The Senate has freed up the second half of the bailout funds, which means President-elect Obama’s administration will have money to use to shore up the economy or more specifically the financial institutions. But Senate Republicans wouldn't support releasing the funds without some concessions. Guest host Capitol News Connection's Todd Zwillich has more details.

Yesterday, House Democrats released an $825 billion economic stimulus bill designed to create and preserve jobs and get people spending again. At the same time, the Senate released the remaining bailout funds to prop up the flailing financial institutions. The New York Times' David Herszenhorn joins The Takeaway with an analysis.

For more, read David Herszenhorn's article, Senate Releases Second Portion of Bailout Fund, in today's New York Times.

Scandals like Avandia in 2007 and the recent recall of generic drugs from India have some people wondering if the Food and Drug Administration has been sampling too many free pharmaceuticals. This week in the journal Nature, Dr. Steven Nissen writes about the problems with the FDA, most notably, its "culture of secrecy." He joins us to discuss how the new Obama administration might shake things up a little.

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As Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip heads into its third week, international cries for peace have intensified. The U.S., the United Nations and Egypt continue what has been described as a feverish round of telephone tag in an effort to forge a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas on the 21st day of fighting. For more on what it might take to create a lasting cease-fire between the parties, we turn to Hanan Ashwari, a Palestinian legislator, activist, and scholar for her insight into the ongoing assault in Gaza.


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Yesterday’s dramatic crash landing of a U.S. Airways jetliner into New York’s Hudson River, and the equally dramatic rescue, had many people glued to their television screens. Fortunately, no one aboard the plane was killed. But the news that a flock of geese may have caused the crash has a lot of people wondering just how worried they should be about so-called “bird strikes.” For that answer we turn to Patrick Smith, pilot and author of Salon.com’s Ask the Pilot.

Yesterday, the U.S. House Democrats unveiled a stimulus bill that would designate $54 billion to renewable energy. But the problem in creating a sustainable energy source may not lie in funding for green projects, but the manner in which they are implemented. In her latest piece for PBS’s Blueprint America Maria Hinojosa, a senior correspondent for NOW on PBS, explores the issues confronting implementing green energy in California, greenwashing everywhere, and how it may be a reflection for the future of eco-politics.

Don't forget to watch Maria Hinojosa's report "Blueprint America: Power Struggle" airing tonight on PBS's NOW.

Watch a PBS/NOVA report on "The Big Energy Gamble" in California.

Economist Paul Volcker, chairman-designate of the newly formed Economic Recovery Advisory Board in President-elect Obama's administration, has unveiled a plan that demands a new way of thinking and restructuring the global financial system. Although it’s theoretical, it could provide clues to the kinds of changes President-elect Obama will push for once he's in office. For an assessment of this plan, The Takeaway is joined by Janet Tavakoli. Tavakoli is founder and president of Tavakoli Structured Finance. She’s also author of the new book, Dear Mr. Buffett: What an Investor Learns 1,269 miles from Wall Street.

Christopher Wallace, who is more commonly known as Biggie Smalls or the Notorious B.I.G., was at the height of his hip-hop career in the early 90s when his rise to super-stardom was tragically cut short. Twelve years ago, at the age of 24, he was killed in a now-infamous drive by shooting. "Notorious," a biopic based on Biggie Smalls' life, hits theaters nationwide today. For a look at what this film means for Biggie Smalls' legacy, we are joined by Voletta Wallace. Voletta Wallace is the mother of the late Biggie Smalls and is one of the film's producers.

Watch the trailer for the new film "Notorious".

For three weeks Israeli forces have gouged deep into Gaza in an attempt to rout out Hamas operatives who are accused of firing rockets into Israel. Their offensive has raised the ire of the international community and the pleas for peace have intensified as civilian casualties mount up. Egypt, the United Nations, and the United States have all been working to craft a cease-fire. Today, Israeli government officials are spreading around the world bringing new hope for an imminent cease-fire. But what does Israel need for a durable and lasting peace? To answer that we turn to Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli government who joins us from Jerusalem.

China's family planning commission has released a survey saying that 70% of Chinese women wish they could have two babies or more partially because they worry that an only child is likely to become lonely or spoiled. The commission just announced the survey, but there is a twist, it was conducted in 2006, but is only being released now. For more on the survey and what it might mean for China's one-child policy, we're joined by Quentin Sommerville, the BBC's Beijing Correspondent.

In 1996 Barack and Michelle Obama were interviewed and photographed for a book on couples in America. The pictures didn’t make it into the book and they were filed away in photographer Mariana Cook’s studio until this week, when one of them appeared in The New Yorker. Photographer and writer Mariana Cook joins Adaora and Todd to talk about the interview and discuss her images.