"Nobody -- Democrat or Republican -- wants to see people's paychecks smaller on Jan. 1 because Congress didn't act," President Obama told NPR's Steve Inskeep during an Oval Office interview on Thursday. Pete Souza/White House hide caption

A man looks over a room of cholera victims in Port au Prince, Haiti, Dec. 10 David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

South Korean Gen. Han Min-koo looks at houses destroyed by North Korea's Nov. 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. Two weeks after the attack, the rivals are still trading threats, while tensions are also rising between South Korea's ally, the U.S., and China, an ally of North Korea. Kim Ju-sung/AP/Yonhap hide caption

A crystal bowl of M&Ms is ready for eating. Jack Wolf/AP hide caption

Kenneth Reitz plans to spend his tax money on Apple products, e-books, apps and possibly a dinner with his fiancee. Courtesy of Kenneth Reitz hide caption

Scott Fitzpatrick, with stone money. courtesy Scott Fitzpatrick hide caption