Anna Sale here on the day shift.

The war debate in Washington has recently centered on the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan, while the troop drawdown in Iraq is proceeding in the background. We talked last week about the last transfer of an American-run prison back to Iraqi control, but there's so much more to reflect on as the war decrescendos. We'll be having a series of conversations over the next several months about the lessons learned in Iraq. What do you think we've learned in the past seven years?

We've also been noticing a steady stream of interesting headlines about the domestic auto industry. After declaring bankruptcy last year, Chrysler announced today that it turned an operating profit for the second straight quarter. Then, for the first time ever, GM sold more cars in China than the United States during the first six months of this year. The new Lincoln MKZ hybrid will be priced exactly the same as the conventional model when it's released this fall. And Washington has its eye on the future of cars. A Senate committee passed two bills this week to boost plug-in hybrids and loans for fuel-efficent cars. It made us wonder if we're seeing the signs of a paradigm shift for the Big Three. Have we reached the tipping point to success after the bailout?

On Friday, we talk with legendary indie director Todd Solondz about pushing the boundaries of storytelling, and the balance between discomfort and honesty in his films, which include "Welcome to the Dollhouse, "Happiness," and "Palindromes. We'll also hear about his new movie "Life During Wartime." It's out tomorrow and is a sequel/retelling of "Happiness," which ranks among the creepiest movies ever made in my book.