Without enough votes in the Senate to revote on a modified bill and pass health care reform, the Democratic Party may resort to using a 1974 budgetary law known as reconciliation. The process protects the bill from filibusters that require a 60-vote majority to end debate, and would instead allow the bill to pass by a simple majority.

By some counts the US has lost more than 1,000 lives in Operation Enduring Freedom — the umbrella term for the war in Afghanistan. The latest casualty according to the Department of Defense brings their count to the cusp of 1000.  Staff Sgt. William S. Ricketts, 27, from Corinth, Miss. was killed when insurgents attacked his unit in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan last week. But there is a name, and a story behind each number.

In 2010 alone, there have been earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Argentina, Japan, Venezuela and the Bay Area. This weekend, it was feared a series of tsunamis would hit Mexico, California and Hawaii. Are this many natural disasters normal? Dr. Arthur Lerner-Lam, a seismologist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory helps contextualize the shocking size of the quake.

Police threatened to arrest Fatimah Thompson and three fellow Muslim women for trying to pray in the men’s section of a Washington D.C. mosque.

Unemployment has spared no community in the past few years, but it’s been especially hard on older workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job-seekers over 45 make up a disproportionate percentage of the long-term unemployed population. And in many cases, those older workers never even get asked in for an interview. If you’re over 45 and applying for jobs, how do you avoid getting your resume tossed in the trash, and increase your chances of getting your foot in the door?

Over 700 lay dead and over two million have been left homeless after the weekend's 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile. Pascale Bonnefoy, correspondent for The Global Post in Chile has an update from Santiago, and says that many of the homeless are staying with relatives or they are on the streets trying to protect their property from vandals and looters.

• DANGEROUS ADVERTISING: Digital billboards are a great way to catch the eye of potential customers, which is great for advertisers, but not for driver safety. New York Times finance reporter Louise Story tells us about a new study that looks at the potential dangers of the flashy billboards. 
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Takeaway sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, joins us with a look at NCAA basketball. In women's basketball UConn proves unbeatable. And in men's basketball, Syracuse has overcome a challenging season to become the number one team.

Whether it’s the casualty count in Afghanistan, the national deficit or the size of an earthquake – numbers help us communicate. But are telling the numbers the best way to tell a news story?

In a high-profile Republican primary contest for governor, incumbent Rick Perry is being challenged by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Texans generally tends not to favor the incumbent, but in this race, Governor Perry has flipped the script and convinced some voters that his anti-Washington attitude differentiates him from Sen. Hutchison.

The AARP reports that one-third of all 18-49 year-olds live at home. We turn the microphone over to our listeners who offer their reaction, and their advice, to the growing number of adult Americans who choose to live with their parents.  You also called in to tell us if you tuned in to watch Jay Leno's return to the "Tonight Show."

On this day in 1965, "The Sound of Music" opened in theaters. It was hugely successful, winning five Academy Awards, including best picture.

The United States Postal Service carries a $10 billion debt, but is legally prohibited from many cost-cutting measures like closing offices. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, explains why the USPS is losing money, and how the new proposal aims to help.

Chile Update, Story Through Numbers, Texas Primary, Sound of Music, Headlines

Reconciliation, DoD Update, Chilean Earthquake, Gender Jihad, Botoxing your Resume

health care reform; update from Chile; headlines