Social Issues

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A woman waits to hear about her sister, a teacher, following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of New York City, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. An official with knowledge of Friday's shooting said 27 people were dead, including 18 children. It was the worst school shooting in the country's history. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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White House press secretary Jay Carney listens to a follow up question regarding the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., after he told reporters that President Barack Obama is receiving updates on the situation, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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“Don’t even think about raising the Medicare age. We are not throwing America’s seniors over the cliff to give a tax cut to the wealthiest people in America. We have clarity on that. But again, on all these other things, go to the table and negotiate.” - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat (Associated Press)

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Movie star Jackie Chan poses for photographers during the charity premiere of his new movie "CZ12" in Hong Kong on Dec. 13, 2012. (Associated Press)

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 13, 2012. (Associated Press)

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Syrian girls who fled their homes with their families peek out of their makeshift school at a camp for displaced Syrians in the village of Atmeh, Syria, on Dec. 10, 2012. (Associated Press)

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This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry, who was fatally shot in 2010 north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants. (Associated Press/U.S. Customs and Border Protection) ** FILE **

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Mayor Michael Coleman (center) of Columbus, Ohio, said after a White House visit on Wednesday that failure to reach agreement on taxes will “rise above frustration” for the middle class. (Associated Press)

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House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, arrives Dec. 12, 2012, for a closed-door meeting with the GOP caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington. Boehner and the other House Republican leaders are calling for President Obama to come up with plan they can accept for spending cuts and tax revenue to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and budget reductions. (Associated Press)