This week, President Obama has met with nearly every member of Congress, a goodwill effort as Democrats and Republicans try to balance the budget and avoid the government shutdown. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich reports the latest from D.C.

One thing we know, or can be pretty sure about, is that long after there is a new pope at the Vatican, the bickering over the next U.S. Federal Budget will continue, and in Congress there is no pope to hurry things along.

The current divisions in Congress over the budget and the sequester drama may be another opportunity for Congressman Ryan to showcase his conservative cred. Does the number two from the Romney 2012 presidential campaign now want to be number one?

Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky launched a filibuster to attempt to block the nomination of John Brennan to head up the CIA -- talking for 13 hours straight.  He took to the Senate floor to call attention to a letter from Attorney General Eric Holder which stated that drone strikes on American could be a possibility in the future. Todd Zwillich, Takeaway Washington Correspondent puts Paul's filibuster in context.

President Obama has announced three new cabinet appointments for departments under serious scrutiny: Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Management and Budget. All three of these nominees will require Senate confirmation, and Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explores what's ahead.

Two seasoned D.C. watchers join The Takeaway to discuss federal money management in the days ahead. Andrea Seabrook hosts the DecodeDC podcast, and Todd Zwillich is the Takeaway Washington correspondent.

Today's deadline for a deal on the sequester is expected to come and go without an agreement between Congress and President Obama. Todd Zwillich spoke to some small business owners in Washington, D.C., where cuts are felt particularly hard.

The background and implementation of sequestration can get pretty complicated, so we're partnering with The Guardian U.S. on a live chat to help answer your questions.

While Florida is still looking at its "stand your ground" laws. Politicians in Washington are still debating gun control, and this week, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Lahey, has scheduled four separate votes on Thursday on different gun control measures. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich is following the legislation.

While the cuts haven't come yet, Takeaway political correspondent Todd Zwillich reports that the sequester deadline will probably come and go, automatically enacting those across-the-board spending drawdowns. But cuts will have a wider reach, affecting many industries throughout all parts of the United States. For example, the USDA will likely have to furlough many of their food inspectors, closing down the farms and factories they inspect. Mark Dopp is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the American Meat Institute.

Senator John Kerry may have sailed through his confirmation hearings for Secretary of State, but a showdown is brewing over Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich has the latest from Capitol Hill. 

Last night, President Obama described his vision for the United States over the next four years. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich analyzes the president's speech.

If Congress and the President do not reach a spending deal by March 1st, budget cuts will automatically go into effect. Todd Zwillich explains the steps the president and Congress are taking to avoid sequestration.

The Violence Against Women Act, originally passed in 1994, provided billions of dollars to train police, physicians, and others on how to handle cases concerning domestic and sexual violence. But amid the fiscal cliff negotiations, Congress allowed the act to expire. Coming up on The Takeaway, Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains how the act may be on its way back.

The opposition against Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense, has been building. The attacks are coming from several groups of anonymous donors, on his side of the aisle, who have spent millions of dollars funding ads to put the breaks on his appointment. Takeaway correspondent Todd Zwillich is following the story from Washington, D.C.

There was drama and division on Capitol Hill today in the first Congressional hearing on gun control since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last month. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, has been following the hearings from Capitol Hill.

If we're to believe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, there's a chance that both sides of the Senate are coming together as they strike a small deal on filibuster reform. It's not much, as critics are pointing out, but it's something. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, explains.

Hillary Clinton is set to testify on Benghazi today in front of the Senate foreign relations committee and the House foreign affairs committee. Todd Zwillich, Takeaway Washington correspondent, is watching the hearings.

President Barack Obama delivered his second inaugural address to a crowd of several hundred thousand today in Washington D.C. Todd Zwillich, Washington correspondent for The Takeaway, and Dick Stevenson, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, offer their analyses.

Some pundits, including New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, have proposed minting a trillion dollar coin as a way for Democrats to avoid a debt ceiling fight with Republicans. Is the proposal legal? Is anyone taking it seriously? Todd Zwillich, our Washington correspondent, explains.