Home foreclosures are up 19% since last October; that, combined with a sluggish housing market, has left many communities around the country studded with vacant homes. We're talking about what comes along with those empty houses: house parties, rodents and, for some, ongoing efforts to keep their neighborhood clean. We speak to Luther Bradley, block captain for the neighborhood watch group in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood in Detroit; John Tyus, member of the Downtown Brooklyn campaign for Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, and Karen Meinzen-McEnerny, councilwoman in Sandy Springs, Ga.

• Business Takeout: New York Times reporter Louise Story reveals how tough business can be in Iraq. Even though the U.S. is spending billions there, American companies are having a tough time landing local contracts. 
• Sports Takeout: Our own Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps last night's Bears/49ers game and gives his predictions for the upcoming weekend in the NFL.
• Book  Takeout: New York Times reporter Kate Zernike tells about Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue." The book isn't due for release until next week, but it's already making waves.

President Obama has rejected four options for upping troop levels in Afghanistan. A decision on how many troops to send to the war-torn nation had been expected after the president met with his national security team on Wednesday, but a series of cables from the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, warned Obama against deploying more troops in the face of rampant corruption in the Afghan government. We speak to Marvin Weinbaum, a former State Department analyst on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

One day before President Barack Obama’s first visit to Asia, China’s foreign minister compared the 1959 Chinese takeover of Tibet to President Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves during the Civil War. Many are wondering whether Obama will address human rights during his visit, and what he might say. We talk to Professor Robert Thurman, professor of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University.

A.O. Scott has been covering film for The New York Times for 10 years; he joins us to look back on what's captured audiences and critics to define the first filmic decade of the 21st Century. He says the most memorable moments were often completely unpredictable. See where "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "There Will Be Blood" and "The Minority Report" fit into Scott's look back on a decade of film criticsm.

In the heat of a breaking story, news media frequently run details which later turn out to be incorrect. One case in point: it's recently come out that it wasn’t actually civilian police officer Kimberly Munley who shot down Hasan, as initially reported, but rather another officer, Sgt. Mark Todd. What else that's come from Fort Hood has been corrected since last week? To discuss and update the reporting thus far, we are joined by Campbell Robertson from our partner The New York Times, who has been reporting in Killeen, Tex. We also have Dave Cullen, author of "Columbine," about the Columbine High School massacre.

• Washington Takeout: Our Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich on a new report from the Business Roundtable, touted by Senate Democrats, that suggests health care costs will skyrocket without reform.
• Movies Takeout: New York Times film critic A.O. Scott previews this weekend's big releases: "2012" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox," but eschews "Pirate Radio."
• Listener Takeout: Listeners tell us why they think China will rule the world.

We continue our series on the impact of state budget cuts, focusing today on Colorado, where there is a nearly $2 billion deficit right now. Proposed budget cuts would have an impact in many areas of the Rocky Mountain State. K-12 school funding would be cut 6% in the latest budget proposal; tax-credits would be rescinded; and there's even a "Twinkie Tax" on candy and soda sales. We're looking at one cut in particular: Medicaid funding. Even though it's not the biggest line item, it is hitting those Coloradans most in need.

Tim Everett, State House reporter for the Denver Post, is with us. Also joining us is Mitzi Moran, president and CEO of Sunrise Community Health, which is a community health center in Evans, Co. The center weathered a 14% funding decrease in the past year, most of it impacting their lower-income patients.

During his current trip to Asia, President Obama will meet with a variety of leaders and diplomats. He will also meet  two members of Japan's royal family: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The fiercely private royal family has long been surrounded by secrecy and rumors. We talk to John Burnham Schwartz, best-selling novelist and screenwriter. He is author of "The Commoner," which is a novel loosely based on the lives of some members of the Japanese royal family.

[Lou Dobbs' leaving CNN was kept secret until he made this announcement on-air]

This week, Lou Dobbs surprised the world by announcing that he would be leaving CNN. Known for his inflammatory views on immigrants, particularly those of Mexican descent, Dobbs was one of the founding anchors of CNN. So why leave the network? We explore that question with media analyst Johnnie Roberts, and OC Weekly staff writer Gustavo Arellano (who is also known for his nationally syndicated column “Ask a Mexican”).

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, and four other men accused in the plot will be prosecuted in federal court in New York City, a federal law enforcement official said earlier today.

Joining us to discuss the implications of this announcement on the president's promise to close Guantánamo Bay is Jonathan Mahler, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and author of the book "The Challenge: How a Maverick Navy Officer and a Young Law Professor Risked Their Careers to Defend the Constitution — and Won."