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The Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona was deadly in part because of how close a highly flammable forest was to a community. The U.S. once faced a crisis with structural fires, but managed to change regulations to turn the trend around. Experts say it will take a renewed effort to take on this newer fire threat.

In the final days before the election, the parties are doubling down on their convictions. Long-term demographics, however, suggest shifts in America's electorate that could mean big challenges for the Republican Party in coming years — but also could offer some new opportunities.

Lawmakers and President Obama are expected to return to Washington Thursday to resume efforts at averting the fiscal cliff. Lawmakers failed to reach a deal late last week and went home for the holiday break. Guest host Celeste Headlee talks with Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Roben Farzad for a look at the last-minute options.

In the last election, the red states got redder and the blue ones bluer. That's true not only in presidential voting, but at the state level, where half the legislative chambers are now dominated by supermajorities of one party or the other. The result is that blue and red states are moving further apart on most major issues, including tax policy, abortion and guns.

Record heat and relatively dry winters have created a historic drought in the U.S., but the ripple effects extend beyond the farmland and ranches. Low crop yields are driving up food prices, and dry conditions are causing forest fires and water main breaks. The costs are high, and it's still unclear if we'll see the end of it in 2013.

During a time of paralysis in Washington, states are taking the lead on a whole host of issues, from guns and gay marriage to education and tax policy. Of course, not everyone applauds the laws they pass. The Daily Show'sJon Stewart recently called states the "meth laboratories of democracy."

Almost 100 years ago, a water-supply diversion from Owens River helped quench Los Angeles' thirst some 200 miles away. L.A. thrived, but it drained the Owens Lake and created a salt flat that now pollutes the air. A century later, the finger-pointing continues, and this week, the city's water department is back in court over its cleanup plan.

The ticks are out in Wellfleet this year. At the Sven Bed and Breakfast, innkeeper Alexandra Grabbe says that collectively, her and her husband have been…

As video games become more mainstream, some social action organizations are using them to raise awareness or raise funds. They advocate for a range of causes, from the struggles of women in the developing world to the effects of power in Congress.

It's worth asking the question: does pop culture tell anyone anything? Or are we just sticking our fingers in our ears and whistling?