Despite his best efforts, Santorum always seemed to be two steps behind the Republican front-runner, Mitt Romney. And yesterday, he announced that he’d no longer try to catch up. Weighing in on Santorum's decision are Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Ron Christie, Takeaway contributor and Republican political strategist, and Karen Martin, organizer of Spartanburg Tea Party, who previously told us she was hoping for "anyone but Romney" but now her perspective has changed.

Violence continues in Syria, a day after the UN-backed ceasefire deadline. What will it take for Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces to stop what has been almost a year of continuous bloodshed? For that, we speak with Stephen Kinzer, journalist and commentator, and Professor of International Relations at Boston University.

When people think of Michigan's economy, they generally think of places like Detroit and Flint, and of the state's once great automobile manufacturing sites. But Martina Guzmán of WDET takes a closer look at the economic benefits of one of the Great Lakes State's most tried and true resources: water.

One year ago, France implemented the "burqa ban," a restriction on Muslim women covering their faces in the burqa or niqab. Advocates for the ban argued it would free women of gender enslavement and help Muslims better integrate into French society. The ban received widespread support in France and even some Muslim organizations supported the legislation. Takeaway producer Arwa Gunja traveled to Paris as a reporting fellow with the International Center for Journalists to examine the impact of the law.

With all the talk of Rick Santorum bowing out of the GOP race, solidifying Mitt Romney's status as the Party's likely choice to face off against President Obama, it's easy to forget about the Democrats. They have the White House to secure, a slim lead to retain in the Senate, and, oh yeah, they'd like to take back the House too! There's likely no one as deeply involved in the Democrats' 2012 campaign as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, leaving an essentially two-man race between Romney and Obama. Moving forward, what will the Republican, Mitt Romney, do to win the support of Rick Santorum’s supporters? And as President Obama directs his attacks toward the Republican front-runner, what strategy will he have to enlist?

The baseball season is just warming up, but Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen has wasted no time getting himself into hot water. Just five games into his career with the team, Guillen started a political row when he told Time Magazine that he loves and respects Cuba’s military dictator for staying in power as long as he has. The Sunshine State’s large Cuban community has been up in arms calling for the manager’s ouster.

A blockbuster scandal has surfaced in Beijing as the Communist Party attempts to pass the political torch to new leaders. The death of a British businessman in a Chongqing hotel room was declared a murder yesterday, and the wife of Bo Xilai, one of China's most powerful men, is the lead suspect. Michael Bristow is correspondent for our partner the BBC.

Actress Ashley Judd is again in the media spotlight for slamming the media spotlight. This week, Judd penned an article in Daily Beast about her appearance — specifically her so-called "puffy face" — and the media’s obsession with it. Mary Elizabeth Williams writes about women and the media as a Staff Writer for Salon. Cindy Gallop is an advertising consultant and former chairwoman of the advertising agency BBH.