High school sports are often viewed not only as a chance for kids to get exercise, but also to teach them how to be team players and team leaders. But some recent studies show that children whose parents and coaches push them hard to perform can sometimes wind up developing negative personality traits. For more, The Takeaway talks to Kate Dailey, who writes the "Human Condition" blog for Newsweek, Mark Hyman, author of the book "Until It Hurts: America's Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids," and Takeaway Sports Contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin.

Ibrahim weighs in further with a story about his own father

President Obama arrives at Martha’s Vineyard next Sunday for a week-long vacation with his family. It’s not their first time vacationing on the island, but it is their first time as the Presidential family. Eric Leuning, correspondent for WGBH-service WCAI, talks about where the Obamas will be spending their vacation and how much goes into planning the trip.

We spoke earlier this morning about how Afghan residents are looking ahead to this Thursday's presidential elections. Dr. Dawer Nadi, born in Afghanistan and now living in Long Island, New York, is the president of the Afghan Peace Association. We spoke with Dr. Nadi about how members of the Afghan-U.S. diaspora are following the elections from afar.

To sift through the rumors, hearsay, and falsehoods being spoken and shouted in the debate over health care reform, The Takeaway talks to Trudy Lieberman, director of the Health and Medicine Reporting Program at CUNY's Graduate School of Journalism and a longtime contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review.

Miles Davis’s seminal jazz album, “Kind of Blue,” turns 50 today. Davis, along with John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, recorded the album – widely considered one of the greatest jazz albums in history – in early 1959, and released it on August 17th, 1959.

Joining The Takeaway to talk about the impact this album has had is WNYC’s Evening Music Host Terrance McKnight.

President Obama stops in Phoenix today to address the annual convention for Veterans of Foreign Wars. Washington Examiner reporter Julie Mason gives us a preview of what they can expect to hear from the president. The Takeaway also speaks with Kristen Rouse, 1st Lieutenant in the Army National Guard and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, along with Bruce Smith, who served in Vietnam as a Naval Petty Officer.

On Thursday, Afghanistan's voters go to the polls to vote in the country's presidential election... and on Afghan television, political satire is dominating the airwaves. Jahid Mohseni, CEO of TOLO TV and producer of the satirical news show "Danger Bell," tells us how entertainment shows are driving political discourse this year.

In the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin yesterday, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt left American Tyson Gay in his dust as Bolt broke his own world record, running the 100m in 9.58 seconds. And in golf, South Korean Y. E. Yang won the PGA championship, besting Tiger Woods by three strokes and becoming the first Asian-born player to win a major in golf. Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recounts the weekend's sports dramas.

Watch a video of Y.E. Yang golfing:

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.

It's back to school time, which means that while parents head to stores to outfit their kids for a new school year, schools need to refresh their supplies as well. Some economists say that the recession is easing, but both schools and parents are still feeling the financial squeeze. With us today to talk about how the retail market is doing is Louise Story, finance reporter for The New York Times, along with friend of The Takeaway Mary Elizabeth Williams, culture critic for Salon.com.

Over the weekend, representatives of the Obama administration started signaling that various aspects of proposals to reform health care may be more negotiable than previously expected. Teddy Roosevelt first inserted national health coverage as a party plank 97 years ago, in 1912 – as the debate grinds on in D.C., on the air, and across the country, is it "déjà vu all over again?"

In a town hall debate symbolically held in Grand Junction, Colorado, the President gave signs that the public option, previously cited as a critical piece of any reform of the health care system, may not be an absolute deal breaker. We talk to Julie Mason, White House reporter for the Washington Examiner and Dr. Michael Pramenko, a family physician in Grand Junction.

This Sunday, AMC kicks off the third season of its runaway hit, Mad Men. Set in 1960’s New York City, the show celebrates the world-weary cool of the Madison Avenue advertising world. It also portrays an America in transition, having passed through the doldrums of the Eisenhower era and not yet ready for the free lovin’ Woodstock nation. For a look at what this year’s Mad Men brings to the small screen, we are joined by Eric Deggans. He is the television and media critic for the St. Petersburg Times. And to gauge if Mad Men gets the advertising world right, we are joined by Cindy Gallop. She is an advertising consultant and former chairman of the advertising agency BBH.

Courtesy of AMC TV, here's the finale of season 2:

Louise Story, finance reporter for the New York Times, joins The Takeaway to help parse the latest economic data. The Consumer Price Index remained flat in July, making for an annual decline of 2.1 percent — the largest in 60 years. Industrial production, however, rose in July for only the second time since the recession officially began in December 2007. Story says that the minimal change in inflation is a good sign, which will allow the Fed to keep on its current monetary strategy.

Tomorrow, in the midst of a string of health care town halls, President Obama is squeezing in a family trip with Michelle and his daughters. The Obamas will visit the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. The former mayor of West Yellowstone, Montana, Jerry Johnson, tells us how the locals are responding to the impending presidential visit.

We are also joined by historian Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, with a look at the nation's national park system and the ecological streak that makes up President Teddy Roosevelt's lasting legacy.

Les Paul, the man known as "the father of the electric guitar,” passed away yesterday at the age of 94. Paul was inducted in to the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005 for the innovations he brought to the science of recording. We speak to three-time Grammy nominated recording engineer Mark Rubel about the legacy Les Paul leaves behind.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ends her 11-day trip across Africa today with a stop in the nation of Cape Verde. The State Department calls Clinton’s Africa trip a success, but her critics brush it off as little more than a “goodwill listening tour." Jendayi Frazer, former assistant secretary of state for Africa under the Bush administration, helps The Takeaway assess the significance of Clinton's trip.

It's a summer Friday, which means that new movies are opening nationwide. To help us navigate Hollywood's new releases we speak with Wesley Morris, film critic for the Boston Globe. This week he gives us his thoughts on two films to avoid (*cough* The Time Traveler's Wife and The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard *cough*) and two to watch: Ponyo and Peter Jackson's District 9.

Decide for yourself! Here's the trailer for "Ponyo"

And here's a preview of "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard":

General Motors says it will open a new plant to assemble battery packs for the soon-to-be released Chevy Volt, the company's new rechargeable electric car. The media blitz for the Volt began on Tuesday, focusing on the car's projected gas mileage (230 miles per gallon on city streets) and downplaying the car's hefty price tag ($40,000).

GM plans to open the battery plant in Wayne County, Michigan; it's expected to create 100 new jobs in the economically struggling county. We talk to New York Times auto industry reporter Nick Bunkley and Wayne County executive Robert Ficano about new cars and new jobs.

The number two automaker in the United States is enjoying a surge in sales, thanks to the federal government's "Cash for Clunkers" program. On Thursday, Ford announced it would be boosting production on both the Ford Focus and the Escape to keep up with demand. The company’s chief sales analyst, George Pipas, talks with us about Ford’s prospects. ... (click through for the full transcript)

On Wednesday this week, we speculated on what would happen next in the career of former NFL star-turned-rehabilitated-felon, Michael Vick. Coincidentally, on Thursday his next step was announced: he will return to professional football after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Takeaway's sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us to forecast how the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback will fare in his new job, along with some notes on the PGA.