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President Obama has another four years to pursue his goals. Now, some of the groups who elected him are asking what's in it for them. Host Michel Martin discusses whether the president should pursue a 'black agenda' with The Root's Keli Goff and former Cincinnati Mayor Kenneth Blackwell.

As the president and House speaker try to lead the nation away from the so-called fiscal cliff, experts in the art of negotiation say they're not impressed. "Much of this process is theater," says one. "I think that now, everyone needs to shut up and get to work."

NATO said the missiles, as well as the radar system, will only be used for defensive purposes — that is they will only be used to intercept mortars once they have crossed into Turkish territory.

Even in a state where top Republicans led the legal battle against Obamacare, there's recognition now that Florida has to act fast to comply with the new law. But many Tea Party members are still calling on state lawmakers to reject the health care law.

The West African nation of Mali is a hotbed of blazing electric guitar players. In recent years, two of the best — Zani Diabate and Lobi Traore — died suddenly while in the prime of their creative lives. Both have posthumous releases out this year worth tracking down.

Most Americans have never heard of the fuel E15 — and that could be part of the problem. The auto club says drivers unfamiliar with E15 could fill up with the gasoline accidentally and damage some vehicles. Ethanol producers and the renewable fuels lobby say that's nonsense.

Last month's ballot initiative that legalized marijuana contained a deal-sweetener for hesitant voters — a new DUI standard that may make life riskier for regular pot users. Regular users of medical marijuana say they'll be stuck on the wrong side of the law.

NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates profiles novelist Susan Straight, who is putting her hometown of Riverside, Calif., on the literary map. Straight herself is white, but she weaves the black, working-class voices of Riverside into her work.

Last month, Mike Rowe quietly let his fans know that his TV show Dirty Jobs had been canceled. On the show, Rowe showcased people proudly doing difficult, dirty and often low-paying work. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's out of fashion now for a show to look up to its subjects.

A student occupation at Cooper Union is entering its third day. The New York school of art, architecture and engineering is famous for not charging tuition to undergraduates. Administrators say the school is facing a financial crisis and needs to find new revenue sources.