On the eve of a no-confidence vote that could lead to the collapse of the Greek government, two ministers have publicly split with Prime Minister George Papandreou over his plan to hold a public referendum on a European bailout plan.

An estimated 10,000 protesters marched to the Port of Oakland last night as a general strike was called in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Demonstrators shut down maritime operations at the port as officials asked that protesters allow the workers to return home safely. The march was generally peaceful, police said, as some vandalism was reported. The strike was the first of its kind since 1946. Meanwhile at Wall Street, protesters have battled the snow and prepare to face the winter.

Last week, The Takeaway reported that student loan debt is rising along with the college tuition rate. According to the College Board, the average cost per year of tuition is up more 8.3 percent for public four year colleges and up 4.5 percent for private schools. The average college student now finishes school with between $22,000 and $28,000 of debt. While President Obama announced a new program that the White House says will help lower student loan interest rates, some students refuse to take on the burden of debt. Celeste is in Los Angeles this week and she spoke to one such student, a UCLA undergraduate who is so concerned about debt, he's decided to finish his education homeless.

Yesterday, The Takeaway talked about a vote by the House of Representatives to reaffirm "In God We Trust" as the national motto. We asked listeners what they thought of the motto, if they had a better one, and how they trusted. This is what some of you had to say.

Greece's ongoing debt crisis and governmental instability has become the focal point of this week's G-20 summit in Cannes, France. A day before a scheduled no-confidence vote in Greek Parliament that could lead to the government's collapse, two ministers have publicly split with Prime Minister George Papandreo over his plan to hold a referendum on a European bailout plan. Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos and three other ministers are now opposing the referendum, saying Greece's membership in the euro cannot be jeopardized.

For the past two weeks in London, protesters supporting the Occupy movement have been camped out in front of one of the city’s most revered landmarks: St. Paul’s Cathedral, the 300-year-old building where Winston Churchill’s funeral was held and where Princess Diana married Prince Charles. Now it’s the home of a tent city for demonstrators protesting in solidarity with New York’s Occupy Wall Street movement, much to the chagrin of city officials. After the city of London and church leaders took legal moves to dismantle the camp, three of the cathedral's officials resigned. Officials ultimately told the demonstrators they could stay — for now.

Herman Cain's presidential campaign hit a bump in the road this week after Politico reported that two staffers accused him of sexual harassment in the 1990s. The former pizza magnate rose to the top of the Republican field with his charismatic persona and simplified tax plan. But now Cain finds himself in the midst of a political and cultural firestorm as new allegations emerge and charges of racism and double standards are being launched from his campaign. 

Thousands joined Occupy Oakland's General Strike on Wednesday. The event during the day was mostly peaceful, but overnight, protesters began to clash with police. Tear gas was reportedly used to disperse crowds, and as many as 40 people were arrested. 

One of the consequences of the 2007 global financial crisis has been an acceleration in the shift away from the traditional 19th and 20th century industrial powers toward a new emerging center of economic power in the world. The debt heavy and slow growth economies of Europe and the U.S. are now dependant on investments and exports from the emerging economies of the so-called BRIC nations — Brazil, Russia, India and China. That shift is reflected in the influence China and India are having at this week's G20 Summit in Cannes, France. The U.S. is no longer the grand mediator in global affairs, and the era of the single superpower ushered in at the end of the Cold War in 1989 now appears to be over.

On Tuesday, federal agents arrested four men ranging from ages 65 to 73 from the north Georgia towns of Cleveland and Toccoa on charges of an ambitiously designed domestic terror plot. The men are accused of trying to procure 10 pounds of ricin — an extremely lethal biological toxin — as well as explosive devices and illegal firearms. Kim Severson, Atlanta bureau chief for The New York Times, reports on the latest.

Next week voters in Ohio, Mississippi and Maine will face a number of controversial ballot measures — from collective bargaining to health care to voting and abortion. In Ohio, a law limiting the collective bargaining of public employees is up for repeal. In Mississippi, they are fiercely debating whether a fertilized egg should be declared a person. Anna Sale, reporter for WNYC's political website It's a Free Country, joins previews these issues and talks about the potential impact on the 2012 election.

He plays one of the most recognizable characters in television history. He was mentored by the great Jim Henson. He has more daytime Emmys than most TV actors accrue in a lifetime. And yet, most days, he walks around the world, completely unrecognized by his fans. His name is Kevin Clash, and he is the subject of a new award-winning documentary called "Being Elmo," which is currently in limited release.

At least five people were reportedly killed in the Syrian city of Homs on Thursday, a day after government officials accepted a plan by the Arab League for Syria to end violence against its own citizens, and hold talks with the opposition. The plan called for the Syrian government to remove the military presence from its streets and release about 70,000 political protesters. Protesters were skeptical of the deal. Anthony Shadid, Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times, reports on the latest developments.