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The 2012 Republican presidential nominee had to be convinced by his family to get into the race, his son tells the Boston Globe. "He wanted to be president less than anyone I've met in my life," Tagg Romney says.

Also: Peace envoy meets with Assad; woman in police uniform kills U.S. contractor in Kabul; snow could make post-Christmas travel tough in much of the nation; Sen. Mike Crapo, D-Idaho, faces drunk driving charge.

The National Rifle Association spokesman says killers such as Adam Lanza would find other ways to try to kill so many people. Lanza shot and killed 20 school children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

As firefighters arrived at a house fire in Webster, N.Y., police say, convicted murderer William Spengler opened fire. Two firefighters were killed. Two others were wounded. Residents were evacuated. Police say Spengler apparently took his own life. Seven homes were destroyed.

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.

A combination of greater job security, fewer bills and rising wealth sent shoppers heading off to car dealerships, malls and restaurants. "Job growth was not great, but it was good enough to make people feel like things are getting better," said Nariman Behravesh of IHS Global Insight. NPR's Marilyn Geewax covers 2012's economic good news.

The city of Taranto is heavily dependent on a steel plant, the largest in Europe, which provides some 20,000 jobs. A court has ordered a partial shutdown because the factory spews carcinogens into the air, but the government has rejected the court's ruling, saying the economy needs the jobs.

There's going to be more snow in California and then over the Rockies and into the Plains. But it's parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast that could see the most severe storms on Christmas Day.

Milk and cookies might be the traditional Santa offering on Christmas Eve, but in at least one household, St. Nicholas will be getting smoked salmon and scotch.

Two firefighters died and two others were hospitalized in western New York on Monday. They were shot after responding to a fire in the town of Webster, outside Rochester. Police say the gunman is also dead, and they're not ruling out the possibility that the firefighters were led into a trap.