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The housing recovery is well on its way, economists say, and Americans are becoming more comfortable spending on things like remodeling, moving, gardening and furniture. One economist expects increased housing wealth to boost consumer spending by $100 billion this year.

Sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy talks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about Monday's events at the Boston Marathon, the place the marathon holds in the life of the city, its importance in the international world of running, and the history of attacks at sporting events.

The United States and Russia have been at odds over human rights, Syria and even the adoption of Russian orphans by American families. But former U.S. envoys who met with officials in Moscow this week say they found "a willingness to explore ideas" and urged cooperation on economic and security issues.

It's easy to see why a rocket scientist's obituary that led with a mention of her culinary prowess set off accusations of sexism. But food is undeniably a powerful marker of identity, as much or more of a statement of who we are as what we do for a living.

The Senate held its first hearing on an assault weapons ban Wednesday, with activists pushing for tighter gun regulations sharing a table with gun-rights activists. They are seizing on public outrage over the December gun massacre at a school in Connecticut.

Sales of games on the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 have dropped precipitously in recent years as mobile gaming has become more popular. Now a familiar champion, Tomb Raider and its heroine Lara Croft, returns to fight the good fight for old-school console gaming.

President Obama's past relations with Israel's government have not always gone well. The two nations insist they've reached new levels of security cooperation. They have publicly debated issues ranging from Iran to the Mideast peace process.

Both housing and the stock market have been on the upswing in recent months. But a full recovery in the housing market would be more significant to the overall economy. That's because more Americans have something at stake in home values than in stock prices.

The biggest story? Florida Gulf Coast's Cinderella run. The biggest controversy? A missed call at the end of Ohio State's game with Iowa State. The longest game? The Dayton women's epic double overtime victory over St. John's.

Republicans claim Thomas Perez struck a quid pro quo deal with Minnesota that may have cost the federal treasury as much as $180 million. Perez says he acted ethically.