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Of the 535 members of Congress, not many are in the loop about negotiations to avoid automatic spending cuts and tax increases in the new year. Lawmakers are waiting to see what President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner come up with — and some are nervous about having to quickly vote on a bill despite misgivings.

Jacintha Saldanha was found dead last week. She answered the phone when two Australian radio hosts called a London hospital. They pretended to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, and got another nurse to divulge details about the Dutchess of Cambridge. The hoax was a huge embarrassment.

Many people earning more than $250,000 a year — the 2 percent — admit they can afford to pay more in taxes. However, they don't necessarily like the idea, especially when they're made to feel like skinflints even though they're already sending significant sums to Washington.

The legendary Indian sitar player, Ravi Shankar, died this week at the age of 92. His music touched a wide range of people - from rock musicians to international ambassadors. Host Michel Martin pays tribute to Shankar's musical legacy.

2012 was a very jittery year — what with the presidential election, extreme weather events and the looming "fiscal cliff." Fresh Air critic Maureen Corrigan found that her favorite fiction and nonfiction this year directly confronted the atmospheric uncertainty of the age.

A military coup brought down Mali's prime minister in March, allowing radical Islamists from Mali and surrounding areas to take hold of an area the size of Texas. As al-Qaida-linked militants take over the northern part of the country, many wonder what the U.S. and other can do to intervene.

Under fire from Republicans, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice took herself out of the running to become the next secretary of State. Rice told President Obama that if she were to be nominated, the confirmation process would be "lengthy, disruptive and costly."

In an interview with David Greene, outgoing Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro reflects on her tenure at the agency, and the disappointment that she wasn't able to overhaul money market funds. She leaves the job on Friday.

The inflation rate, which spiked in August and September when gas prices rose sharply, now appears to have slowed again. That should let the Federal Reserve keep up its efforts to give the economy a boost.

"Our hearts are broken," President Obama told the nation today as the awful news emerged. Police say they found 18 children and six adults dead at the scene. Two other children died later. The gunman's body was also found at the school.