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It's Christmas for pro basketball fans — game 7 of the NBA Finals is Thursday night. And, after an epic, draining game 6, the match up between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs has put everyone, from casual observers and the stats geeks, in a tizzy.

Suicide killed more U.S. troops last year than combat in Afghanistan, a trend that's likely to continue this year. The causes and remedies are complicated, but Fort Bliss in Texas has bucked the trend. Suicides have declined there, after implementation of an interactive suicide prevention program.

Gay spouses of service members have long been denied the substantial benefits available to heterosexual couples. Now, Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act means gay married couples can look forward to more equal treatment from the Pentagon.

Many Midwest farmers are behind in planting corn and soybeans, thanks to a cool spring and heavy rain. Now, they're getting a chill from Congress, too, as the House voted down a new farm bill last week. In Iowa, some farmers say they're disappointed and frustrated that farm policy is on hold, largely because of arguments over nutrition programs they think shouldn't even be in the farm bill.

Secretary of State John Kerry is planning another trip to the Mideast. Among his priorities is reviving Mideast peace talks. Robert Siegel speaks with Aaron David Miller, vice president for New Initiatives and Distinguished Scholar at the Middle East Program with the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the author of The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace for more.

The Hays Collection, born of two Tennessee millionaires' love for French art, has come back to its home country: The pieces are currently on display at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. NPR's Susan Stamberg speaks to the American lenders and the French borrowers about why these works inspire such passion.

In two rulings on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and cleared the way for same-sex marriages to begin again in California. There were celebrations after the rulings were announced, but others did not welcome the news.

Since his reelection, President Obama has talked a lot about the importance of addressing climate change and promised action. Environmentalists have criticized him for not doing more to confront the issue. In the coming weeks he'll announce a new agenda promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For the first time in modern history, Shiites are crossing borders to fight against the "evil ones," meaning Sunnis. As Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah has openly admitted, his men are leading battles in Syria, and Iraqi fighters stream in join them, Shiites back at home envision the coming of the hidden imam. They say all the signs in Syria point to the Mahdi's imminent appearance.

NPR's Uri Berliner gets a taste of the commodities market with a $227 wager on coffee. The futures price for coffee has tumbled for more than three years. But as he learns from interviews with coffee roasters and a futures broker, trying to predict coffee prices is not for the faint of heart.