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Amid deep budget cuts and layoffs, the nation's second-largest school district is spending $4.5 million to hire 1,000 new aides this year. The superintendent says he'd rather use the money to hire back teachers, but the shootings in Newtown, Conn., led to a change in priorities.

As a journalist with Britain's The Guardian newspaper, Rory Carroll spent seven years living in Venezuela. His new book on Venezuela's recently deceased president explores Hugo Chavez's popularity with the poor and critiques his failures in governance and management.

Around the country, budget cuts are bringing some federal public defenders to the breaking point. "We can't not pay the rent, and ... everything else is personnel. We can't send a computer to court," says Washington, D.C., public defender A.J. Kramer.

Thousands of demonstrators backing more generous immigration rules are expected at a big rally on Capitol Hill Wednesday. They're demanding swift action by Congress. But while preliminary agreement has been reached on a range of immigration issues, it could be weeks before a bill appears in the Senate.

South Korean officials say the North has made preparations and looks ready to make its next provocative move. The mood in Seoul remains calm, however.

When French President Francois Hollande came for a visit, Mali's government gave him a camel. Unable to transport the camel home, Hollande left it with a local family who then ate it. Embarrassed officials have promised Hollande a new camel.

Satellite company DirectTV recently introduced DogTV to its line up. The channel, just for canines, will cost humans $5.99 a month. The programs feature soothing music and animations.

Also: David Axelrod is writing a memoir; a Kindle creator has choice words for Amazon; Matthew Specktor on the purpose of literature.

The Lady Huskies beat Louisville 93-60. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma has now won eight women's championships. He's tied with former Tennessee coach Pat Summit for the most titles in the history of Division I women's basketball.

The National Spelling Bee is adding vocabulary questions to the qualifying tests. It's a great step toward ensuring that the most visible showcase for really smart kids isn't just a memory competition.