Marine Olivesi

On repeated occasions, President Obama and members of his administration have boasted not just of capturing, but of killing terrorists. We take a closer look at the implications of this “kill-over-capture” bias and what makes these targeted killings legal.

U.S. and Pakistani intelligence forces, working together, have captured a leading Taliban figure. The apprehension of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar may cause a significant disruption to Taliban operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and raises questions of whether ties are warming between Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, and the CIA. Baradar is reportedly being interrogated by both American and Pakistani operatives. Georgetown Prof. Christine Fair, who focuses on Pakistan and Afghanistan, joins us for analysis.

For most Americans, human trafficking is a horrific practice that nearly always seems to happen overseas and far away. However, a recent report by the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission says about 1,000 American-born children are forced into the sex trade every year in Ohio alone.

20 years ago, former South African President Nelson Mandela was released from prison. He had spent 27 years behind bars, and his release came early in South Africa’s transition from an apartheid regime to a multi-racial democracy. Today, South Africa commemorates Mandela's leaving Robben Island prison – but for some, this is a bittersweet anniversary.

Overall unemployment numbers for January dropped slightly below ten percent, but for particular groups – adult men, African Americans and immigrants – unemployment is still higher than average. 

Today we’re looking at the long term impacts of high unemployment. Could this recession shape a generation, as the Great Depression did? Do unemployed Americans still think of their country as a land of opportunity?

Last night's Super Bowl victory for the Saints was also a victory for the City of New Orleans.  We talk about how the big win will impact the city. 

• TERRORISM: Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich goes back to Sarah Palin's comments on terrorism at the Tea party keynote convention.
  
• BUSINESS: New York Times financial reporter Louise Story tells us how Goldman Sachs pushed A.I.G. over the edge.
  
• RESPONSES: We've been asking listeners to suggest a name and a platform for a new political party. We hear some more suggestions.

• SPORTS: Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints
• POWER PLANT EXPLOSION: Lucy Nalpathanchil, WNPR reporter in Middletown gives us the latest on yesterday's power plant explosion
• WASHINGTON: Obama announces a bipartisan meeting on the health care reform. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich brings us the latest from Washington.

"Gridlock" is a term that went from engineering jargon to everyday lingo during a transit strike in 1980. Now it's used more to describe the situation on Capitol Hill, with partisan rancor holding up major legislation. We find out how stuck Congress really is and look at new ways to break the deadlock.

Toyota’s recall of 2.3 million vehicles is sending shockwaves through the automobile industry. We look at why a company that has built its reputation on customer service and problem-solving is in so much trouble now and whether those strengths could help it get back on its feet.

Yesterday the Obama administration proposed a nearly $4 trillion budget for 2011. A front page analysis in today's New York Times points out that the projected deficit in the coming year is nearly 11 percent of the country’s entire economic output and may not change any time soon.

Toyota has said that dealerships will be equipped with new parts later this week for customers whose cars have been recalled due to defective gas pedals. We speak with John McEleney, a Toyota dealer in Iowa and chairman of the National Association of Automobile Dealers, about how he's handling the recall.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer died this week in New York City at age 90. Archer was a Tuskegee Airman and considered to be the only black ace pilot.  The Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first black fighter pilot group in World War II. 

The Obama administration is considering moving the trial of chief organizer of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed out of New York City. Benjamin Weiser, reporter at The New York Times tells us why.

Yesterday, we talked about the anticipated influx of Haitian immigrants to Florida in the upcoming weeks. Today, we look at a place where Haitians are already seeking refuge: across the border in the Dominican Republic. Before the earthquake, up to a million Haitians were already living in the neighboring nation – many of them undocumented. Now thousands more are expected to cross into the Dominican Republic in the coming months.

Noam Chomsky, a linguistics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose own political activisim has intersected with that of historian Howard Zinn, speaks to us on Zinn's final critique of President Obama. 

Author and historian Howard Zinn died yesterday of a heart attack at 87. He was professor emeritus in the Political Science Department at Boston University and an author of more than 20 books, including the million-plus bestseller, "A People's History of the United States." Two weeks ago, he joined veteran journalist Callie Crossley on her show. We ask her about the legacy Zinn leaves behind him.

President Obama's State of the Union Address last night prompted a wide range of comments on style and policy.  But maybe the most surprising came from MSNBC Chris Matthews, who said he "forgot that he was black tonight for an hour." We ask Morehouse College professor David Wall Rice.

• HAITI TAKEOUT: Freelance reporter for the Wall Street Jounal Pooja Bhatia joins us from Port-au-Prince with an update on Haitians lining up at money transfer offices to collect cash from relatives abroad.
• ARIZONA TAKEOUT: Last week's big snow storm in Northern Arizona created brutal conditions on Navajo and Hopi land. Gillian Ferris Kohl, reporter and Morning Edition host at KNAU, Arizona Public Radio, gives us an update. 
• YOUR STATE OF THE UNION: Listeners respond to our request for their own State of the Union address.

The Navajo nation is a 27,000 square mile nation. It's hard to assess exactly how many people are stranded. It's in the hundreds if not thousands, and of course the problem now is melting snow turning to mud on dirt roads in a very, very rural area. —Gillian Ferris Kohl

• BAGHDAD TAKEOUT: A suicide attack rocked Baghdad this morning, killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens. Joining us from Baghdad is The New York Times' John Leland.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Earlier today, Rafael Nadal bowed out of the Australian Open after he suffered a knee injury during his quarterfinal game against Andy Murray. Jon Wertheim, senior writer at Sports Illustrated joins us from Melbourne, Australia to explain what happened.