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California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have ended the death penalty in the state. But they did pass a proposition that weakens the state's three-strikes law, which served as a model for other states around the nation.

In Michigan, unions have bet big on ballot proposals to stem a tide of Republican legislation curtailing organized labor's ability to bargain contracts, collect dues, and raise money for political races. Their top goal is to make sure the state legislature cannot pass a so-called right-to-work law that outlaws compulsory union membership. They also want to reverse a law that allows the state to temporarily take over financially struggling local governments and scrap public employee contracts.

Efforts to revamp Syria's fractured opposition reached a peak at a conference in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. The U.S. has led what some have termed an overly public diplomatic campaign to restructure the opposition in exile and tighten its links with rebel commanders on the ground in Syria.

German Catholics are facing a stark choice: Pay a church tax or forget about receiving the sacraments, including baptisms, weddings and funerals. Germany taxes registered Catholics, Protestants and Jews. In 2011, the tax raised $6.5 billion for the Catholic Church alone. Many progressives and conservatives are up in arms over the German bishops' decree.

Executives at Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity group, say the Sandy Hook shootings are a "watershed event" and has decided to withdraw its investments in a group of firearms makers, including Bushmaster, Remington and others.

Six school employees died in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. President Obama has hailed them as heroes. The six women included a veteran school psychologist, a dedicated special education teacher and a young substitute at the beginning of her career.

South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott will move across the Rotunda to the Senate next month after being appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint. He will be the south's first black senator since the late 1800s, something he says speaks to the "evolution" of South Carolina.

The 75th Emmy Awards will air live on Monday night from Los Angeles. One industry observer believes we might see one of the purest Emmys that we've seen in some time.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved a different way to buy into cryptocurrency. NPR's Planet Money team presents an explanation of bitcoin exchange traded funds.

Iowa has gone first in the presidential nominating season for a long time — over half a century. But for Iowa's youngest voters, this historic political tradition is still very new.