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Round 9 of Three-Minute Fiction is in full swing. Readers from all over the country have made their selections, and now judge Brad Meltzer is close to making his decision. Meltzer is best-selling author of The Tenth Justice and The Inner Circle. He tells host Guy Raz about his favorite stories in Three-Minute Fiction so far. You can read the stories at www.npr.org/threeminutefiction.

Civil rights was once a common cause for pro athletes, but players have been relatively quiet about gay rights. Former athletes have expressed the fear and isolation of their "dirty little secret." Recently, though, there have been a few standout moments for gay rights in the sports world.

Roy Lichtenstein is best known for his dotted, angst-filled comics featuring beautiful ladies in distress. But a major retrospective at the National Gallery shows that the painter found inspiration beyond the comic-book world; he also paid his respects to the masters — Picasso, Monet and more.

Former four-term GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson is facing off against seven-term Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin for an open Senate seat. With recent polls showing a Baldwin surge, one pollster says his state seems to be in the midst of an identity crisis.

Mark Helprin's sweeping midcentury novel, In Sunlight and In Shadow, describes a postwar New York in limbo. Helprin borrowed from his own experiences to write this tale of love and familial obligations. "It's all based on what I know and what I knew," he says.

Zach Wahls made headlines when he urged Iowa lawmakers not to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He spoke with host Michel Martin earlier this year about his book, My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family. For Tell Me More's occasional series "In Your Ear," Wahls shares the songs that inspire him.

The Syrian American Medical Society is quietly providing aid inside the embattled country. Some doctors see a series of "relatively safe" towns along the Turkish border as a place to begin rebuilding Syria's decimated health care system.

The first Star Wars movie came out 35 years ago, but a never-ending stream of cartoons, books and video games has kept the saga current. Even for little kids too young to have seen the film, Star Wars has turned into a permanent part of their entertainment mythology.

Northern Nigeria is the only region in the world where the number of polio cases is on the rise. International groups have poured money and volunteers into the area to combat the disease. But vaccinators face daunting challenges — from security threats like terrorist bombings to a lack of basic resources like electricity.

U.S. military commanders are emphasizing their readiness to defend the nation against cyberthreats from abroad. What they do not say is that they are equally prepared to launch their own cyberattacks against U.S. adversaries.