With government spending on roadways down nearly 6 percent, it was a tough year for many in the road-building business — but not in Vermont. There, pavers, excavators and other companies have had one of their busiest years ever, thanks to a storm named Irene.

The automaker recently closed its Twin Cities Assembly Plant on a scenic river bluff in St. Paul, Minn. In better times, the parcel of land might have made condo developers drool, but in today's real estate market, redevelopment of the old factory could be a long way off.

The millionaire owner of one Kansas company says his business is stifled — but not from taxes or a sluggish economy. He says he can't find workers to fill open jobs. One problem is that prospective employees won't relocate to rural Kansas, he says.

Police learned to monitor protesters through their livestreams and Twitter feeds. But there is no national standard for dealing with passive resistors. And sometimes that can lead to pepper spray incidents.

More hospitals in Massachusetts and across the country are saying no to elective deliveries of babies before 39 weeks unless medically necessary. Doctors cite increased health risks associated with early deliveries, not costs — though Texas' Medicaid program has stopped paying for such births.

Iowa voters will go to local caucus meetings on Jan. 3 in the first round of the presidential nominating process. In the Republican race, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul lead the polls, but it's unclear whether there will be a big winner in Iowa, Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving tells Robert Siegel.

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, which hopped a ride aboard floating seaweed, made the 4,600 mile journey from the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Portugal in 2008. Nicknamed Johnny Vasco de Gama, after the Portugese explorer, the now-rehabilitated turtle will be reintroduced into Gulf waters Tuesday.

The former rebels say they're getting a sense of American life in Massachusetts. After months of tense checkpoints in Libya, one says he's surprised he never has to show identification except for buying cigarettes. And a doctor who's treating them wonders what he'd do if asked to pick up arms against a dictator.