Newt Gingrich is entering the "exploratory" phase of a possible presidential run in 2012 against President Barack Obama and a host of Republican challengers. Gingrich's biggest political accomplishments on the national stage arguably happened when he swept into Congress with a Republican majority in the second half of Bill Clinton's presidency. But where are Newt's classmates from 1994? Are they more moderate, or more conservative, than they were some 15 years ago? We speak with former Connecticut Congressman Chris Shays to get an update on the class of '94. 

The government is on the verge of a shutdown Friday, as Democrats and Republicans try and come up with some kind of resolution on the budget. Chrystia Freeland, global editor-at-large of Reuters, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, will look into their chrystal balls and see if any resolution is in sight. While Washington makes attempts at a budget resolution, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is heading to Switzherland to come up with a resolution on dealing with Col. Moammar el-Gadhafi and Libya. Are Gadhafi's days numbered? 

With protesters in Egypt successfully overthrowing President Hosni Mubarak, following successful protests in Tunisia, we take a look at Yemen. That country has seen protests all weekend — not from the opposition but from the youth of the country, who have organized primarily via text messaging. Noel King, managing producer for The Takeaway, looks at why the U.S. should be keeping a close eye on what's happening in Yemen, as well as in Iran. 

When the Republican majority was elected to the House this past November, members of the GOP started talking about repealing the health care reform legislation that was the signature accomplishment of the previous Congress. That call for repeal seems to have revved up Congressional Republicans so much that they’re now trying to repeal several other laws that the Democratic majority passed last year.

Republicans are planning to undo as many of the Obama administration's regulations as they can. This includes regulations on Wall Street, health care and the EPA and greenhouse gasses. Republicans are calling these regulations "burdensome" and are creating a bill that will strip the EPA of any power to regulate greenhouse gasses or climate change.

The federal deficit is set to top $1.5 trillion this year. It's a huge number, but does it even mean anything anymore? Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich says that competing budget plans are popping up all around the Capitol as lawmakers try to find ways to cut as much as possible. The Republican leadership in the House says they will cut $100 billion from the budget this fiscal year. Meanwhile, President Obama has proposed a $400 billion cut over ten years. As the Republicans look for deeper and deeper cuts, the Democrats warn that this could shock the economy back into a recession.

President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address last night, and for a Republican reaction, we turn to Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). He will also discuss his reaction to Rep. Paul Ryan's Republican response last night, as well as Rep. Michele Bachmann's, on behalf of the Tea Party.

There has been a lot of lofty rhetoric this week about toning down the inflamatory political discussions around the country, and showing respect to the dead and wounded from the attack in Arizona by being more civil on the airwaves and in Washington. But when lawmakers head back to congress next week, will the tone of discourse really change? Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich helps us try to answer this question. We also speak with Todd about Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's announcement yesterday that she won't run for re-election.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) is reportedly writing a bill that would allow congressmembers to carry concealed weapons in Washington D.C. Carrying a concealed weapon is currently illegal in D.C., but is not illegal for members of Congress on Capitol grounds. The news of this bill comes after twenty people were shot in Arizona over this past weekend, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is still in the hospital recovering. Will more guns mean less senseless acts of violence? 

The shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson on Saturday rocked the country this weekend. The Takeaway’s Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich and Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show on WGBH in Boston, take a look at how the shooting has changed the national agenda and what else we can expect this week. 

It's been a big week as Washington gets back to work. There are questions about whether the Republican-dominated House can actually repeal the health care plan. Meanwhile, Democrats are finally "finding their voice" on health care, says Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, as they prepare to counter GOP claims about the bill.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi has passed the House Speaker's gavel to Ohio's Rep. John Boehner, who was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday. Boehner emphasized more openness and more room for debate with Democrats in his speech. Pelosi, on the other hand, embraced her new role as minority leader and took some swings at Republicans, which she couldn't do as Speaker.

Lawmakers get back to work as the 112th Congress begins today. Republicans take the majority in the House of Representatives and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), gets sworn in as its new Speaker of the House. At the same time, there is a move in the Senate to change the filibuster rule. The first day of Congress is the only day that lawmakers can change the rules with only 51 votes and some Democrats hope to use this to their advantage. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at the new Congress and the top five things to watch out for in 2011.

As the 112th Congress begins, Rep. John Boehner takes his position as Speaker of the House. How will Boehner compare to past speakers, and will he bring more accountability to Washington?

When the 112th Congress convenes next week, it will be the first class of legislators in nearly fifty years that does not include a member of the Kennedy clan. From Jack to Bobby to Ted to Joseph, and finally to Patrick — who decided against running for reelection this year as representative from Rhode Island  — the Kennedys have been a mainstay in Washington D.C. for decades.

A final vote on the New START Agreement is expected this week, after 67 Senators — exactly the two-thirds majority necessary to ratify the treaty — voted yesterday to break a GOP filibuster of the bill. The treaty would significantly decrease the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and Russia. We're looking at which specific classes of nuclear weapons would be decreased by START, and why we worry about these weapons instead of others.

Many have been celebrating the lame duck Congress's capability for getting a few last liberal agenda items done: repealing "don't ask, don't tell," among the big news. But one big bill never made it...the Dream Act.  

Shifting populations detailed in new Census data also hint at political changes and a different future for some states. As Americans change the location of their homes, the lines of districting also change — and that may be good news for Republicans. 

Long before the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, officials in Congress were concerned about the "cozy" relationship between federal regulators and the oil industry and the failure of regulators to spend funds on safety measures, according to documents recently acquired by The New York Times. The documents were acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, and include emails between Congressional officials and the Minerals Management Service. Was the M.M.S. "stonewalling" all along? And how will Gulf residents take the news?

The White House/GOP deal to extend both the across-the-board Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment benefits passed the Senate yesterday. Next stop: the House of Representatives. But unlike the Senate, the House's members on both sides are further out on the fringes, making a "yea" vote for the deal more difficult to garner. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us to look ahead at the wrangling to come.