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For more about the week ahead in politics, Renee Montagne talks to regular Morning Edition contributor Cokie Roberts.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for John Boehner. He was all but shut out of the fiscal cliff deal, dissed by his own party, and suffered 12 GOP defections when re-elected as speaker. But did he emerge from all of this as a loser? It's not that simple.

John Brennan is one of the president's top national security aides. A veteran of the CIA, he was the agency's deputy executive director during President George W. Bush's administration. Brennan has said he opposed many of the Bush administration's policies, including the use of waterboarding.

Authorities at a Brazilian prison noticed a bulky cat wandering on prison grounds. They discovered the small black-and-white cat was hauling in saws, drills, a cell phone and charger — all taped to its body.

Also: Bank of America agrees to pay billions to Fannie Mae; oil rig that ran aground off Alaska is refloated; Syrian opposition rejects Assad's "peace plan;" NHL players and owners reach tentative deal, season may start soon; NFL playoffs get underway.

The agreement resolves claims against the bank about mortgage-backed securities it sold before the housing bust. Many weren't worth what was promised. Also today, BofA and other banks are expectd to settle claims related to alleged foreclosure abuses.

The man who killed President Kennedy lived in Apt. No. 2 in 1962 and 1963. In the years since, the building has been falling apart. Though the city has ordered the owner to tear it down, that hasn't happened. So starting today, city crews will be on the scene to do the work.

Some borrowers who were mistreated during foreclosures will receive compensation. The payments will range from hundreds of dollars to $125,000. The agreement ends a case-by-case review of the banks' actions.

The number of women who say they're dieting has dropped significantly since the early 1990s, according to a long-running survey of national eating trends. What's more, just 1 in 4 respondents agreed that being thin is a lot more attractive than being heavy.

Polls for next month's election show leftist parties with a comfortable lead. But attention has focused on the attempted comeback of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the man who took over when he was ousted, Mario Monti.