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As Congress once again heads for the brink in the "fiscal cliff" fight, a string of retiring senators noted the increased polarization sadly as they bid their colleagues farewell.

The combination of a powerful gun owners' lobby and a loss of public support for gun control has stymied efforts in recent years to tighten gun laws. But there are signs the Newtown massacre may prompt change on Capitol Hill.

The population explosion in Williston, N.D., has been a blessing and a curse for many local businesses. Stores and restaurants are struggling to find workers because they can't compete with what most oil jobs pay. Plus, there's now a day care shortage, and housing costs have skyrocketed.

There's nothing like a broad-scale consumer boycott, but companies are responding proactively to rapidly shifting attitudes about guns. Whether consumers sustain anger about gun violence for very long will determine whether there's any real shift in markets.

As lawmakers on Capitol Hill struggle with looming deadlines on taxes and spending cuts, they now face another big question: What, if anything, can Congress do to prevent more massacres like the one last Friday in Newtown, Conn.? Some Democrats are pushing for tighter restrictions on guns and ammunition. In their way stands the Republican-run House.

The Beauty Shop ladies offer their thoughts about the Newtown shooting, including the implications for gun policy, the media, and American families. Host Michel Martin is joined by policy analyst Michelle Bernard, Melinda Henneberger of The Washington Post, blogger Viviana Hurtado and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona.

The Supreme Court's expected ruling on a case involving the University of Texas could end race-based affirmative action. But while some say the program works and is still needed, others argue there are better ways of measuring diversity.

The agency says that among its most troubling findings is that many apps for kids share such information as geolocations with third parties. Developers need to do more to improve privacy protections and to tell parents what they're doing, the agency reports.

President Obama is on the road, promoting his solution to the so-called "fiscal cliff." He's also in negotiations over the issue with House Speaker John Boehner. But can they come to an agreement in time? Host Michel Martin talks with Ron Christie, a Republican strategist, and Michael Fauntroy, an associate professor at George Mason University.

The federal probation office in St. Louis has one of the biggest caseloads of violent offenders in the country — and one of the lowest recidivism rates. That's in part because of a former felon who knows how to keep ex-offenders from returning to prison.