Today the unemployment numbers for December will be released. The projections are grim: economists expect unemployment rates to rise to a 15-year high of 7.0 percent. This is a reality that President-elect Obama did not sugarcoat yesterday when he addressed the nation and it’s economic forecast. In the first major speech since he won the election, Barack Obama acknowledged the unemployment crisis and stressed the urgency of passing a robust economic stimulus package. Joining us to discuss the ailing economy, the unemployment crisis, and Obama’s approach to both, is Kelly Evans, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Christopher Hayes, the Washington Editor of The Nation, and entrepreneur Jim Svetz.

Don't miss part two of our economic roundtable.

UPDATE 8:47 a.m. ET: Unemployment rose to 7.2 percent in December 2008. Listen to The Takeaway's coverage.

Cairo has taken the lead in negotiating peace between Israel and Hamas. The Egyptian government is holding peace talks to end the conflict hosting Israel yesterday and Hamas tomorrow. These talks are held against a backdrop of widespread protests against the Israeli offensive in Gaza. For a closer look at the situation in Cairo we are joined by Magdi Abdelhadi, BBC's Arab affairs analyst.

Markets finished at record lows in 2008, but perhaps more significant than the final number, is that the volume of sales has dropped. This can be seen as an indicator that consumer confidence is extremely low. Some investors got burned in the market drop and the news is filled with lost savings due to Bernard Madoff's massive financial fraud. The net result is that people aren't interested in investing right now. To discuss this loss of consumer confidence we are joined by Roger Lowenstein, a contributor to the New York Times Magazine and author of "While America Aged: How Pension Debts Ruined General Motors, Stopped the NYC Subways, Bankrupted San Diego and Loom as the Next Financial Crisis."

The head of the Russian utility giant, Gazprom, says gas shipments to Ukraine could resume today meaning Europe could start cranking their heaters again. However, the only way Russia will agree is if the E.U. deploys monitors to observe Ukrainian pipelines. Reportedly, no progress has been made on a new contract between the Ukraine and Russia. Here with all the details is the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse.

For retailers November and December were grim, but they’re likely to look like the good old days compared with the post-holiday months. New York Times reporter Stephanie Rosenbloom joins The Takeaway with her analysis of the alarming facts and figures on retail sales.

President-elect Barack Obama has called for an economic stimulus package in stark terms, but can his cautionary words and economic plan be effective amidst widespread unemployment and incredibly bleak retail sales? Maya MacGuineas, Director of New America Foundation's Fiscal Policy Program, and Jamie Jones, a reporter for the Dalton, Georgia Daily Citizen, join John to continue our economic roundtable.

Listen to part one of our economic roundtable.

In case you missed the President-elect's speech, here it is courtesy of AP/Youtube.

It's Friday, do you know what you're doing this weekend? We do. Between the Golden Globes Awards, a Battlestar Galactica recap on the Sci Fi Channel, the return of 24, a new Animal Collective album on vinyl, and Neil Patrick Harris hosting Saturday Night Live, we'll be staying in. But if you want to go out there's always watching Mickey Rourke in a singlet in The Wrestler. For a strategic plan of attack for the weekend we turn to Time Out New York's Allison Williams.

Charles ''Chuckie'' Taylor Jr., the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, is scheduled to be sentenced in Miami today. In October he was convicted of torture in the first test of a 1994 law allowing the prosecution of U.S. citizens for alleged acts of torture committed abroad. Prosecutors are seeking a 147 year term. The federal courts reporter for the Miami Herald Jay Weaver joins The Takeaway to discuss this historic case.

For more information, read Jay Weaver's article 'Chuckie' Taylor faces life sentence in landmark torture case in the Miami Herald.

Despite a United Nations resolution calling for a cease-fire, Israel's government just announced that it will press ahead with its offensive into Gaza. Hamas is equally unimpressed with the U.N.'s vote because it did meet their demands and they were not consulted. Mike Lanchin, the BBC's Jerusalem Correspondent, joins us for analysis.

Confirmation hearings for Representative Hilda Solis, D-Calif., President-elect Barack Obama’s pick for Labor secretary are set to begin today. All eyes are on this confirmation as job creation is instrumental in executing Mr. Obama’s economic stimulus plan. Joseph McCartin, a labor historian and associate professor at Georgetown University, join us to share his impression of Rep. Solis and the job she will take on if she is confirmed.

Pakistan says two key al-Qaida leaders were killed in a U.S. missile attack near the Afghan border last week. This is a confirmation of earlier reports by the U.S. One of the men killed is believed to be behind last year's Marriott Hotel bombing in Islamabad and an assassination attempt against Benazir Bhutto. Meanwhile, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden is in Islamabad for talks on regional issues. Joining our discussion of these events is the BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The unemployment numbers for December are out and the jobless rate hit 7.2 percent. Additionally, payroll employment dropped by 524,000 over the month. While this is pretty much what economists expected, it is still shocking in that it is one of the biggest monthly drops ever in this modern post-war economy. Here to tell us about how the losses have accelerated is Kelly Evans of the Wall Street Journal.

The Takeaway turns to its listeners for their ideas on where President-elect Obama should focus his infrastructure dollars.