Todd Zwillich

Every week, our own Todd Zwillich walks the halls of power in Washington D.C. and brings back an interview for our podcast, "Power Players." This week, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) talks about the chances for bipartisan financial reform.

President Obama visits Lower Manhattan today, to make his case for financial regulation at Cooper Union, not far from Wall Street. Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us to talk about Obama's visit. He looks at the continuing debate over reform in Congress as well, where it is 'bring your kids to work day.'

The financial regulatory reform bill is moving quickly through Congress this week, having already passed the House. But Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich looks at one of biggest flash points as the Senate debates the bill: Derivatives. It's an industry worth about $500-600 trillion and has remained largely free of regulation up to know. Todd explains how Congress is trying to bring sunlight to a typically murky practice.

• Washington Takeout: Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us with a look at what the legislative week has in store for us, up on Capitol Hill.
• Sports Takeout:  Takeaway Sports correspondent Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps the first games of the NBA playoffs. He says there might just be an upset brewing. 

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us with analysis of the first family's tax returns.  
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Takeaway's sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matini previews the best games to watch as the NBA playoffs get underway this weekend.

Every week, Todd Zwillich roams the halls of power in Washington D.C. and brings back his best interviews for Power Players.  Today, on Tax Day, Todd brings two: the first, an interview with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) about potential nominees for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens' seat, and second, an interview with Fair Tax Advocate Jim Tomasik, the permit holder for the tax reform rally held at Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. today.

• IMMIGRATION REFORM: In Arizona, state lawmakers approved some of the harshest anti-illegal-immigration measures ever. Mark Brodie, reporter and host at member station KJZZ joins us from Phoenix to discuss if these laws are tough measures for a tough problem or little more than legalized racial profiling. 
• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT:  Following the tragic mine explosion, which killed 29 miners and injured others in Montcoal, West Virginia, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are not taking the institutional inertia that lead to this tragedy lightly. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: What’s the difference between a Washington Lobbyist and a former congressional aide? It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, but in fact, Louise Story, The New York Times Wall Street and finance reporter, says that the question is actually very valid and becoming very hard to answer.
• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: With the nuclear summit winding down, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at the future of the START treaty, which President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed last week. The treaty aims to significantly decrease the amount of nuclear weapons between the two countries, but it looks like it's going to be a long and slow journey for START treaty in Congress.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich tells us about Sidney Thomas and why his name is being floated as a possible replacement to Justice John Paul Stevens. We also talk about states that are challenging the constitutionality of the health care law, and Congress' decision on extending unemployment benefits.
• RESPONSES TAKEOUT: We hear from you, our listeners, and what you had to say about a replacement for Justice Stevens. And we hear the nominees for the Takeaway t-shirt contest.

Justice John Paul Stevens announced on Friday that he will retire this June, after spending 35 years on the bench. Democrats say they want to move quickly into the nomination process in order to have the next justice confirmed by the end of the summer.

Confederate History Month is officially back in Virginia, but not without its fair share of controversy. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell declared the month of April "Confederacy Month." The proclamation was met by fanfare, applause, and loud protest.

• SPORTS: Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin analyzes the results of the NCAA championship and what the tournament success means for both Butler and Duke.
• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: More than 200,000 people will lose their unemployment benefits today because of partisan bickering in the Senate. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains how “politics as usual” is hitting so many regular Americans where it hurts.

In the course of reporting last week's massive health care overhaul, Todd Zwillich came across a strange detail in the $25 billion legislation. He asks Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham about "black liquor" — a mysterious substance that affects many people in Graham's home state (even though he'd never heard of it).

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: President Obama announced yesterday that he would lift some bans on off-shore drilling in a future, comprehensive environmental bill he hopes to get to congress before the 2010 elections. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, explains the politics behind the move. 
• FINANCE TAKEOUT: 2009 was a record year for the nation’s top hedge fund managers. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for our partner The New York Times, gives us a sneak peek at surprising earnings data that shows that the top 25 earning managers pulled in a collective $25 billion last year alone.

Health care reform is now the law of the land, and after the months of protracted debate, you'd think there couldn't be any details left to tease out, but our Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, discovered that lawmakers never once mentioned a $25 billion detail in the bill, pertaining to a mysteriously named substance: black liquor. 

• CONGRESS: President Obama issued 15 recess appointments on Saturday. The procedure allows senior federal officials to be appointed without confirmation from the Senate. Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains the procedure, along with the Republican reaction.
• SPORTS: Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps the weekend's action in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and looks at who's left in the Final Four.

Republicans love to accuse President Obama of being "drunk on spending." And when I saw that $25 billion of the recently-passed health care overhaul bill was financed with something called "black liquor," I thought Democrats had finally decided to shed all pretense and live up to the GOP's epithets.

I initally thought (even hoped) that black liquor was some clandestine toxic Tennessee moonshine, or a minority-owned spirits concern facing pay-back for wronging a powerful congressman. No such luck: It turns out black liquor is a merely a dark, burnable byproduct of the pulp-making process, a fuel that paper companies across the South can burn in their factories to cut costs.

• BUSINESS TAKEOUT: A year into the government's loan modification program, the Treasury's internal watchdog says the federal program might fail to prevent foreclosures. Meanwhile, private lender Bank of America announces major changes in how they will treat struggling homeowners. New York Times finance reporter Louise Story discusses whether the public or private sector is in the best position to heal the housing market.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: Sure it's officially law, but that doesn't mean the Senate is going to give health care a rest. Our Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich sat in on last night's 'vote-a-rama' where Republicans offered amendment after amendment in nine hours of non-stop voting designed to derail the final version of health care reform. He brings us the highlights and the final tally of votes.

• CONGRESS TAKEOUT: Health care reform has been signed into law. Now what? Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich lays out the next steps in the Senate and the courts.
• JUDICAL TAKEOUT:  Since President Obama nominated law professor Goodwin Liu to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals, there's been a firestorm of criticism and praise for his pick. Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor Slate magazine looks at what this progressive choice could mean for potential Supreme Court nominations.
• LISTENERS ON THE NEXT BIG ISSUE: By email, on the web and over the phone Takeaway listeners weigh in with their reaction to Sunday's historic vote in the House and weight in on what Congress should tackle next.

• HEALTH CARE TAKEOUT: Health care reform was signed into law yesterday and Democrats were jubilant. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich details the ceremony, down to the 22 souvenir pens and the vice president's salty language.
• MONEY TAKEOUT: Section 2572 of the recently-passed health care bill requires that chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus. Louise Story, Wall Street and financial reporter for The New York Times, talks to us about how restaurants and consumers might respond.