Rami Khouri, director of the Public Policy Institute at the American University of Beirut reflects on the legacy of one of Shiite Islam's main religious figures; headlines.

We've all heard a lot about Arizona's controversial and stringent immigration law, SB 1070, which allows Arizona police to question anyone they suspect may be in the country illegally. But 44 other states have introduced immigration legislation of their own since the beginning of 2010. Some worry that the U.S. may soon be facing a patchwork of different laws for different states.

At a Republican fundraiser in Connecticut this weekend, Michael Steele was caught by a handheld camera saying the conflict in Afghanistan is "a war of Obama's choosing." Those words have many Republicans criticizing the RNC chairman, and calling for his resignation, including Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains Steele's history of gaffes and whether this one will bring him down.

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are taking home Wimbledon titles. And in the World Cup, Germany handily beat Argentina 4-0 and moves on to play Spain. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps a big weekend in sports and says that The Netherlands is the team to beat in the World Cup

When we speak of robots, we tend to discuss mechanical taskmasters sent to the bottom of the ocean to fix broken pipes or a machine sent to diffuse a bomb. To date, robots have been used to tackle jobs deemed too dangerous or impractical for humans. But, The New York Times has been exploring a new breed of robots designed to execute emotional functions by providing companionship and even conversation.

David Lipsky spent five-days on the road with David Foster Wallace on a journey that led to his recent book, "Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace." Takeaway listeners had many authors with whom they wanted to share the open road. Some of them left their comments, others called in. 

Takeaway listener Clayton from Lubbock, Texas called in to say:

I would take Christopher Hitchens, because I would hope that by osmosis I could absorb some of his wit and intelligence.

To most children, summer vacation means sun, fun and a long break from school. But for many parents, each summer brings with it the same difficult question: what to do with the kids? Working parents often grapple with leaving children unattended during the workdays, and childcare can take a toll on the pocketbook. How young is too young for a child to be left home alone?

Reuters global editor-in-chief, Chrystia Freeland, weighs in on whether Biden's visit to Iraq signals a change of focus for the Obama administration; headlines.

Members of Congress are heading back to their districts for a summer recess with little to stand on as unemployment numbers remain high. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich looks at the week's news agenda, along with Chrystia Freeland, global editor-in-chief of Reuters.

Blind people and advocates for the blind liken it to walking on the moon: The National Federation of the Blind has joined forces with Virginia Tech to create a car that could be driven by passengers who do not have the use of their sight. The car, slated at this point for a 2011 release, uses hand sensors, speaking computer directives and other forms of cutting-edge technology to aid their visibility-challenged drivers.

When President Obama spoke recently at American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C., Univision anchor Jorge Ramos was watching very closely. Ramos is a familiar face at Univision, the spanish-language network, and he's also been pressing the Obama Administration to make good on its campaign pledge to reform immigration laws. It's been an issue for Ramos since 2008, when Obama was fighting for the nomination. Ramos gleaned this pledge from him: “What I can guarantee,” Obama said, “is that we will have in the first year [of the presidency] an immigration bill that I strongly support.” Ramos called it “La Promesa de Obama,” and he's been pressing the administration to make good on it ever since.

The fact that comparisons can easily be drawn between our country's sixteenth and forty-fourth president is nothing new. People have been comparing Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama for years. With the country currently divided over our two wars; groups of powerful opponents organizing against the president throughout the country; and tough political issues coming at Obama from all directions, the similarities between the two presidents seem difficult to ignore.

Lebanon's top Shia Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah died yesterday. He was revered for bridging religious divides and for promoting social services and women's rights. Rami Khouri, Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, remembers the cleric. Khouri says that Fadlallah was an enlightened and progressive man in the class of Martin Luther King. However, the cleric was also known as a spiritual leader to Hezbollah and Washington labeled him a terrorist because of this association.

Why does Hollywood keep casting white actors to play non-white roles? Mike Le of racebending.com joined The Takeaway to talk about this issue and his group's boycott of "The Last Airbender." Although the film is set in an Asain-influenced world, most of the actors were white. Listeners joined the conversation.

Dana from Massachussetts called in to say:

Hollywood is largely white and male-driven, sort of in line with what Arthur James Loewen said about U.S. history books and text books, that they tend to promote the white hero myth at the expense of any critical inquiry into U.S. history.