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Four years ago, when the nation's first African-American president was inaugurated, even conservative editorial cartoonists marked the moment with reverence. Now, not so much. Political cartoonists Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune and Matt Wuerker of Politico weigh in on the evolution of a president's image.

Kenneth C. Davis is the author of the 'Don't Know Much About' series. He shares fun and quirky presidential facts in his new book, 'Don't Know Much About the American Presidents.' In preparation for next week's festivities, host Michel Martin talks to Davis about the great - and not so great - moments of past inaugurations.

Cristina Pato says the gaita, a traditional bagpipe from her native region of Galicia, is defined by its "beautiful limitations."

Hundreds of thousands of people are participating in volunteer activities nationwide in honor of President Obama's second inauguration and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. But with budgets tightening and volunteerism stagnant, nonprofits hope they'll get a more permanent boost.

He's voted to allow guns in national parks and Amtrak trains, but Sen. Patrick Leahy rejects suggestions that he'll slow-walk gun control efforts through Congress. Leahy chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which begins hearings on the issue at the end of this month.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography, My Beloved World, debuted this week, and NPR's Nina Totenberg sat down with her to talk about her youth and schooling and career. Sotomayor discusses the role that books played in her life, from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare.

House Republicans held their annual retreat this week in Williamsburg, Va., to figure out their next steps. They dropped a demand to have spending cuts for ever dollar the debt ceiling is raised, at least for the next three months. GOP lawmakers are now pinning their hopes for deficit reduction on other looming budget battles.

Gearing up for inaugural weekend balls often means getting ready to stand in lots of lines for some not-so-awesome food. But if you want to say goodbye to the rubber chicken brigade, these foodcentric inaugural balls might be a better bet.

Explore a gallery of history-making moments from inaugurations past, the back story of the oath of office and a look at first ladies' gowns through the years.

Fresh off the Golden Globes, where Ben Affleck won for best director and Argo won for best motion picture/drama, Affleck talks about his approach to the film. Dustin Hoffman makes his directorial debut with a film about four aging opera singers who stage a concert at their retirement home.