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Was this the year of the activist athlete? NPR's Scott Simon looks back on the year in sports with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com.

Democrats elected the former Obama labor secretary as the party chair at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Atlanta today. Perez picked his final opponent Rep. Keith Ellison as deputy chair.

Monday's the day to celebrate the best unofficial holiday made just for women: Galentine's Day. And for that, we thank our lady of Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope.

NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Bobsled used to be an all-male sport until 2002. Even now, the women only race two-man, not four-man bobsled. Team USA features 2 summer Olympians as brakemen. Lauren Williams is a gold and silver medalist in the sprint. Lolo Jones did the hurdles in Bejing and London.

A court released 27,000 emails from a former aide to Scott Walker who was convicted of using her job to do illegal campaign work. The emails surface amid the GOP rising star's re-election campaign.

Nearly 7 million people visit the Chateau at Versailles a year. But one day a week, it's closed. That's a spa day of sorts, when conservation work and cleaning takes place at the Grande Dame of France royal residences. The hardwood floors alone require nearly 1,000 gallons of wax a year.

Two Marine Corps generals have been asked to resign over an incident in Afghanistan a year ago. Taliban insurgents made their way onto a sprawling base and attacked NATO forces. Two Americans died and six Marine fighter jets were destroyed. The two generals reprimanded in the matter were found to bear responsibility for underestimating the threat to base security.

There's plenty of action to be found on statewide ballots this election season. Colorado voters must decide whether to raise income taxes to provide more funding for public schools, and how much to tax marijuana sales. In Washington state, a fight over labeling genetically modified foods is drenched in cash.

In Vancouver four years ago, athletes who grew up in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York accounted for about 1 in 10 medals won by the U.S. In this region, the Olympics don't seem like a pipe dream, and they don't seem like ancient history — they're just sort of what people do.