President Obama visited the State Department on his second full day in office yesterday, signaling the renewed importance of diplomacy in US foreign policy. He appointed two special envoys to troubled regions — former Northern Ireland mediator George Mitchell to oversee Arab-Israeli issues and longtime diplomat Richard Holbrooke to handle Pakistan and Afghanistan. The New York Times’ Mark Landler joins John and Adaora with a look at these two appointments and what they say about the new President's foreign policy strategy.

Masdar City is a planned city in Abu Dhabi that promises to be the world’s first carbon neutral metropolis. This week, it is home to the second World Future Energy Summit, a conference that promises to be a who’s who of global energy politics. But can a carbon neutral community really exist? What does it take to construct and support one? Jesse Fox, an urban planner and contributing writer for Treehugger.com joins The Takeway from the Summit along with Andrew Revkin, writer of the New York Times Dot Earth blog.

Want a tour of Masdar City? Watch the video for an aerial fly through:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict invokes accusations of journalistic bias like no other issue. And photojournalists are at least as susceptible as reporters and editors of being accused of favoring one side or the other. Patrick Witty, Foreign Picture Editor for The New York Times, joins The Takeaway to discuss how he makes sure that the photos he selects tell a true, balanced story.

Follow the links to view the photos discussed in the segment. The photo of the three boys killed by mortar fire, the doctored photos of an Iranian missile test, and the photos as used by the New York Times.

For a week straight Israel and Hamas have been locked in nonstop air strikes, leaving over 400 dead and 2,000 wounded. Wars between Israel and Palestine have flared up for over the last 40 years. How long is this particular history destined to repeat itself? And, this time around, what countries are positioned to come out ahead? For a look at the worldwide ripple effects of this latest conflict, we turn to Noah Feldman. Noah Feldman is a law professor at Harvard University and a contributor to The New York Times Magazine. He’s also the author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State.

The Arab League met yesterday in Egypt to discuss ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. But what happened there wasn’t exactly a show of unity. Turns out the Arab world is having a hard time coming up with a united front as they try to deal with the latest clash between Israel and Palestinians. For more on that meeting The Takeaway turns to Steven Erlanger a New York Times reporter in Cairo.

This morning U.S. and Iraqi officials had a ceremony to officially recognize the new U.S.-Iraq security pact. This pact, which is considered a landmark in restoring Iraq’s independence, requires all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. For a look at what the pact's implications are for Iraq's future and the new role of U.S. forces (key words: baby steps), The Takeaway turns to Campbell Robertson. Mr. Robertson is the Iraq war correspondent for our partner The New York Times and is in Iraq and watched this morning's ceremony.

Today is the third day of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to regular rocket attacks by Hamas. According to the Associate Press, more than 300 Palestinians are dead and more than 700 injured. The U.N. Security Council called on Israel and the Palestinians to immediately halt all violence and military activities. For the latest on the situation in Gaza we turn to Taghreed El-Khodary, who is reporting from Gaza for our partner the New York Times.

For additional reporting, read Taghreed El-Khoudary's article in today's New York Times.

For analysis of the latest violent flare-up between Israel and Hamas, The Takeaway talks to Aaron David Miller, public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Aaron David Miller is author of “The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Mid-East Peace.”

Visit his website to hear audio of interviews with key figures in the Arab-Israeli diplomacy process.

With increasing violence between Israel and Hamas, there is currently no end in sight. For the latest on the situation unfolding in the Gaza Strip, The Takeaway talks to New York Times Correspondent Ethan Bronner.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, war dominates every day. For a brief holiday from Christmas, The Takeaway turns to New York Times correspondent Campbell Robertson.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has plagued U.S. presidents for decades. As he assumes the highest office in the nation, President-elect Barack Obama will have to grapple with tough questions about how the U.S. can best engage in a peace process in the region. John Hockenberry speaks with Aaron David Miller, a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"That's God's wife. Not only did he have a wife, but he had many girlfriends, too."
--Gary Glassman, from the upcoming Nova documentary on the Bible

"The controls that might have been written six weeks ago when this bill was signed would perhaps be defunct at this point because of the change in policy. That exposes the soft underbelly of the overall process."
— Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen speaking about overseeing financial bailouts

With conditions worsening in Afghanistan, many experts worry that if the transition from President George W. Bush to incoming president Barack Obama doesn't go smoothly, the situation there could spiral out of control.