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After George Washington took his oath of office he was joined by a procession made up of local militias as he made his way from Mount Vernon to New York City. These days, the parade is a colorful blend of marching bands, floats and different organizations — led by ceremonial military regiments.

Unlike with his first swearing-in, Barack Obama does not face two ongoing wars and an economy on the verge of collapse. But thorny issues remain, and there's less hope than there was four years ago that Obama can bend Washington to his will.

"Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness," he says. "But it does require us to act in our time."

After the Grammy-nominated rapper criticized Obama's Mideast policy, the lights went off and men in black suits escorted him off stage. The party organizers deny removing him for political reasons.

President Barack Obama delivered his second inaugural speech today. Host Michel Martin explores how his words may have resonated with Americans --those who voted for him and those who didn't-- with two former White House insiders.

Though wrung of much of the drama of his historic first inauguration, President Obama's efficient, specific and, at times, soaring address outshone his first with allusions to Lincoln, King and Kennedy. Speech experts and presidential historians weigh in on Obama's words and delivery.

The move is further proof that Russia, a staunch Syrian ally, has doubts about the survival of the regime of President Bashar Assad. The planes are expected to land in Lebanon on Tuesday.

This year, the presidential inaugural events coincide with the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Host Michel Martin speaks with scholar Clayborne Carson, about how Dr. King may have viewed the historic challenges facing President Obama.

One of President Obama's gun control proposals appears to have widespread support — universal background checks for gun purchases. Some experts on mental health and gun violence find problems with the current laws, and they say the system doesn't do a very good job of predicting and preventing gun crime.

Scientists are worried about the elusive members of the weasel family that live in parts of Olympic National Forest in Washington state. To see whether martens are endangered, volunteers are installing remote camera traps to take photos of the animals.