We look ahead to the coming week with Chris Hayes, Washington editor for The Nation, and Jill McGivering, BBC's Asia editor.  On the agenda: this morning's Senate deal on health care reform; where U.S. and Pakistani relations are headed; when Guantánamo Bay might close; the end results of climate meetings in Copenhagen; and the president's coming vacation in his home state, Hawai'i.

On the agenda this week: The Takeaway talks about how President Obama may be backing away from absolutely requiring a public health care option, just before he and his family head off to a Martha's Vineyard getaway. We also talk about Senator Jim Webb (D-Va), just returned from a historic diplomatic trip to Myanmar, and Thursday's presidential election in Afghanistan. The Takeaway is joined by Chris Hayes, Washington editor for The Nation, and Rob Watson, diplomatic correspondent for our partners, the BBC.

For this Monday's agenda segment, we talk about the news for the week ahead including NAFTA, health care, Pakistan and Secretary of State Clinton's visit to Africa. Joining The Takeaway for this agenda segment is The Nation Magazine’s Washington Editor Chris Hayes, and the BBC Asia Editor Jill McGivering.

It's Monday and The Takeaway is handing out a road map to this week's top stories. The House of Representatives is out on August recess, but the Senate is still working on its plan for national health care reform. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Africa, visiting seven countries in eleven days. Our guides to this week's news are Martin Plaut, the Africa editor for the BBC, and Chris Hayes, Washington DC editor for The Nation and a fellow at the New America Foundation.

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of the stimulus bill with a vote of 244 to 188. Despite President Obama’s calls for bipartisan support, not one Republican voted for the bill. Chris Hayes, Washington Editor of The Nation, joins The Takeaway to hash over the bill, the votes and exactly how the dollars are allotted.

Today the unemployment numbers for December will be released. The projections are grim: economists expect unemployment rates to rise to a 15-year high of 7.0 percent. This is a reality that President-elect Obama did not sugarcoat yesterday when he addressed the nation and it’s economic forecast. In the first major speech since he won the election, Barack Obama acknowledged the unemployment crisis and stressed the urgency of passing a robust economic stimulus package. Joining us to discuss the ailing economy, the unemployment crisis, and Obama’s approach to both, is Kelly Evans, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Christopher Hayes, the Washington Editor of The Nation, and entrepreneur Jim Svetz.

Don't miss part two of our economic roundtable.

UPDATE 8:47 a.m. ET: Unemployment rose to 7.2 percent in December 2008. Listen to The Takeaway's coverage.

Does a pragmatic Barack Obama mean that he won't challenge the status quo and make real change? For a look the next year, we turn to Christopher Hayes, the Washington editor for The Nation and fellow at The New America Foundation.