It's Monday and once again we are asking New York Times International Business Editor Marcus Mabry to peer into his crystal ball and give us a clue as to the week ahead. This week his prognostications include reports from the big banks, leaks of information about the toxic asset valuation program, President Obama's trip to Mexico, and, of course, the new First Dog.

It's Monday and that means its time for us to gaze into our crystal ball for a look at the week ahead. We’ve got predictions on some key foreign and domestic policy issues and the latest on President Obama’s globetrotting. And we’ll tell you which economic numbers you’ll need to keep your eyes on. The Takeaway is talking to Marcus Mabry, international business editor at our partner the New York Times, and Cynthia Gordy, Washington correspondent for Essence.

It's Monday, which means it is time to take a look at the week ahead. For their educated guesses as to what is on the agenda for the week is James Surowiecki, The Balance Sheet writer for The New Yorker, and Marcus Mabry, international business editor for the New York Times.

What's on this week's agenda?

Monday: GM chief expected to step down

• The chairman and chief executive of General Motors Corp. of eight years, Rick Wagoner, is resigning.
• Wagoner's unexpected move is part of an agreement made by GM with the Obama administration.
• We'll learn more about the strings of President Obama's auto bailout plan in a speech by the president Monday morning.
• More: G.M. Chief Is Said to Be Resigning in Deal With U.S. (The New York Times)
• More: GM chairman to leave US car maker (BBC)

Monday: President Obama's auto team is expected to offer aid to GM and Chrysler

• The president's task force on the auto industry is expected to back increasing short-term aid to General Motors and Chrysler in return for concessions that would help the companies survive the economic downturn.
• More: With a Busy Agenda, Obama Turns to Auto Bailout Plan (The New York Times)
• More: Auto Task Force Set to Back More Loans -- With Strings (The Wall Street Journal)

Tuesday: Election Tuesday symbolizes judgment on president

• Tuesday's election for the successor to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., pits Republican Jim Tedisco against Democrat Scott Murphy who has the backing of President Obama
• Leaders say the selection will be a judgment on the president, stimulus plan and strength of the political parties
• More: NY House race seen as first test of Obama's power (The Associated Press)

Tuesday–Thursday: President Obama and the First Lady begin their first overseas tour

• Mr. Obama will meet with Chinese leader Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, British Queen Elizabeth II, and heads of state from Saudi Arabia, India and South Korea.
• President Obama will seek support for his new Afghanistan-Pakistan plan from European nations and deal with the issue of Iranian nuclear ambitions. • The president will also seek to maintain Chinese support for purchasing U.S. government debt and ease tensions with Russia over energy and missile defense.
• He will also be seeking help to enlist Iran in the U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• President Obama will be attending the G-20 summit, as well as a 60th anniversary summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and a European Union-U.S. summit.
•More: Regulation Goals Replace Stimulus Push (Wall Street Journal)
• More: Barack Obama: 'Every decision we're making counts' (The Telegraph)

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.

Each Monday morning The Takeaway invites a person-in-the-know to look into their crystal ball and tell us about the events of the coming week. Today we're joined by Marcus Mabry, the international business editor of the New York Times, for a look at this week's economic numbers, Europe's involvement in closing Guantanamo Bay, what may be ahead for Pakistan, and maybe the winning lottery numbers.

The Takeaway covers this week's hot button items. Among these are President Obama's lift on restrictions to federally-funded stem cell research, the government's spending bill, politicizing the recession, mortgage crackdown, market research on China, President Obama's visit to Turkey and a "card check" legislation for unions. Joining the discussion is Marcus Mabry, international business editor at the New York Times and Todd Zwillich, a reporter for Capitol News Connection.

This week the stimulus bill will make its way through the Senate, former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael Steele will take over as the first African-American leader of the Republican National Committee, and analysts will look back at the take home message of last week's World Economic Forum. Marcus Mabry, International Business Editor for the New York Times, joins Katherine and Adaora with a look at these issues and more.

We return to the New York Times' Marcus Mabry who has been with us all morning for his final thoughts on this Inauguration. He discusses mandates, votes, and race in America.

Our national conversation continues with Joe Hicks, talk show host from Los Angeles on KFI. He may just be waking up, but he woke up excited for today's events and renewed global goodwill. He also lets us know all the best spots to view the Inauguration, even from 3,000 miles away. Marcus Mabry is still with us and offers his insights from Washington, D.C.

Our conversation with the nation continues as we look for reactions to this historic Inauguration. We now turn to Chicago where WBEZ reporter Tony Arnold tells us how Obama's political home town is preparing to watch their Senator become President. The New York Times' Marcus Mabry rides along to give his thoughts on the events.

The streets and sidewalks of Washington, D.C. are filling up with excited people from across the nation and around the world as the final preparation for Barack Obama's swearing in as president get underway. We check in with Capitol News Connection's Todd Zwillich who is on the podium waiting for the President-elect, Femi Oke who is on the increasingly crowded sidewalks of D.C., and the New York Times' Marcus Mabry.

Soon-to-be President Barack Obama faces an enormous challenge today, namely living up to his own reputation as a remarkable speechwriter and orator. For a look at what message he should deliver, and what themes he'll have to uphold as the nation's 44th president, we are joined by Marcus Mabry. Marcus Mabry is the International Business Editor for The New York Times. He’s been a recurring voice throughout our election coverage and he joins us from Washington, D.C. today to weigh in on this historic moment.

When Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Governor Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, ran for the top offices in the country, the White House's glass ceiling looked like it might be shattered. But Amanda Fortini, a writer for New York Magazine, says the “Year of the Woman” in presidential politics reinforced stereotypes, set women back and made President-elect Barack Obama’s road to gender equality a lot rockier.

Call the office door etchers — President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet is starting to take shape. Actions of Democratic officials continue to suggest that presidential nomination rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is the top choice for the highest Cabinet position, secretary of state — though we don't expect to know for at least a few days. With urgency in tackling a struggling economy, the economic players could be named sooner. We're expecting Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York since 2003 and central player in the Wall Street bailout, to be named as Treasury secretary.

During the primaries, Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton criticized another Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama, for offering "just words." But now it seems the simplicity of his words, and the calm with which he delivers them, could explain why he's ahead in the polls. Has the economic crisis rendered slogans and sound bites obsolete? Writer Steve Almond discusses the power of language on the campaign trail.

Eight days before the election, New York Times editor Marcus Mabry talks with The Takeaway about how far we've come since the primaries, and what to expect in the last week of campaigning.