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Also: Syria's rebels accused of killing civilians; and Utah finds a way to reopen its national parks.

The best albums of 2017 delivered both comfort and challenge — both salve and spur. (That also applies to the honorable mentions listed, any of which could easily have come off the bench.)

A string of sorrow this week after four artists' deaths, tempered by one very uplifting orchestra: catch up on all the week's news that you must know. A video game composer is up for a Grammy, Steinway may move out of its longtime home and a critic points out the inherent wackiness of opera.

The dinosaur named Llukalkan aliocranianus was a predator with a menacing appearance and the ability to strike fear in its prey. Paleontologists said it roamed the Earth nearly 80 million years ago.

Sandy's effect on classical musicians, creating a Cloud Atlas masterpiece and a Glyndebourne death: your guide to this week's must-read music news. Also: scientific research shows that dogs prefer Beethoven to Megadeth or even silence.

The Berlin Phil's Simon Rattle says the clock is ticking and the Chicago Symphony's Riccardo Muti has the flu. All the classical music world's news, collected for your pleasure. Plus: Sotheby's lets others sell violins and a tenor gripes about models.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists U.S. support for Israel has not left it isolated, despite anger over Israel's offensive in Gaza. It's just one of the crises he's looking at as the year ends.

On this week's show: Chris Rock's Top Five, mix tapes and loved music, and what's making us happy this week.

Six-player Texas Hold 'em has been too tough for a machine to master — until now. A bot named Pluribus crushed some of the world's best poker players using brash and unorthodox strategies.

A missile fired by an unmanned U.S. aircraft kills a key al Qaeda leader and five other suspected terrorists in Yemen. U.S. officials confirm the strike was a planned CIA attack. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.