As we reported last week, Florida Governor Rick Scott has rejected $2.4 billion of federal money allocated for the construction of a high-speed rail project in his state. Florida’s proposed high-speed rail line would have been a marquee project for the president, who has made it his administration’s goal to provide high speed rail access to 80 percent of Americans in the next twenty years. Unsurprisingly, this is costing the governor political points on the both the left and the right. Joining us now for a view from the legislature is Republican State Senator Paula Dockery. She was an early supporter of Gov. Rick Scott, but is disappointed with his rejection of the high-speed rail stimulus package.

Among the projects picked for federal stimulus spending, Florida's Orlando-Tampa high-speed rail route was a curious place to put $1.25 billion.  After all, it's Florida, and the 90-mile route runs through counties President Obama fought over tight margins of victory and defeat.  So are the voters of Polk County, smack in between Orlando and Tampa, swayed by a stop on the federally-funded transit future?  Takeaway transportation reporter Collin Campbell went to find out.

Despite the fact that the Department of Labor lists young people, African-American and Hispanic men as having some of the highest rates of unemployment, a group of youngsters in East New York, Brooklyn is determined to buck the trend and get into the job market. The Takeaway's Ibrahim Abdul-Matin introduces them to us and their challenges when it comes to finding work.

The federal government is on the verge of spending billions of dollars on highways and public transit projects, beginning in 2010.  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood views this as a historic moment in American history, when federal money will back policy aimed at getting Americans off the highways, out of our cars and into public transit and high-speed rail.  LaHood steps through the many areas of American life in which he's now shaping policy. (click through for the full interview transcript)