U.S., U.K. and Afghan forces continue a military assault against Taliban fighters in Marjah, Afghanistan this morning. Plans for the offensive were widely discussed by U.S. and NATO commanders before the operation began, in an attempt to warn civilians in the area and limit civilian casualties. But on Sunday, two coalition rockets missed their mark, killing 12 civilians. We look at how coalition forces are doing in this critical operation with Jeffrey Dressler an Afghanistan expert with the Institute for the Study of War and Global Post correspondent, Jean MacKenzie, who is on the ground in Afghanistan.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: We talk to Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times who describes the political cost of the president's upcoming meeting with Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT:  New York Times' sports reporter John Branch joins us from Vancouver with the latest Olympic news and previews the week of winter sports ahead.

It's our weekly look at the news to watch out for with Marcus Mabry, international business editor for The New York Times, and Rob Watson, BBC political correspondent.

Far away from the halls of Congress, the conversation about what’s right and what’s wrong with health care rages on. We've been dropping in on conversations about health care thanks to a multimedia project called "The Waiting Room." Today, we visit patients and their family members in the waiting room of Highland Hospital, a county facility in Oakland, Ca.

You may never feel like you get your money's worth at a hotel again. New York's Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan serves as the lodging for the dogs who participate in the Westminster Dog Show. From the moment the four-legged animals enter the lobby, they are greeted with goodies ... and we don't mean doggie treats.

New studies and rumors fly almost every week on what (allegedly) causes autism and what "cures" it. At the same time, autism studies (including the frequently-cited Wakefield study linking MMR vaccines to autism in 1998) occasionally get retracted. What's true and what's not? Dr. Perri Klass and Dr. Eileen Costello, pediatricians and co-authors of "Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn't Fit In - When to Worry and When Not to Worry," distinguish autism facts from autism fiction.

Vancouver, British Columbia, host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, pulled out all the stops for this year's games — spending approximately $100 million to construct newer, bigger and faster courses for the world’s finest athletes.  But we're discovering bigger isn’t always better.  

• AFGHANISTAN: Emal Pasarly, editor at the BBC Pashtu service gives us insight into how ordinary Afghans are responding to the joint offensive in their country.
• HOLLYWOOD LAND: The Trust for Public Land covered the Hollywood sign with a sheet saying, "Save the Peak" to raise awareness about a plan to cover the Cahuenga Peak with luxury houses being built. Sam Hodder from the Trust for Public Land joins us to talk about why they are doing this and how much money they need to raise to conserve the land.
• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: New York Times Wall Street and finance contributor Louise Story details Wall Street's involvement in the current financial woes of European countries like Greece, Portugal and Italy. 

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. has declined by one million since 2008, with states like California, Florida, Arizona, New York and New Jersey seeing the largest drops. The economic recession has made it difficult for many undocumented immigrants to find work and make enough money to send to their families in their country of origin.

Allied forces continue to fight in Marjah, Afghanistan as they attempt to clear hundreds of Taliban fighters out of the region.  But what happens once the offensive is over? 

Today, the 134^th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show begins.  173 breeds are competing for Best in Show, including three new breeds. What is it about our canine friends that we humans find so captivating? And have our doggie obsessions gone too far?

Amy Bishop, who was charged with killing three people at the University of Alabama, may face the death penalty or life in prison. The Harvard-educated professor had been denied tenure and opened fire on her colleagues. New York Times reporter, Shaila Dewan gives us the details on the strange twists behind the violent story.

Cities in Australia and Canada top the list of the world's most liveable places, according to a new survey, with Vancouver at number one. One reason is these towns are less dense, with lower crime rates and less pressure on infrastructure. We find out more from Jon Copestake, editor of the Liveability Survey for The Economist Intelligence Unit.