As President Obama and Vice President Biden welcomed Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr and police Sergeant James Crowley to the beer summit, people were joining them in spirit at bars across Boston. Radio Reporter Philip Martin was there to get a take on what people hoped the meeting would accomplish.

For The Takeaway's weekly wrap-up we talk about two stories that dominated the headlines all week—health care and beer. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden sat down with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sergeant James Crowley for a beer at the White House to try and settle their differences. And a new health care deal got closer to passing through Congress this week, but it won’t happen before the recess as the president had hoped. Here to analyze the week’s events is The Takeaway Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich, and Callie Crossley, media analyst at Harvard University and media critic for Meet The Press on WGBH Boston.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office reported yesterday that Wall Street bonuses are back. This is just in time for the vote in the House today on the Executive Compensation Bill. Joining The Takeaway is Louise Story, a reporter for The New York Times with the latest on the bonuses.

The Takeaway looks at where the economy is now, and where it's headed. We're talking to Lakshman Achuthan, the Managing Director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute. He talks about the leading indicators in economic recovery including jobless claims, the stock market and corporate profit.

A British man facing charges of hacking into top secret Pentagon and NASA computers in the U.S. has lost a long legal battle against his extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. American prosecutors say the man, Gary McKinnon, is a major military computer hacker. Some British celebrities are defending him, saying he never posed a threat. To tell us more about this unusual case is BBC Correspondent Rob Broomby in London.

A Federal judge has ordered the release of what is believed to be Guantanamo Bay’s youngest detainee. Mohammed Jawad has been detained there since 2002 when he was arrested in Kabul, Afghanistan, for throwing the hand grenade that injured two American troops and their Afghan interpreter. His lawyers claim that he was probably 14 or 15 years old at the time. The judge ruled that Jawad has been held based on a confession he gave after being threatened with death. Joining The Takeaway is Johnathan Hafetz, one of Mohammed Jawad’s lawyers. He's with the National Security Project at the ACLU.

It's Friday movie review day at The Takeaway, and we cover Judd Apatow’s latest film, "Funny People," starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. Joining The Takeaway to talk about the "dudeness" of the film and how Apatow treats his female characters is freelance film critic Michelle Orange.

Watch the trailer for "Funny People" below.

Big Papi may have had help getting big. The New York Times reported yesterday that the Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz and former Red Sox player Manny Ramirez are on a list of a hundred players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. Joining The Takeaway to talk about the story is Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, The Takeaway’s sports contributor.

For more information, watch the video below.

President Obama, Sgt. James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates Jr. met for a long anticipated beer last night outside the Oval Office. The Takeaway covered reactions to this from bar-goers in Boston and now talks with Detroit News Reporter Charlie LeDuff about what people said in the bars in Detroit.

Last week we reported on the Obama administration's “cash for clunkers” program—where you can trade in your old beater for a credit on a new, more fuel efficient car. The rewards program was supposed to last well into the Fall, but news late last night says "cash for clunkers" may have already been cashed out. Joining The Takeaway this morning with more is Louise Story, a reporter for The New York Times.

July has been the deadliest month in the war in Afghanistan. Casualties have spiked since the U.S. launched a major offensive into Afghanistan's Helmand province. The U.S. has lost 39 troops and 22 British troops have been killed this month alone. Yesterday, The Takeaway spoke to a reporter in Camp Dwyer, in the Helmand Province, and today we hear from one of the helicopter pilots at Camp Dwyer. He is U.S. MedEvac (medical evacuation) helicopter pilot Jay Hanshaw, who picks up injured Marines on the front line. He joins The Takeaway from Afghanistan.

To assess the state of the war in Afghanistan, The Takeaway talks with Stephen Biddle, a counterinsurgency expert and senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was tasked by General Stanley McChrystal to visit Afghanistan (along with about a dozen other independent analysts) to assess the current state of the war. He spent a month there, and returned last week.

Seattle, known for its London-like weather, rainy and cool, has been hit with a record breaking heat wave. Many people not accustomed or prepared for temperatures like this are trying to find ways to stay cool. Joelle Ligon, a Seattle resident and Parks Department employee, joins The Takeaway.

Joining The Takeaway to discuss the summer recess—and all things political—is Bill Maher, host of the indispensable political gabfest, HBO's "Real Time." He talks about the president's beer summit, health care, and whether Joe Biden can be kept under control.

The GDP shrank one percent in the second quarter. To tell us what that means for the economy and jobs, The Takeaway is joined by Dan Gross, columnist for Newsweek and Slate.com.

A report from the New York Attorney General’s Office says top-dog bankers are rolling in huge bonuses, and the House of Representatives is set to vote on a pay-reform bill today that aims to put a cap on some of those compensation packages. Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank is leading the fight in the House and joins The Takeaway to talk about the bonuses.

Click through for a transcript of the conversation with Rep. Frank.

Watch Rep. Barney Frank discuss single payer health care in the video below.

Cooking shows are becoming more and more popular. But while people love to watch shows like "Top Chef," they don't actually go into their own kitchens to chop, boil or bake. Food writer Michael Pollan talks about how the rise in TV food shows has turned cooking into a spectator sport.

Click through for a transcript of the conversation with Michael Pollan.

Watch a video of Spike battle it out with a fellow contestant on Top Chef.