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President Obama returns to Washington Thursday as do members of the U.S. Senate. They're cutting holiday plans short in hopes of coming up with a deal to avoid the tax hikes and budget cuts set to take effect on Jan. 1.

What do you keep in your desk drawer at work? Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway recently investigated what was in her colleagues' desk drawers, and wrote a column about her findings. She talks to Renee Montagne about some of the items people have, and why they hold on to them.

There was plenty to celebrate — think summer Olympics. And plenty to deplore — bicycling steroid rings and yet another NHL lockout.

The company that makes BlackBerry, Research in Motion, had only 5 percent of the global smartphone market in 2012. That's down from 11 percent the year before, according to the market research firm IHS iSuppli. Also in the 5 percent club: Nokia and HTC.

A major storm system is causing havoc for travelers trying to get home from their holiday destinations. Powerful winds and blizzard conditions have hit parts of the U.S.

Mary and Lenny Buongiorno figured their photos were lost forever after Sandy flooded their Staten Island home. The waterlogged album was in a pile of roadside debris when bus driver Mike Valente spotted it. He spent five weeks meticulously cleaning and restoring the images on his computer. After presenting the new album to the overjoyed couple, he told the New York Post, "I'm all about memories."

Angered by an American law barring some Russian officials from entering the U.S., parliament members in Moscow have retaliated. Putin has now said he sees no reason not to sign the adoption ban. More than 60,000 Russian children have been adopted by Americans since 1992, the State Department says.

There were 350,000 first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week. That's the lowest level since March 2008. But because of the Christmas holiday, some states had to do more estimating than usual.

Many Americans appear to be worried about what will happen to the economy if the federal government goes over the so-called fiscal cliff, the Conference Board reports. But there's also good news: The housing sector continues to recover.

Children can easily become kinder and more helpful. And that behavior makes them more positive, more accepting and more popular with other children, a study of Canadian kids finds.