Herring drizzled with mustard sauce, ham hocks and hog jowls — these are some of the historic foods that Sandy Levins painstakingly recreates for America's historic houses. So you, too, can gaze upon our founding fathers' dinners. Just don't try to eat them: These foods are sculpted replicas.

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Robert Menendez was re-elected in a landslide and recently became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. But the Democratic senator has been hit with an ethics probe amid scrutiny over his ties to a wealthy Florida eye doctor and big political donor.

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Also: the best books coming out this week; the return of Haruki Murakami; and Ian McEwan's crisis of faith.

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery.

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Tens of thousands of protesters turned out on the National Mall Sunday to encourage President Obama to make good on his commitment to act on climate change. The pipeline would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

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On its surface, the case is about whether farmers can use seeds derived from patented crops. But the bigger question is, how much control does a company have over its patented products once they're in the hands of consumers?

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A pretrial hearing in the Sept. 11 case was suspended briefly last week to investigate allegations of eavesdropping. The commissions' chief prosecutor launched an investigation, and said no one was "listening, monitoring, recording" the proceedings. Defense attorneys seemed to take his word, which given the history of the commissions, is a baby step toward progress.

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A famous doctor is on trial in Spain, accused of masterminding one of the world's largest sports doping rings. Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes' client list is believed to include at least one former teammate of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. The doctor says he treated athletes from other sports, as well.

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Cancer patients often have to deal with side effects from their treatments. They may need speech therapy or help rebuilding their strength. The STAR program is helping break down the barriers to rehabilitation services.

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Thanks to drugs recently approved by the FDA, patients with the blood cell cancer multiple myeloma are living longer and without the pain. Don Wright was diagnosed 10 years ago and is currently training for his training for his 71st marathon.

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Carefully developed breeds are overpowering Eastern filbert blight, which had threatened to crush the U.S. hazelnut industry.

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The federal government once considered whistle-blowers a nuisance, or worse. But over the past few years, that attitude has slowly started to change. More agencies have been reaching out for tips about fraud and abuse, even if digging through the stacks of complaints can present a challenge.

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Patrick won the Daytona 500 pole Sunday, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any race in NASCAR's premier circuit. It's by far the biggest achievement of her stock-car career.

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Mindy McCready, who hit the top of the country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career, died Sunday in Arkansas in an apparent suicide. She was 37. An autopsy is pending.

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An environmental researcher argues the heavy phosphorus footprint of meat is good reason to eat less meat, given that phosphorus is a finite resource and critical for food security. But not everyone thinks we should be worried.

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A draft of the plan, which was leaked to USA Today, proposes the creation of a "Lawful Prospective Immigrant" visa for those living here illegally. But GOP Sen. Marco Rubio dismissed the proposal, saying it was "disappointing" to those working on a solution to the issue.

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White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said the cuts would offset "pretty good" economic activity over the past few months. GOP Rep. Paul Ryan was pessimistic about a deal, while Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said the two sides would come together for an agreement.

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The explosions targeted mainly Shiite neighborhoods. The attack comes amid increasing Shiite-Sunni tension in Iraq.

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Pope Benedict XVI asked those gathered in St. Peter's Square to continue praying for him and the next pope. He steps down as pope Feb. 28.

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Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is responsible for reshaping the U.S. military after 10 years of war. At the same time, he's fighting to stave off the across-the-board cuts to the defense budget.

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