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Francois Hollande seemed diffident in the first months of his presidency, but his recent moves have surprised critics. He has sent French troops into Mali to combat Islamist rebels, and on the domestic front brokered a labor deal after years of union clashes.

Destined to become one of the greatest events in the history of our nation's capital, the Political Junkie Road Show takes place before a live audience on Wednesday evening. In addition to everything else, there will be ScuttleButtons to solve. So why not practice with this week's puzzle?

In fiction, Karen Thompson Walker's sci-fi debut and Vladimir Nabokov's unfinished final novel arrive in paperback. In softcover nonfiction, Toby Wilkinson reviews Egypt's political past; Alec Wilkinson surveys 19th-century polar exploration; and William Broad probes the science of yoga.

When the president unveils his administration's plan this week, it will include a call for legislation to expand background checks of gun buyers. But it will also include a series of steps, such as increased sharing of mental health records, that the president may take on his own.

Thomas had gone seven years without saying a word in oral arguments. Then, on Monday, Justice Thomas made a remark. Several justices were talking at once, leaving his exact words unclear. But a detailed contextual analysis by The New York Times suggests he told a joke.

Consumers were still in a spending mood in December, even as lawmakers battled over the budget. Meanwhile, wholesale prices fell slightly. Those are both good signs for the economy.

Many farmers are worried that the biotech giant will sue them if a patented gene gets accidentally incorporated into their crops. But in a departure, one Monsanto lawyer says that only farmers that specifically take advantage of the company's technology would face a lawsuit.

The willingness of some House members to vote against providing aid in the wake of Superstorm Sandy reflects a growing desire to take a different approach to the next set of disasters. But critics of the way federal relief is spent are still groping for a way to change it without seeming hard-hearted in the face of tragedy.

Syria's war has badly damaged many parts of Aleppo, an ancient city. But some places are still intact, and above the doorways you can still find the inscriptions of pilgrims who have traveled to the holiest site in Islam.

The vote was 241-80; the measure now goes to the Senate, which is expected to take it up next week. Tuesday's vote came after outrage earlier this month over a delayed vote on aid for those affected by last fall's superstorm.