President Obama spoke this morning in a joint appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He talked about some of the same themes as in his major speech yesterday in Cairo. Obama said he's determined to get peace talks started again. Another major issue on the table: the closing of Guantanamo Bay. The Takeaway talks to Jeff Zeleny, White House Correspondent for The New York Times who is in Dresden.

Watch a clip of President Obama's speech in the video below.

President Obama received a standing ovation after his speech yesterday in Cairo calling for a “new beginning” between the U.S. and the Muslim world. But was the response around the Muslim world as enthusiastic? Asra Nomani, a Professor of Journalism at Georgetown University, and Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist who writes for the International Herald Tribune, join The Takeaway to take a look at what the Arab press is saying about the speech.

The video below shows a reaction from the Al Jazeera network.

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will meet with President Obama on the beaches of Normandy, France, tomorrow in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of D-Day. This happens while an expenses scandal rocks Brown's governing Labor Party as well as the other major British political parties. Joining The Takeaway is BBC's Political Correspondent Nick Childs from Westminster and Michael Goldfarb, London Correspondent of Globalpost.com.

One of the five pillars of Islam, “zakat,” is the giving of a small percentage of one’s income to a Muslim charity. President Obama, in his Cairo speech, said that he is "committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat." The practice of zakat came under scrutiny under the Bush administration, when seven charities were closed down and jailed leaders accused of helping fund terrorist organizations abroad. Many Muslims fear that if they give to a religious group, they may be accused of funneling money to terrorists. What steps are needed to make it easier for Muslims to practice this important part of their religion?

Ceremonies are being held in Normandy today to mark the 65th Anniversary of D-Day. American, British and French veterans will attend a number of events; President Obama will attend a ceremony on Saturday with French President Sarkozy and Britain's Prince Charles. Joining The Takeaway from Normandy Beach is the BBC’s Defense Correspondent Rob Watson to talk about the commemoration.

In Chicago, Education Chief Arne Duncan's prescription for failing schools is to shut them down and start over again. Duncan wants to do this nationally. Does this approach work? Joining The Takeaway are Don Fraynd, Turnaround Officer for Chicago Public Schools who worked closely with Arne Duncan, and Marilyn Stewart, the President of Chicago's Teacher's Union.

After Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, flown by Colgan Air, crashed in Buffalo, New York, earlier this year, a federal safety inspector at Colgan Air said he had reported to his supervisors that planes were flying at incorrect speeds, with a broken radio, and failing multiple attempts at landing properly. That safety inspector is Chris Monteleon, who says his complaints were ignored; he was relegated to a desk job.

Monteleon joins The Takeaway to talk about his experience with Colgan Air. Barbara Peterson, a Senior Aviation Correspondent for Conde Nast Traveller, also joins the show to talk about airline safety.

American Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been detained in North Korea since March, after they were accused of illegally crossing the border from China. Their trial was supposed to begin yesterday. If convicted, they could face 10 years of hard labor. The women’s families remained silent for the first two months of their captivity, but this week family members were on the Today Show, Larry King Live, and other programs, appealing for the journalists' release.

Steve Romano, a Former Chief Negotiator for the FBI and now a Senior Advisor with the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, joins The Takeaway to talk about how experts advise families what to say to the press when a loved one is held captive.

Here is some footage of vigils being held for the captive journalists.

Countrywide was once the nation’s largest sub-prime mortgage lender. But yesterday, its former CEO, Angelo Mozilo, was charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC says Mozilo misrepresented Countrywide's shaky business practices to its investors. Joining The Takeaway this morning to go over the details is Tami Luhby, a Senior Writer at CNNMoney.com.

President Obama spoke in Cairo yesterday in an attempt to engage the Muslim world. New York Times reporter Michael Slackman has been collecting responses to the speech and joins The Takeaway from Beirut, Lebanon. What did Palestinians react to? Israelis? Did the president succeed in finding "a new beginning"?

Lard was once the most common fat for baking, but came to be seen as dirty and unhealthful. Now, food scientists have shown that home-rendered lard isn't as bad for your health as, say, margarine. And it tastes wonderful! Our guest, discussing the benefits of lard, is food writer Regina Schrambling. Also on the show is chef Zarela Martinez, a self-proclaimed lard crusader. She has been preaching the gospel of lard for over fifteen years and is glad that people are finally listening.

For pie crust and chocolate cupcake recipes, click here. Those recipes come from Southern cooks (and lard fans) Matt and Ted Lee.

Watch Zarela Martinez demonstrate how easy it is to render lard at home:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the unemployment numbers for May this morning. The numbers may give a sense of how quickly the U.S. can expect economic recovery. David Leonhardt, who writes about the economy for The New York Times, joins The Takeaway with an analysis.