In the fourth day of violence along the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Israel each claim wins and losses. The Israeli military is continuing its campaign of air strikes against targets in Gaza. A Gaza official puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 360 with 1400 wounded. Rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli cities killed four people yesterday. Meanwhile, the international community, led by the United Nations, calls for an immediate ceasefire as civilian casualties mount up in the densely-populated region. From the protests in Syria to the pleas from the United Nations, Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief with at the New York Times, and Jim Muir, the Beirut bureau chief for the BBC, give us a road map to the global reaction to the ongoing strife.

Retailers were not supposed to begin filing for bankruptcy until after January 1. But it seems the fallout from poor holiday sales has already begun. On Monday, the Parent Company became the first well-known retailer to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after Christmas. New York Times reporter Stephanie Rosenbloom joins The Takeaway with the details.

A little over a week ago more than one billion gallons of wet coal ash spilled after a retaining wall ruptured forty miles west of Knoxville. Initially authorities didn't realize how much of eastern Tennessee was actually covered in the semi-toxic sludge. More than one billion gallons of coal ash have spilled through the valley adjacent to the Kingston Fossil Plant and now Tennessee Valley authorities have to figure out how to get rid of it and clean up the state. Josh Flory from the Knoxville News Sentinel just returned from the spill site. He joins John and Adaora from Knoxville.

There's no let up in the political turmoil in Thailand. This past year the country has had four prime ministers. The most recently-elected prime minister has been greeted with calls to dissolve the legislature and initiate general elections. Of course he hasn't been able to do anything yet because his first speech, which is mandatory for him to take office, was delayed twice due to massive protests. The incoming prime minister finally managed to give the speech today at an improvised parliament session. BBC Correspondent Jonathan Head joins us from Bangkok.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas rages in the aftermath of a six month truce, which expired earlier this month. Today marks day four of what Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, describes as a “war to the bitter end.” As of Monday the death toll had topped 360 with 1400 wounded. For an assessment of how this will end and what America’s responsibility will be under an Obama Administration, we are joined by Daniel Levy. Mr. Levy is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation. Mr. Levy was a member of the official Israeli delegation to the Taba negotiations with the Palestinians in January 2001, and previously served on the Israeli negotiating team to the "Oslo B" Agreement from May to September 1995, under Prime Minister Rabin.

These are dark days for credit card companies--people are buying less on credit and having trouble paying their bills. Bad times for them may be good times for struggling borrowers, though, since credit card companies are increasingly willing to negotiate payment terms. Rozanne Andersen, Executive Vice President of ACA International, a professional association for collection agencies, joins The Takeaway to explain.

The auto industry's troubles are threatening the well-being of African-Americans more than any other racial or ethnic group. New York Times contributor Mary Chapman joins The Takeaway with a look at how car manufacturing job losses are affecting the black community.

Want more? Check out Mary Chapman's article in The New York Times.

Most pharmaceutical drugs only work for about half the people who take them. Why? Because our DNA can inhibit them from functioning in our bodies. But personalized medicine -- in which each person's individual genes are matched with appropriate pharmaceuticals -- might offer a solution. Joining The Takeaway to explain more is Andrew Pollack, a reporter for the New York Times and author of today's front page story on the topic.

For more on this fascinating subject, read Andrew Pollack's article.

On Tuesday morning the Japanese stock market completed its investment year with a final session that ended 1.3% higher. This is a small high note in what was a dismal year for the Nikkei. The market tallied losses of over 42%, the worst annual performance ever. Andrew Walker, the BBC Business and Economics Correspondent, joins The Takeaway to explain what this means for Japan and the global economy.

The news of Bernard Madoff and the billions of dollars lost in his worldwide Ponzi scheme reinforces the connection between money and corruption. It’s a relationship that is also evidenced in countries such as Zimbabwe, Somalia and the Congo—in these nations corruption can been seen as a force that’s impeding economic development. For insight into how poverty and global corruption contribute to many of today's international crises The Takeaway turns to economist Edward Miguel. Miguel is the co-author of the new book "Economic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence, and the Poverty of Nations."

Calls for the end of the media as we know it are not new to anyone in the business. For years media clairvoyants have been peering into their crystal balls to find ever shrinking staffs at newspapers and radio and television stations across the country. However, the combination of the significant shifts in technology and the economic downturn may constitute a critical mass for changes in the media. Between bankruptcies of significant media companies and transformative technology rushing to market, 2009 may be the year that media finally has to change. Siva Vaidhyanthan, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia, joins us for more on the issue.

In a speech today, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said his country will not fully open the border crossing into Gaza. He said that it will remain that way until the Palestinian Authority is in control of the border post. This decision comes despite criticism of Egypt from the Arab world for refusing to open the Rafah crossing in the past year, which has helped complete an Israeli blockade of the territory. Since the violence in Gaza began on Saturday, Egypt has allowed some of the wounded to cross for treatment and some humanitarian supplies. For more, we go to the BBC's Christian Fraser live at Rafah Crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.