Ibrahim Abdul-Matin

• Financial Takeout:  How can a health insurance reform bill, which costs $940 billion, reduce the country’s deficit by over $1 trillion? Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times tells us that if you read the fine print closely … it doesn't! 
• Sports Takeout: Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has the latest results from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The NCAA men's basketball playoffs kicked off yesterday and we've already seen some major upsets. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us with the results and tells us why his, and the president's bracket isn't looking very good.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT:  European countries are levying new fees on everything from soft drinks to dog licenses. New York Times finance reporter, Louise Story explains.

• SPORTS TAKEOUT: The first round of the Men's NCAA Division I Basketball tournament starts today. It's 32 games over two days. But which games are worth watching? Takeaway Sports contributor, Ibrahim-Abdul Matin, shares his strategies for picking games. Check out Ibrahim's own bracket and John and Celeste's differing views on the subject.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT:  Expressing a deep, if cautious, confidence in our current economic recovery, The Federal Reserve decided to maintain the national interest rate yesterday. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for our The New York Times tells us whether or not that confidence is justified.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, weighs in on Tiger Woods' announcement that he will play in the Master's next month.

• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, talks about Coolidge High School's new head coach for their boy's varsity football team, Natalie Randolph. She is believed to be the only female in the U.S. coaching high school football.
• RESPONSES TAKEOUT: We hear your responses to recent stories from Haiti to breast-feeding.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: There has been a lot of talk about financial reform, but today, there will be some action. Connecticut's Senator Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, unveils a new broad financial reform bill today. But will it be enough, and will it have support it needs to pass?  New York Times financial reporter Louise Story takes a look.
  
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: The NCAA Tournament brackets have been set, and Kansas University is the number one overall seed. Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin talks college basketball, and helps us understand the major players at this stage in the game.

• CONGRESS: College students may find student loan programs in the federal health care bill's package. Meanwhile, Virginia became the first state to pass an anti-mandate bill on health care. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, updates us on the health care debate on Capitol Hill. 
• SPORTS: Takeaway Sports contributor Ibrahim-Abdul Matin discusses Marion Jones' return to sports after signing with the WNBA.

• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torri Hunter, about the racial makeup of Major League Baseball, are causing controversy in some quarters but leading others to defend Hunter's point of view. We talk more to Ibrahim Abdul-Matin about the dust-up.
• YOUR RESPONSES: The Takeaway moves away from a  week long discussion on genius to hear a little bit about government gridlock and hear your suggestions to fix it.  But you still had a lot to say about genius, including some fun facts about the relative IQ's of some of our nation's top leaders.

• TV TAKEOUT: A proposal could keep films and television shows depicting gay characters from recieving a tax credit for filming in Florida. Damien Cave, Miami bureau chief for The New York Times, tells us more about this state jobs bill, and who it may help and hurt.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Football season may be over, but important moves are still being made. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has all the latest NFL transactions and rumors, and tells us which players are going where.
• YOUR RESPONSES: We're asking you all week about what makes genius, and today we listen to more of your responses.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: Bank of America offered an unexpected olive branch to its millions of debit card users when they announced a plan to do away with all debit card overdraft fees. But is this public relations gambit enough to improve the bank's public image? We talk with Louise Story, finance reporter for our partner The New York Times, who brings us details from an article in today's paper.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: The Big East tournament holds many of the major players in college basketball, and yesterday St. John's beat UCONN handily. Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us to take a closer look at the Big East.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: Health care is back on the front burner for President Obama this week, and today he travels to Glenside, Pa. to push health care at Arcadia University. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich tells us more.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: In like a lion, march madness begins now that college basketball is heating up across the country. Ibrahim Abdul-Matin talks about the UConn women's basketball team tying their own record for consecutive wins, and number one team Syracuse losing.

• SPORTS TAKEOUT: There's a big game scheduled for college basketball this weekend, but it doesn't involved Syracuse, Kansas, Kentucky, or any of the top-ranked teams. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Adbul Matin joins us with a look at college basketball, where the Ivy League teams are heating up.
• YOUR CATS TAKEOUT: You report, you decide! We have the winners of The Takeaway's furry and furiously competitive cat show.
• YOUR RESPONSES: For our last takeout, we hear from our listeners and their fond recollections of the teachers that made a difference in their lives.

• CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE UPDATE: Last weekend's devastating earthquake severely damaged Chilean architect Pierina Benvenuto's home and dislocated family members — while she was in Chicago. Though the worst damage seems behind her, Pierina tells us of her desire and hesitation to return home.
• SPORTS TAKEOUTS: Baseball's spring training has just kicked off, and with the return of baseball come pennant dreams and steroid scandals. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us to talk about a Canadian doctor embroiled in a new steroid scandal.  

• MONEY TAKEOUT: Lawmakers are taking to action to try and ban employers from running credit checks on potential employees. Louise Story, finance reporter for The New York Times tells us more.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: The NFL's Scouting Combine ended Tuesday. Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Takeaway sports contributor, talks about who he thinks shined in the annual event.

• DANGEROUS ADVERTISING: Digital billboards are a great way to catch the eye of potential customers, which is great for advertisers, but not for driver safety. New York Times finance reporter Louise Story tells us about a new study that looks at the potential dangers of the flashy billboards. 
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Takeaway sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, joins us with a look at NCAA basketball. In women's basketball UConn proves unbeatable. And in men's basketball, Syracuse has overcome a challenging season to become the number one team.

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps what can only be described as a classic hockey game between Canada and Team USA as they both battled for Olympic gold. In overtime, Canada clenched the gold and made the host nation proud. Meanwhile, a roster of exciting college basketball games filled the weekend back on U.S. soil.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT:  Will the president's health care summit be a bipartisan love-fest or more of the same legislative gridlock? Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich brings us a preview.
• OLYMPICS TAKEOUT: Team USA suffered a big shock yesterday when Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the Grand Slalom. Jason Stallman, Olympics editor for The New York Times talks to us about this race and the Men's Hockey competition.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: After a five-month investigation, the NCAA has alleged that the University of Michigan's football program committed major violations. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us with the backstory.

• MONEY: Yesterday, the Federal Reserve raised the interest rate it charges on short-term emergency loans to banks, a sign that the Fed is exiting from measures they put in place during the financial crisis. New York Times finance reporter Louise Story fills us in on how this rate hike will affect regular Americans.
• SPORTS: Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin tells us about the highly anticipated Tiger Woods press conference. Woods may not have the answers we're looking for.
• OLYMPICS: New York Times Olympics editor Jason Stallman joins us with the latest news from Vancouver, including a full report on men's figure skating.

• BUSINESS TAKEOUT:  The Greek finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, is attempting to reassure the European Union that his country's deficit problems are largely under control, but New York Times finance reporter Louise Story tells us that not everybody is buying his story.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin takes a look at some possible moves that could happen before Wednesday afternoon's NBA trade deadline.
• DOGS TAKEOUT: After more than a hundred submissions and several days of voting, the listeners' favorite was clear: a chihuahua named Benny, photographed looking anxious between a pair of Siamese cats.  We spoke with the owner and her mother about Benny and the advantages of looking scared in a competition.

• MONEY TAKEOUT: New York Times finance reporter Louise Story takes a look at Google Buzz and privacy issues.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin reports on heated contract negotiations between the NBA and players.
• RESPONSES: Listeners share their dream Olympic sports.