Hurricane Sandy affected millions of people on the East Coast, hitting New York and New Jersey especially hard. The storm hit home for us here at The Takeaway. Our senior producer, Jen Poyant, lives in Arverne, Queens near the Rockaways, one of the hardest hit parts of New York City.

The legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington and Colorado has raised a number of big questions about the social, legal, and economic implications. What are people saying on the ground in these states? And how has this change already altered attitudes toward marijuana? Dominic Holden a newsweekly editor in Seattle, and Bonnie Dahl, a head ship owner, explain.

Newly passed ballot initiatives in Colorado and Washington decriminalize the use of recreational marijuana — and raise a host of complicated legal questions. Kevin Sabet, former senior adviser to the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, explains some of the conflicts the new legislation poses.

The New York Times debuted their new CEO recently. The addition of Mark Thompson has raised questions however because of a a scandal that emerged out of the BBC. Times columnist Joe Nocera gives us an update from inside the paper.

Syrian opposition leaders have been meeting this week to tap new leadership after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pronounced the Syrian National Council a failure last month. Amr Al-Azm, member of the Syrian opposition and a professor at Shawnee State University, explains what's at stake for the opposition at this juncture.

In 2008, the election of Barack Obama was a historic moment not only in the United States, but around the world. A year after he was elected, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On term later, how does the world feel? Ros Atkins, the host of the BBC's World Have Your Say, has a unique sense of the world's opinions.

"In the next four years, I want my country to _________." The day after the presidential election, many Takeaway listeners had an easy answer to that question: Get along. Other listeners said it was time for both parties to learn a few lessons and move on. Some listeners called with long policy to-do lists, while others while yet others proposed that President Obama revisit his "team of rivals" strategy.

The United States has elected its leader for the next four years, but across the globe another world power is also embarking upon a moment of transition in its leadership structure. On Thursday, the Chinese government hands over power to a new generation of Chinese leaders. Susan Li is the Bloomberg TV business anchor based in Hong Kong.

The results are in, but what’s next for the country? The Takeaway's panel of political and cultural experts reacts to the results. Jeff Yang writes the Tao Jones column for The Wall Street Journal, Ron Christie is a Republican political strategist, and Farai Chideya  is a distinguished writer in residence at New York University’s Journalism Institute.

Even as New York gets back on its feet after the storm, tens of thousands of runners have begun descending on the city to take part in the world’s largest marathon on Sunday. Many runners say the event's economic boost — and spirit of celebration — is just what the city needs. But not everyone agrees. Alicia Feghhi is member of the Clifton Road Runners.  Though she lost power in her home, she was initially still planning to run the marathon -- her first.  Now she says, the race should be canceled. Mary Elizabeth Williams, staff writer for Salon is running the marathon this weekend -- also for the first time.  A cancer survivor, she's trained with and raised money for other cancer patients and their families.  She's saddened by the backlash against the race.

Despite the optimistic outlook that the urgent need to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy will result in the creation of jobs, small businesses in New York have taken a huge hit.  New York City small business owners Dawn Casale, and Sherry Delamarter share the impact Sandy has had on their livelihoods, and how they are moving forward in her aftermath.

With much of the hurricane damage in the country’s largest media market, the plight of New Yorkers is sure to dominate the news cycle for weeks — if not months. But could the effects of the hurricane extend beyond the flood zones and power grids?  Could it decide a presidency?

It wasn’t just power that went out for hundreds of thousands of people across the northeast. Cell reception — even in areas with power — has been spotty at best, and frequently entirely absent.

Far Rockaway, Queens, one of New York's most treasured beach communities, was also one of the most devastated areas of New York City in Hurricane Sandy. Phillip Goldfeder is the New York State Assemblyman from the Far Rockaways and a resident of the community. Jillienne Jordan lived through a terrifying hurricane rescue from her home in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Belle Harbor.

Hurricane Sandy has devastated New Jersey, particularly areas along the coast. Congressman Frank Pallone explains how his district, on the Jersey Shore, is faring.

Hurricane Sandy had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate its destruction as it traced its windy path to our shores, leaving 60 dead in the Caribbean. Haiti was hit particularly hard. Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald, just returned from Port-au-Prince yesterday evening.

To find out just how the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has transformed political races in America, Frontline teamed up with Marketplace to look at the role of campaign finance in the race for one hotly contested Montana Senate seat. Kai Ryssdal, host of Marketplace, explains what he discovered while working on the documentary.

Michael Adams is an associate Professor of English at Indiana University who studies one important intersection of language and identity: slang. He says slang keeps us sharp — and that there is creative value in the creation of new language among different social groups.

During the presidential debates both President Obama and Mitt Romney have spoken about global competitiveness and America's resurgence in producing goods. But Vivek Wadhwa says it will take more than manufacturing jobs to keep pace with China — and that the candidates' political focus is misplaced.

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, doctoral candidate in economics at Harvard, says that if you really want to know what the average American is thinking about when it comes politics, don’t ask them — ask Google. Among the things you may be surprised to learn? "Paul Ryan shirtless" gets Googled nine times more often than "Paul Ryan budget."