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At the end of a year in which pop songs were a constant, provocative part of the national conversation, NPR Music critic Ann Powers sifts through the 100 most popular songs of the year to highlight 10 pure pop pleasures worth remembering.

Dig below the strata of pop songs so ubiquitous you can't stand to hear them anymore, and you'll find plenty of riches in the Top 40, from country crossover to innovative R&B and classic pop.

A host of beloved authors have new books hitting shelves this week, including a memoir by humorist Barry, a Mark Twain bio by Chernow and essays by Richard Russo.

Toni Morrison's 1987 work Beloved is the best American novel of the past quarter-century. That's according to a vote of writers and critics who were invited to weigh in with their choices by The New York Times Book Review.

Christine Fox was recently named acting deputy defense secretary, making her the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history. She talks with NPR's Rachel Martin about the Pentagon's budget challenges, her long career in defense and about inspiring Kelly McGillis' character in the movie Top Gun.

Former Vice President Joe Biden was steadier than in past debates; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg came under attack; and the candidates defended their least diverse debate stage yet.

Lisa visits the Public Theater in New York for a rehearsal of Top Dog/Underdog a new play by Suzan-Lori Parks. The play features two guys named Lincoln and Booth who live in a claustrophobic New York apartment. It's directed by George C. Wolfe, and stars Jeffrey Wright and Don Cheadle.

Penny's airy vocals and the band's soft-rock jangle gently present a case for moving forward and moving on, regardless of your stage in life.

A half century ago, a beekeeper from New Zealand and a Sherpa from Nepal reached the top of Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. To mark next month's anniversary of the epic ascent, Peter Hillary and Jamling Norgay return to Everest to retrace their fathers' legendary footsteps.

Also: Tracing the contradictory timeline of ex-White House staffer Rob Porter; South African President Jacob Zuma faces a no-confidence vote by parliament; and a Mt. Hood climber is killed in a fall.