On Saturday, about 15 million Iraqis are expected to turn out to vote in that country’s provincial elections. The elections will test Iraq’s young democracy and may highlight not only divisions between Iraqi Sunni and Shiite Muslims, but also the differences and allegiances within those groups. The Takeaway talks to Andrew North, Baghdad Correspondent for the BBC, and Marina Ottoway, the Director of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, for a road map of the upcoming elections.

Today world leaders, policy makers and a handful of business executives gather in Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum. As if unemployment numbers, a bankrupt Iceland and the recent reduction of the British pound weren’t indicators of an economy in crisis, the somber tone at the forum might do little to restore confidence in the global economy. This year the meeting lacks the usual lavish ski trips, celebrity sightings and business titans. There is also barely a smidgen of American representation. Most prominent politicians have opted out of the conference in order to work on our own ailing economy. For a look at what those present are forecasting, we are joined by Andrew Ross Sorkin. He is a columnist for The New York Times, where he is also the chief mergers and acquisitions reporter.

A culinary competition is underway in France. But this is not just any competition or even your average Food Channel fare. This is the Olympics of cooking. As we speak, teams of chefs extraordinaires from 24 countries are gathered at the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France. In the twenty years this competition has been running an American team has never won, but this year could be different. Phillipe Auclair, a food writer and trained chef in London, joins The Takeaway to give us the play by play.

Want to see what all the fuss is about? Watch the 2008 action courtesy of Youtube.com

Author John Updike passed away yesterday. There was no greater advocate of books than this author who created so many of them and read so many of them. For someone who thought of writing and literature as so fundamental, he was known for writing about the most ordinary of things in eloquent words. In commemoration of Updike's passing at age 76, we take a listen back at the man, his life, and his passion for books.

On Charlie Rose, John Updike discussed his greatest lament that writing was diminished and reading was declining. Watch the interview here:

On the campaign trail Barack Obama promised to be a leader of bipartisan politics. Now he’ll try to make good on his word as he works to pass his $825 billion recovery plan. Yesterday, in an effort to get the bipartisan ball rolling, President Obama met with House Republicans who are resisting his stimulus plan. For a look at whether or not Mr. Obama has the ability to effectively reach across the aisle we are joined by Bradford Berenson. Berenson repeatedly saw Mr. Obama walk a fine line between two radically different worlds when they were classmates at Harvard Law School and editors for The Harvard Law Review. Berenson was also a top lawyer in the White House counsel’s office from 2001-2003.

For more on President Obama's past as a bipartisan player, watch the Frontline documentaries Dreams of Obama and The Choice.

Yesterday House Republican leaders met with President Obama to voice their objections to his stimulus plan. Representative Kevin Brady of Texas' 8th Congressional District was there. He joins John and Adaora with a report on what happened in the meeting, what his hopes are for bipartisan compromise, and what's next for the bill.

For President Obama's take on the meeting, here's his post-meeting press conference:

Yesterday was the second day of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial, and state legislators got a special treat. The FBI released some snippets of the Governor’s taped conversations. There were no f-bombs and no direct references to President Obama's Senate seat. None the less, some legislators said the recordings made the Governor's alleged misdeeds more real. Amanda Vinicky of Illinois Public Radio gives John and Adaora an update on the proceedings.

Instead of defending himself in the Illinois Statehouse, Governor Blagojevich hit the media circuit. On Monday he defended himself on The View:

The Super Bowl will be played in Tampa on Sunday and a group of Boston University researchers has gathered there in advance of the game. They are announcing findings of an investigation into brain injury in one former NFL player that is part of a still controversial body of evidence that may link professional football to brain damage. For more, we ask Dr. Robert Stern, an Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston University, to explain his findings and what this could mean for the NFL.

Mexico’s drug war is flaring up and in some U.S. border towns, residents say they fear a wave of bloodshed is headed their way. The Takeaway talks to journalist Diana Washington Valdez, author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated El Paso Times series “Death Stalks the Border" and the forthcoming book, “Mexican Roulette: Last Cartel Standing.”

For more from Diana Washington Valdez, check out her blog.

Discovery en Espanol made a haunting documentary on the murders in Juarez featuring the work of Diana Washington Valdez. Below is part one via Youtube: