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.

Every day, there's more news from Capitol Hill on health care reform. Different lawmakers propose changes to three different bills, with updates as key players refine their positions. Last week, some of the "Blue Dog Democrats" succeeded in pushing the vote on healthcare reform until after the Senate's August recess.

Having trouble understanding this complicated process? The Takeaway has a guide for you. (And if you have more questions, get in touch!) Here are the key points to the major health care plans proposed, the stage of the process they're in, and even a bit about how bills become laws. Here's what we know about the House's H.R. 3200, and the Senate's H.E.L.P. (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) Committee bill. ...(continue reading)

For the most of the punditocracy, Sarah Palin’s resignation as Governor of Alaska last Friday remains a mystery. But for those on Team Sarah, her move was the right one. Joining us to discuss why Sarah Palin's move makes sense is blogger Jimmie Bise, founder of Sundries Shack, and Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List and co-founder of its project Team Sarah.

Sarah Palin has been a lot of things: hockey mom, a Miss Alaska pageant winner, a high school point guard, and a Republican Vice Presidential candidate. But in a few weeks, one thing she won't be is Alaska's Governor. On Friday she surprised the nation when she announced her resignation from the post. Joining The Takeaway to discuss Alaska's reaction to the news, and to guess what Ms. Palin will do next, is Larry Persily, former aide to Governor Palin and a long-time Alaska journalist.

On Friday afternoon, seemingly out of the blue, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin resigned. Her rambling announcement and strange career choice was only the latest chapter of gubernatorial follies. We discuss the political theatre with Gail Collins, a columnist for The New York Times, who wrote about Sarah Palin and her speech in her Saturday column, Sarah’s Straight Talk. Ms. Collins joins The Takeaway (again!) to review what's wrong with governors these days.

Did you miss Gail Collins' previous visit to The Takeaway to discuss gubernatorial antics? Click here!. And to find out who are listeners nominated as the worst governors in history, click here.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin resigned late Friday afternoon with no warning. The reasons for her move remain a mystery. Is she making a play for national politics? Or is she really done with the political scene? Joining The Takeaway are Libby Casey, the Washington correspondent for Alaska Public Radio Network, and Steve Heimel, a reporter for Alaska Public Radio Network, based in Anchorage, Alaska, who are here to discuss how this resignation is resounding in both cities.

If you missed her speech, here are some highlights:

Timeline of gay rights since the Stonewall Riots »

Forty years ago this weekend, while the nation was mourning the death of singer Judy Garland, New York City police raided a gay bar in the West Villiage, The Stonewall Inn. Raids on the bar had happened before but this time gay men, drag queens and a few women fought back. It turned into a six-day rebellion that sparked the modern gay-rights movement.

David Bermudez was there that night. He was 26 years old and joins The Takeaway to talk about those raids. Also joining us is 26-year-old Jason Haas, a civil rights leader in the LGBT community.

Because of restrictions, the political crisis in the island nation of Madagascar hasn't been covered much by the global media. So those who want to follow the ongoing struggle have turned to other sources— like Twitter. The Takeaway talks to two young men who are using the micro-blogging service to compile and follow breaking news from Madagascar. We are joined by Aaron Dibner-Dunlap, a student at Columbia University who used to work in Madagascar.

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School. On April 20, 1999, teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire on their classmates, killing a teacher and 12 students, and wounding 24 others before turning the guns on themselves. This month also marks the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, where 32 people were fatally shot by a mentally unstable student in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Commemorating these attacks against the backdrop of another shooting at an immigration center in Binghamton, New York, begs the question: “How bad does it have to get before we take serious steps toward gun control?” Joining us to try to answer this question is Jeff Fagan. Jeff Fagan is a professor of Law and Public Health at Columbia Law School

Tiny, affordable cars may seem like a great idea for the environment and the pocketbook. But our guest Linda Blake says putting thousands of Tata Nanos on India's roads is actually a bad idea for India's developing and smog-choked cities. She joins us now to explain.

TIMELINE: CARS FOR THE PEOPLE

Ford Model T
1909
Considered the first affordable car in America, Henry Ford's Model T sold for $850, undercutting competition priced between $2,000 and $3,000. "It will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one, and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces," Ford said.

AMC Rambler
1958
The Rambler's manufacturer, American Motor Corporation, was the only auto company to turn a profit during the recession of 1958. Created cheaply by conserving on steel, it became a car of choice and eventually won a Motor Trends "Car of the Year" award in 1963.

Toyota Tiara
1964
The 1960's forced American car manufacturers to face competition from abroad. Toyota's Tiara was the first of many successful Japanese imports. In 1967, the Tiara sold for $1,670, cheaper than the average American car.

Volkswagen Beetle
1960's
The Volkswagen Beetle, another car in the new wave of imports, sold at around the same price as the Tiara, $1,675. But by 1973, Beetles were selling much better than the Tiara, surpassing sales records of the previous record holder, the Ford Model T.

Zastava Yugo
1985
Just 141,500 of Zastava's Yugos sold in the United States from 1985 to 1991, making it one of the worst-selling cars ever. However, priced at $4,000 when it was first introduced, it was the cheapest car available at the time. In 1991, due to United Nations sanctions on Yugoslavia, the car had to be pulled from the U.S. market. An updated version of the car is still sells in several countries, including Egypt and Poland.

Chevrolet Aveo
2009
Priced at $11,965, the Aveo is currently the cheapest small car produced by a U.S. automaker. "Well, the Aveo is cheap, but, well, it's cheap," read a recent review of affordable small cars in U.S. News & World Report.

Tata Nano
2009
The Nano, produced by India's Tata Motors, is small. It's 10 feet long and five feet wide, and runs at a top speed of about 60 mph. In India, one can purchase the basic model, without radio, air conditioning or air bags, for $2,500 — It meets Indian safety standards and gets an admirable 50 miles to the gallon.