Todd Zwillich

• 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.

Millions of American men are tested every year for prostate cancer, but the blood test used for screening isn’t completely reliable. Now, the American Cancer Society says there's a chance the screenings can do more harm than good. What are men at risk of prostate cancer supposed to do?

Yesterday, President Obama made one last-ditch attempt to push for health care overhaul. After a year of debate, the president said it was time for the Senate to cast an "up or down vote" on the final version of the bill. Still, many Republicans — and even some Democrats — do not support the proposal. The push comes just a week after the president's heath care summit at the White House, and after he said he would be open to four republican ideas gleaned from that discussion.

Under continuing questions about possible ethics violations, New York Congressman Charles Rangel announced this morning he would temporarily step down as chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Rangel, who is the dean of his state's delegation, said he would relinquish control of the influential post in order to allow an investigation by the Ethics Committee to run its course.

• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: Kentucky Republican Sen. Jim Bunning made the news this week by holding up a bill for jobless benefits, payments for doctors, and a host of other programs. Last night he finally relented. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains the fracas. We also get a preview of President Obama's health care speech today.
• LISTENER TAKEOUT: Yesterday, we looked at how we understand events through numbers. Listeners tell us their view on numerical storytelling. 

The United States Postal Service carries a $10 billion debt, but is legally prohibited from many cost-cutting measures like closing offices. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, explains why the USPS is losing money, and how the new proposal aims to help.

Without enough votes in the Senate to revote on a modified bill and pass health care reform, the Democratic Party may resort to using a 1974 budgetary law known as reconciliation. The process protects the bill from filibusters that require a 60-vote majority to end debate, and would instead allow the bill to pass by a simple majority.

• CONGRESS TAKEOUT: Takeway's Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich recaps the Heath Care Summit and why Rep. Rangel is in the hot seat.
• OLYMPICS: New York Times Olympics editor Jason Stallman looks ahead to today's games.
• RESPONSES:  Listeners had a lot to say about trying to teach civics to high school students who don't have a lot of faith in government.

After long hours of spirited debate, President Obama and Congressional lawmakers failed to reach any substantive compromises on health care legislation. Republicans were clearly frustrated with the president's proposals and repeatedly suggested scrapping the legislation and starting over again. Democrats insisted that was not an option because too much progress has already been made.

• 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.

Three European Internet companies have complained to the EU's competition regulator that Google is choking competition by unfairly promoting its own products above theirs in their search engines.  Can Google fairly advertise other companies that its in competition with?  BBC business correspondent, Russell Padmore, explains.

Tomorrow President Obama will hold his health care summit with House and Senate leaders from both parties.  Earlier in today's show, we spoke with two lawmakers from the House, who are also doctors,  Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat from Washington State and Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas.  Now we bring the conversation full circle, from the lawmakers in Washington back to the public that they serve.

The president of Japanese car giant Toyota will appear before Congress today as part of a probe into the company's recall of millions of vehicles over sudden acceleration problems, which have been blamed for about 30 U.S. deaths.

The Obama administration has made universal access to broadband Internet a top priority, but a new FCC study says that access or no access, 31 percent of Americans can't afford the cost.

• CONGRESS TAKEOUT:   Some lawmakers may be facing a conflict of interest as they go toe to toe with Toyota executives.  Communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics, Dave Levinthal, says many of these lawmakers are stockholders in Toyota.
• OLYMPICS PREVIEW: Jason Stallman, reporting on the Winter Olympics for The New York Times, has the latest from Vancouver and looks ahead to Lindsey Vonn's upcoming race.
• SUPREME COURT: Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times, Adam Liptak, explains the Court's latest decision that police may now ad lib the Miranda Rights.

A televised bipartisan summit on health care will take place in Washington D.C. on Thursday. Analysts, observers and the American people will watch to see if “bipartisan” is really the right way to describe this summit, as nationwide frustration grows over proposed insurance rate hikes and the details of the attempted reforms thus far.

As more of us are being forced to stretch our food dollars further, the question on some of our minds is: Can I eat that old can of soup in the back of the cupboard? Or more generally: Can I eat expired food?

In 2006 a video posted to Google-owned YouTube showed footage of a teenager with Down syndrome being bullied in school.  Local advocacy groups said that the video had infringed on the privacy rights of the young man and the court agreed. They ruled that Google was responsible for the video being posted in the first place and sentenced three executives with jail sentences.

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT:   The New York Times Wall Street and finance reporter Louise Story joins us with analysis of some of the important economic indicators that came out yesterday.  
• OLYMPICS TAKEOUT: Jason Stallman, Olympics editor for The New York Times brings us the latest sports drama from Vancouver.
• LISTENER TAKEOUT: Our listeners respond to legislative gridlock, saying that the government is only partially to blame and that the American media is just as guilty.

The CEO of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, will testify before Congress today as part of a probe into his company's massive car recall. Toyoda's prepared remarks have already been released and the embattled CEO is expected to apologize to customers and to lawmakers ahead of his testimony.