NPR News

Year's end always means a slew of top ten lists, the ubiquitous arbiter of the year's best films, books, albums and political stories. But Dallas Morning News film critic Chris Vognar has a confession: Those lists are not just subjective — they're often completely arbitrary.

Another strong turnout this morning for Mitt Romney at a restaurant in Cedar Falls, though the small place wasn't quite as packed as yesterday's breakfast stop in Muscatine. Romney spent a lot of time shaking hands and posing for pictures with customers, supporters and restaurant staff, after he spoke for about 20 minutes. He usually takes a couple of questions from the crowd but did not today, preferring to spend more time than usual glad-handing.

Republican presidential hopefuls are in the final days of campaigning ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Host Michel Martin explores the latest developments in the contest with Kevin Williamson, deputy managing editor of The National Review, and Michael Fauntroy, associate professor of public policy at George Mason University.

As Europe suffered economic crises in 2011, Turkey's economy boomed. And as neighboring Arab countries faced political turmoil, Turkey became a bigger regional player. Martin discusses the country's good year with John Peet, Europe editor at The Economist, and Rami Khouri, international affairs expert from American University of Beirut.

Thursday marks the fourth day of Kwanzaa, the weeklong celebration of African-American family, culture and life. The holiday also includes feasts that reflect the diversity of the African diaspora. Host Michel Martin speaks with Sanura Weathers, of the blog Kwanzaa Culinarians, about how various food bloggers are making their favorite recipes part of the Kwanzaa tradition.