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In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., mayors are a key part of the debate over the country's gun laws. Host Michel Martin speaks with two leaders who frequently encounter issues of gun violence and gun ownership; Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Sylvester James and former Cincinnati Mayor Kenneth Blackwell.

President Obama is expected Friday to nominate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as his next secretary of state. Kerry would replace Hillary Clinton, who's planning to leave the post after four years as the president's globetrotting emissary.

The Massachusetts senator has already carried out sensitive diplomatic efforts on behalf of President Obama, with a strong focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years.

John Boehner's inability to get fellow Republicans to line up behind him not only increases doubts about his future as House speaker; it also raises a more immediate question for President Obama: Who can he negotiate with in the effort to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff?

When the rhesus macaque turned up in the parking lot of a Toronto store earlier this month, photos and video of him in his little shearling coat went viral. He was placed in a sanctuary and his owner wants him back. But a court has said that won't happen just yet.

There is a strong consensus in favor of colon cancer screening. Educational efforts have fallen short when it comes to meeting public health goals. Why don't more people get tested?

Some politicians believed the mass shooting in Newtown would be a tipping point leading to new gun restrictions. That may still happen, but the NRA and other groups have made clear their belief that guns aren't the problem.

With several things to worry about — including the possibility of automatic tax increases and spending cuts — it appears American consumers weren't in the cheeriest of holiday spirits on the last weekend before Christmas. Shoppers were out, but analysts say their spending was subdued.

The city of Taranto is heavily dependent on a steel plant, the largest in Europe, which provides some 20,000 jobs. A court has ordered a partial shutdown because the factory spews carcinogens into the air, but the government has rejected the court's ruling, saying the economy needs the jobs.

There's going to be more snow in California and then over the Rockies and into the Plains. But it's parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast that could see the most severe storms on Christmas Day.