of business efficiency to the White House. Obama also spoke of his plans to revive the economy without worsening the federal budget deficit.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem reports the violence in the West Bank and Gaza escalated again today, with a sustained gun battle near Bethlehem and day-long clashes in Gaza. At least five Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed.

Host Debbie Elliott and Chris Roberts dissect the meaning of the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner." It's about a real estate swindle in 16th-century England. Roberts is the author of Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme.

A U.S. military strike has killed the most feared terrorist in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Jordanian-born Zarqawi was killed when U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on his hiding place. Pentagon officials say they found a treasure trove of material at the safehouse.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem reports one of the last points of Israeli-Palestinian contact was severed today. An Israeli soldier was killed and at least two Palestinians injured in an attack on a joint security liaison office in the Gaza Strip. Israel then ordered Palestinian security officers to leave all the liaison offices throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

David Newman is a political columnist for The Jerusalem Post. He is also chairman of the department of politics and government at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and editor of The International Journal of Geopolitics. He'll discuss the history of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. He's written about the settlements in The New York Times. Newman is also author of the book, Population, Settlement and Conflict: Israel and the West Bank (1991, Cambridge University Press). Read the Transcript