This week on NEED TO KNOW: Watch List Report-natural gas pipeline safety and oversight; In Perspective: A Jon Meacham Essay on Richard Holbrooke; Interview: Frank Wisner; Fixing America; Interview: Amy Sedaris; Just Ask Peter Sagal

NEED TO KNOW for Friday, December 17th on PBS at 8:30 p.m. (check local listings). Episode #133. To find out about developing stories, visit www.pbs.org/needtoknow. NEED TO KNOW is a production of Creative News Group for WNET.ORG. Viewers can visit www.pbs.org/needtoknow for updates on these stories and more. Note: Stories are subject to change due to breaking news.

*PIPELINE: In a Watch List report on the issue of natural gas pipeline safety and oversight, Need to Know presents the investigation of award winning reporter Brett Shipp from WFAA, Dallas, who has covered the issue in Texas for four years. Shipp investigates the cause of a fatal pipeline explosion in Johnson County Texas in June 2010.

*IN PERSPECTIVE: A JON MEACHAM ESSAY - Jon Meacham provides his thoughts on Richard Holbrooke.

*INTERVIEW: FRANK WISNER - Does talking really get results? With the death of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and this week's review of the Afghanistan war, Need to Know takes a look at the state of President Obama's foreign policy strategy with former diplomat Frank Wisner.

*FIXING AMERICA - Need to Know asked nine of the brightest thinkers in America to tell us one simple thing they'd do to get America moving again. Among the voices, Gary Shteyngart on immigration; Professor Marcia Rose of Brown University on race relations; author, activist Anna Lappe on the environment; and conservative writer Reihan Salam, on how he'd deal with poverty.

*INTERVIEW: AMY SEDARIS - Comedian Amy Sedaris sits down with Alison Stewart to discuss her decidedly unique take on crafting, and her new book, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.

*JUST ASK PETER SAGAL - Peter Sagal has some much-needed advice for a beleaguered Commander-in-Chief.