Yesterday, a half-dozen senior advisers on the Newt Gingrich presidential campaign team resigned. Gingrich’s campaign manager was among the six. At the very least they’ve made the political comeback that Gingrich was working on a bit more complicated. At worst, they’d destroyed his hopes for unseating President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. 

Senate Republicans recently followed their colleagues in the House, voting behind closed doors to approve a moratorium on all Congressional earmarks for two years. President Obama supports a ban on earmarks, but many Senate Democrats don't agree: So far, only two Democrats in the Senate have publicly come out in favor of the ban. Can the new Congress find any common ground on the issue? And how would an outright ban on earmarks affect small cities and towns?

A number of economic indicators are due out this week, including existing and new home sales, and 2nd quarter GDP figures — all are expected to plummet. Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, is describing this as a "slowdown" this week: "Right now, we're in the slow days of summer. The president is on vacation and Congress is in recess," he says.

Two long serving African-American House lawmakers have run into ethics problems, and some in Washington say they are being unfairly targeted based on their race.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: An update from Time Magazine Washington correspondent Jay Newton-Small on legislation President Obama just introduced that would crack down on insurance companies. It's the first time the president has introduced legislation in the health care debate.
• OLYMPICS TAKEOUT: From Vancouver, New York Times reporter, Jason Stallman recaps the Olympics weekend, including the U.S.- Canada hockey team and Bode Miller's gold performance in the super combined.
• LISTENER RESPONSE: All weekend our listeners called in with their nominations for the top sports movies for people who hate sports. We hear some of your favorites.

More than two weeks after the earthquake struck in Haiti, destroying homes and tearing apart families, Haitians are scrambling to find new places to live. It is expected that many may seek refuge in Miami, a city which already has a large Haitian immigrant population.

• Finance Takeout: So far, the federal government and banks have done swift work disentangling public and private interests, following the massive economic rescue effort launched last year. But Newsweek columnist Dan Gross says the Fed's hardest work is just around the corner. Gross says raising interest rates and cutting ties to the housing market are tough but necessary moves to truly get back to business as usual.
  
• Politics Takeout: Time Magazine's Jay Newton Small reports on Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith's defection from the Democratic party to the Republican side of the aisle. 
• Sports Takeout: Our own Ibrahim Abdul-Matin with his second of top ten sports moments of the year: Serena Williams.

• Washington: Jay Newton-Small, of Time Magazine, discusses the week's health care reform negotiations in the Senate a day after President Obama huddled his party for a "pep talk."
• Sports Takeouts: Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin questions if Texas belongs in the BCS Championship; and he previews the Ravens vs. the Packers on Monday Night Football.
• Listeners' Takeouts: Listeners have written and called in to tell us how the better-than-expected unemployment numbers are affecting their towns and neighborhoods. Some are wondering what worse than expected might look like. 

After over three months of bipartisan negotiations the U.S. Senate's Finance Committee is expected to unveil their much-anticipated plan for reforming the nations's health care system. The Finance committee has been working on the $880 billion proposal for months, but does not appear to have garnered any Republican backing despite the best efforts of the committee chair, Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana). Our own Todd Zwillich, long a denizen of Capitol Hill, and Time Magazine's Washington correspondent Jay Newton-Small talk us through the behind-the-scenes wrangling taking place in the halls of Congress.

Ever wonder how a bill becomes a law? Here's an explanation:

The president laid out his plans for health care reform Wednesday night — or at least he tried to. He woke up Thursday morning to see that the headlines were stolen by an outburst from a little-known congressman from South Carolina. This morning we talk to our man on Capitol Hill, Todd Zwillich, and Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine, about apologies and how the latest uninsured numbers will shape the health care debate from here on out.

It’s official: summer vacation is over and Congress is back in session, preparing to pick up where they left off. This week, President Obama will attempt to take back control of the health care debate in a prime-time speech Wednesday night.

Joining us for a round table discussion on what awaits the President this week – from health care to Afghanistan to the overall happiness of the nation – is Peter Baker, White House correspondent for The New York Times; Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine; and Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports.

The White House announced an addition to the president's agenda next Wednesday; he will speak about health care reform before a joint session of Congress. Obama's oration skills have long been considered one of his strengths, but pundits wonder if a few words from the bully pulpit can bring about agreement on the challenging health care bill. Joining us with a preview of what the president might say is Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine. We also speak to presidential historian Allan Lichtman, from American University, for a look at how presidents have waged their battles with Congress in recent decades.

President Barack Obama is back at work this week, and it's safe to say that health care reform will remain at the top of the president's agenda. Will President Obama still try to compromise with Republicans or will the president and Democrats go it alone, using procedural techniques to pass reform with a simple majority in the Senate? Here to help us understand the very difficult path to health care reform is Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine.

Will the passing of Senator Kennedy effect the outcome of health care reform? Our guests talk about how they remember the senator as well as how the health care debate rolls on during these dog days of summer. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are looking at one very influential group in particular: senior citizens. And while the Republicans wait for Senator Charles Grassley to decide where he falls on the debate, the Democrats continue to rally around their new poster politician for health care reform, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. To make sense of this week in the health care reform debate is Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine; Jonathan Wilson, public radio reporter for WAMU in Washington; and Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-VA).

After an initial loss, several recounts, and months of challenges, Al Franken, the humorist turned talk show host turned politician, finally won Minnesota’s Senate race. Republican challenger Norm Coleman conceded the race after Minnesota’s Supreme Court ruled that the recounts were over. The Takeaway talks to Tom Scheck, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio and Polinaut blogger who has seen us all the way through this long race to the U.S. Senate. Also joining the conversation is Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine, who will explain the effect on Washington. Can you say "filibuster-proof"?
Watch Franken's victory speech below.

President Barack Obama marked his first 100 days in office last night with a prime-time news conference. It was the third of Obama's presidency, and the first not dominated by the recession. Jay Newton-Small, Washington reporter for Time Magazine, joins The Takeaway to analyze the press conference.

Every Monday morning The Takeaway takes a look at the nation's agenda —what will drive the headlines for the week ahead? This week: The government tries to figure out how to deal with toxic assets and toxic AIG, the Democrats wrangle over the new budget, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton goes to Mexico to talk about trade, and Americans and Indians see a new, cheaper car in their futures. For their predictions, The Takeaway is joined by Marcus Mabry, the international business editor for the New York Times and Jay Newton-Small, Washington correspondent for Time.

There are reports that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is about to be selected as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services in President Obama’s cabinet. She has a history of involvement in health care reform in Kansas. And, as a Democrat in a largely Republican state, she’s developed a reputation for bipartisanship. We’re joined by Steve Kraske at KCUR in Kansas City, a political columnist for the Kansas City Star and public affairs talk show host in KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri, who has followed Ms. Sebelius' political career. We are also joined by Time Magazine's Jay Newton-Small for some Washington perspective.

Who else is in President Obama's cabinet? Check out our handy guide!

The economic stimulus bill faces its key test vote in the Senate today. If the vote goes according to the Democrats' plan, the bill will be finalized tomorrow. But, the vote in and of itself is not a stimulus plan and the road to passage has been bitterly partisan. Here with a road map for the negotiations ahead are David Herszenhorn of the New York Times and Jay Newton-Small, Washington Correspondent for Time Magazine.