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Though the gap between spending and revenues has narrowed, it has stayed above the $1 trillion mark.

Also: Suspect in ricin letters described as conspiracist and Elvis impersonator; North Korea "sets conditions" for return to talks; and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords expresses her anger after gun bills fail in Senate.

Also: Osama bin Laden's son-in-law due in Manhattan court; the two Koreas ratchet up rhetoric; Catholic cardinals expected to set date for start of conclave; Northeast braces for more snow and flooding.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.

Fresh Air's music critic Ken Tucker's picks for the best music of 2009 include songs by Taylor Swift, Billy Currington and Michael Franti as well as albums by Loudon Wainwright III, the Fiery Furnaces, and Bob Dylan.

The James Beard award-winning chef was the youngest ever to receive a three-star review from The New York Times. His new memoir, Yes, Chef, explains what it takes to be a master chef — and describes his journey from Ethiopia to Sweden to some of America's finest restaurants.

It was an unusually strong year for great unknown artists. While bigger, more established bands continued to attract the most attention, smaller, lesser-known acts made the most memorable music of 2008. All of the great unknown artists featured here made music that was inspired, original and heartfelt.

She's from Iowa. She's a star female college basketball player. Her name is Audi Crooks. The junior at Iowa State University is a center who is known for her dominance on the court.

New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd step down in the wake of an ethics scandal involving former reporter Jayson Blair. Raines faces intense criticism for his handling of the Blair case. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

As part of Fresh Air's annual 10 Best edition, film critic David Edelstein offers his take on the year's crop of movies. And as part of his conversation with Terry Gross, Edelstein discusses movies opening this holiday season.