President Obama appeared on no fewer than five media outlets over the weekend, trying to get the word out about his health care initiative, the war in Afghanistan and his missile defense plans overseas. For a look at the impact of the president's media blitz, we speak to Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tonight the president will trade in his policy-wonk hat for (hopefully) more comedic fare when he appears on "The Late Show with David Letterman." We are creating our own Top 10 list of things the president should not say on the show. Send us your suggestions and we'll make a list of the funniest.
In July, President Obama spoke at Macomb Community College in Michigan about his commitment to supporting community colleges as a way to restrengthen America's economy. Following up on his promise, the president visits Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, today for a speech on higher education and high tech jobs. We speak to Hudson Valley Community College Professor Rich Porter, department chair of Building Systems Technology.
The New York Jets had dropped eight straight games to the New England Patriots on their own turf... until yesterday, when the Jets broke the streak and beat the Patriots 16-9. We take a look around both the regular and fantasy football leagues with Wall Street Journal sports reporter Nando Di Fino.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) plans to push for a "super-regulator" that would merge the four agencies currently regulating the banking industry. Dodd wants a smaller role for the Federal Reserve; this plan conflicts with President Obama's plans for regulation. Louise Story, reporter for The New York Times, tells us why.
It's Monday and that means it's time to check what's on the agenda this week. Marcus Mabry, International Business Editor for our partner, The New York Times, and Andrew Walker from the BBC, both join us as we talk about what to look for in the news this week: health care reform, the G20 meeting's start in Pittsburgh and the UN General Assembly's kickoff. All that and the future of ACORN and New York Governor David Paterson.
For hundreds of years, mariners have dreamed of a shipping shortcut through the Arctic that would allow them to speed trade between Asia and the West. Two German ships became the first-ever Western commercial vessels to sail that route, thanks to the recent thawing and withdrawal of the Arctic sea ice due to global warming. BBC Moscow correspondent Richard Galpin tells us what he saw as one of the first journalists onboard this historic journey.
"Time outs" and positive reinforcement have seemed like reasonable ways to discourage or encourage bad behavior in kids for decades. But an advocate for an approach called "unconditional parenting" says these methods are actually bad for children later in life. We speak to author Alfie Kohn, author of the book, "Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason
Read Alfie Kohn's article in The New York Times: "When a Parent’s ‘I Love You’ Means ‘Do as I Say’"
"Speaking as a pediatrician, when we talk about using time-out, we're usually not talking about it as a way to encourage parents to be more severe; we're usually talking about it as a way to get through difficult family moments without screaming, yelling, hitting."
—Dr. Perri Klass on using time-outs as an alternative to harsher discipline methods
Late Saturday, the FBI made three arrests in New York City and Denver, Colorado, that they say were connected to an ongoing terror probe. 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi and his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53 years old, were both arrested in their aparment outside Denver. Agents also arrested Ahmad Wais Afzali in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York; Afzali served as the FBI's informant in this case.
We talk this morning with two reporters currently covering this story. David Johnston covers the Justice Department for our partners The New York Times and has a story on the arrests in today's paper, and Bruce Finley, staff writer for the Denver Post, who interviewed two of the arrested men in their homes before the FBI made their arrests.
"If you take this from the government's perspective, their view is that these charges really reflect [that] they're suspicious that something serious was afoot here, although they are not yet able to define with clarity what it is."
—David Johnston, covers the Justice Department for The New York Times, on this morning's arrests in a terror probe
Today we look ahead to events in Washington, including an update on the health care bill, and the effects of President Obama's media blitz. Our Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich drops by to give us a preview of the week ahead on Capitol Hill.
Bank of America may be forced to give Congress access to conversations that the bank had with its attorneys during the run-up to its merger with Merrill Lynch. Louise Story, finance reporter for The New York Times, reports that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has told Bank of America it cannot use attorney-client privilege when dealing with Congress.
We're thrilled to announce that Celeste Headlee has joined The Takeaway as co-host. In the midst of a busy Monday's news, we take a few minutes to introduce her to the nation.
As the U.N. General Assembly convenes, it brings together all of its 192 member countries; this year, the U.S. is playing a larger role than usual. President Obama will attend some of the proceedings this week, starting with a summit on climate change. Then the General Assembly debate takes place, where a speech by Obama is scheduled to follow a speech by Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. We talk to BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, who is in New York covering the events.
The Emmy Awards celebrated the world of television Sunday night with their 61st broadcast, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" both repeated last year's wins for best comedy and dramatic series, respectively.
The show had a few surprises, as well. Toni Collette was awarded the Emmy for best comedy actress for her multiple-personality role in "United States of Tara," beating out "30 Rock"'s Tina Fey.
Joining us for her take on the awards show is Delaina Dixon, TV blogger and founder of delainadixon.com.
Watch Toni Collette's acceptance speech:
CORRECTION:
We incorrectly said on-air that the TV show, "The United States of Tara" was canceled. Showtime announced in February that the series was renewed for a second season (expected to air in early 2010).
We talk to BBC defense and Security correspondent Nick Childs about details of a leaked report from the top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan on troop levels there.
Then we speak to New Yorker correspondent George Packer about his profile of veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke. Holbrooke cut his teeth in Vietnam and won acclaim for his negotiations in Bosnia. Now, Holbrooke faces what may be the definitive challenge of his career: the war in Afghanistan.
The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has cautioned Defense Secretary Robert Gates that he needs additional troops in Afghanistan by next year or the conflict will “likely result in failure.” The previously-confidential report was sent to Gates on August 30, but was just released last night. To go over the details with us is Eric Schmitt, reporter for our partner, The New York Times.
"What this report does in very stark language is lay out some of the problems and...basically gives his prescription that he needs more forces -- he doesn't say how much, that'll come in a separate document -- and he needs them soon or else the mission in Afghanistan, the eight-year mission there, will likely fail."
—Eric Schmitt, reporter for The New York Times, on Afghanistan commander Admiral McChrystal's report
Today's Takeaway: Over 50 and Unemployed, Texting in Class, The Future of Yemen, and Why It's So Hard to End Poverty in America
Today's Takeaway: Dharun Ravi, NATO Summit, David McCullough, Chen Guangcheng and Unemployment for Older Americans
Why Texting in Class Might Actually Be a Good Thing
Why Increased Immigration is the Solution for America's Ailing Economy
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