In 2002, Saudi King Abdullah proposed a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinian territories. In exchange for peace with the Arab world, Israel would withdraw from the occupied territories and a Palestinian state would be established. Harvard Law Professor and author of "The Rise and Fall of the Islamic State," Noah Feldman joins The Takeaway for a look at what parts of the so-called Arab Peace Initiative the Obama administration is likely to embrace.

Iranians are less interested in President Obama than in their own election contest between the conservative incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the relatively liberal contender Mir Hossein Moussavi. Mir Hossein Moussavi is a proponent of women's rights and has been playing to the youth vote. The BBC’s Tehran Correspondent, Jon Leyne, talks to The Takeaway about the presidential race.

Glamorized in the movies, the 1920s were a gala time of flappers, jazz, and the eighteenth amendment. The so-called Noble Experiment of Prohibition created a culture of subterranean speakeasies where people could illicitly imbibe. But according to New York Times writer William Grimes, the atmosphere may have been lively, but the drinks were lousy. That hasn't stopped a new interest in underground cocktail lounges from popping up across the country. From Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco to Milk & Honey in New York, there's a speakeasy renaissance going on. And this time, the drinks are good. William Grimes joins The Takeaway with a look at the past, present, and future of speakeasies.

Read William Grimes' article in today's New York Times on the new speakeasy: Bar? What Bar?

And to learn what goes into these Prohibition drinks check out the Grimes' list of Prohibition-era cocktails.

This is the 20th anniversary of the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. But the date isn't being marked in China, where the Communist party has banned discussion of the events. Shirong Chen, the China Editor for BBC joins The Takeaway from London to talk about the ban.

Judge Sonya Sotomayor started her courtesy calls to Capitol Hill as a Supreme Court nominee. Sotomayor met with key senators, while harsh criticism continued on cable TV about her past statements and rulings. The Takeaway talks to Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich, who followed Sotomayor on the Hill.

Dr. Roshanak Wardak has a lot of ideas for repairing Afghanistan. She was a practicing physician for thirty years, then traded her stethoscope for a role as a member of Afghanistan's parliament. As one of 68 women in the lower house, she works for women's rights and to rebuild the beleaguered nation's infrastructure, especially schools and hospitals. She just testified before the U.S. Congress about her vision for her country and her work with RethinkAfghanistan.org.

Here is Dr. Wardak and others involved in RethinkAfghanistan

Not many parents would publicly admit that they thought about throwing their sleep-deprivation-inducing newborn off a balcony. But writer Michael Lewis decided that it was important to tell the ugly truth about the development of parental love. In his book "Home Game," he talks about learning to be a father to his three children. Lewis talks to The Takeaway about the joys and travails of being a dad.
Read an excerpt from his book, Home Game.

The issue of immigration reform has been pushed aside recently by the economic crisis, but now it's back on center stage. This week a coalition of reform advocacy groups is beginning a campaign to push for comprehensive immigration reform. President Obama has announced that he will meet with congressional leaders to take up the issue on Monday. Tamar Jacoby, President of ImmigrationWorks USA, joins The Takeaway to look at the push for immigration reform.

"Disappointed" was the word that Mary Schapiro, Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Commission, used to describe the performance of the SEC. Schapiro promised to do better at providing the oversight that taxpayers and ordinary investors expect. She appeared before Congress to talk about new funding slated for the regulatory body. Author Michael Lewis, who chronicled the excesses of Wall Street in his book "Liar's Poker", talks to The Takeaway about the SEC.

A memorial service is being held at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris for the passengers of Air France Flight 447, which vanished off the coast of Brazil on its way to France. The BBC’s Adam Mynott is in Paris; he talks to The Takeaway about how investigators will unravel the mystery of the crash.