President Bush says the United States is not planning permanent military bases in Iraq, a fear of war-weary Americans. But with a U.N. agreement on bases expiring in January — before the inauguration of the next president — Washington is negotiating a new deal with Baghdad.

The signs are all around us: salmonella outbreaks; riots over food shortages; fears over mad cow disease; water shortages; skyrocketing global food prices. These are portents for the end of easily accessible food. Paul Roberts, author of "The End of Food" and "The End of Oil" sees the potential cataclysm ahead.

The mash-up turns into a trash-up: audio comments from listeners who aren't afraid to tell John and Adaora what they really think.

Disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy has alleged that his peers had a hand in the outcome of important games, including the 2002 playoffs between the Sacramento Kings and the L.A. Lakers. The phrase of the day is, "I knew it!"

When the French and Dutch rejected the European Union's constitution in 2005, member nations drafted a new treaty that has slowly won adoption from national governments. But Ireland is unique. It's the only country holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and it's people may reject the plan on Thursday, creating a new EU crisis. Fintan O'Toole from the Irish Times tells The Takeaway what's at stake.