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President Obama will be publicly sworn in for a second term on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a notable confluence of events. Historian Taylor Branch joins guest host Linda Wertheimer to talk about race and democracy, past and present. Branch's new book is The King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement.

The 113th Congress reconvened this week with 84 newly elected members. Kentucky Public Radio's Kenny Colston travels to Lexington, Ky., to meet the newest member of the Kentucky Republican delegation, Andy Barr.

The president outlined a plan that includes a new constitution, but said it could only take place once other countries stop funding the opposition. He maintained his assertions that the violence is fueled by terrorists and gave no hint he would step down.

At a new school for midwives, students learn old arts, like massaging bellies, while also studying gynecology, obstetrics and nursing. Officials hope a new generation of professional midwives will help reduce the pressures on Mexican hospitals overwhelmed by births that, in the past, would have taken place at home.

Mourners left flowers and plants after the 2011 Tucson shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 13. Instead of sending the shrines to a landfill after they were taken down, volunteers sorted through everything, replanted what they could and composted the rest.

Venezuela is facing a political crisis. Longtime President Hugo Chavez is being treated in Cuba for a recurrence of cancer and resulting complications. He is supposed to be sworn in to a third term as president this week, but he might not be well enough to attend the inauguration. What then?

As the bowl games march on, NPR's Mike Pesca talks with host Rachel Martin about coaching in college football.

The Qatar-based news agency Al-Jazeera recently took over Current TV, the cable channel founded by former Vice President Al Gore. The deal will make Al-Jazeera available in 40 million homes across the U.S. Host Rachel Martin talks with Al-Jazeera's executive producer for the Americas, Bob Wheelock, about what the acquisition means for the agency's future.

The so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" came to symbolize all that's wrong with earmarks in Congress. But during the past few weeks, as Speaker John Boehner struggled to rally support for his alternate tax plan, some said earmarks could have helped him convince fellow Republicans to push legislation through the House.

The coffee giant recently partnered with the Rodarte fashion house to offer a holiday collection. It's the latest example of high-end designers teaming up with mass-market retailers to make money while showing their work to a broader audience.