Radio America Online News Bureau

President Obama has his full share of domestic challenges to address, but on the international side many of his headaches will likely emerge from the Middle East.  Why will exiting Iraq, promoting freedom and a Middle East peace require the new administration to deal with Iran?  How can the U.S. forge a two-state solution in the Middle East while still not giving ground to Hamas?  What is the best policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan?  And how long does Obama have to set forth a clear and comprehensive policy?  We’ll discuss it all with Dr. Walid Phares of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

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On Monday, President Obama signed two more executive orders…one to mandate higher fuel economy standards for vehicles starting in the 2011 models…and the other to allow California to establish its own, higher emissions standard.  So what will be the impact of all these demands on the auto industry?  How will it impact your car-buying options?  And why could it mean you have a lower chance of surviving a car crash in the future?  We ask Max Schulz, an environmental policy expert at the Manhattan Institute.

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Last week, President Obama signed an executive order that will close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Obama says America can be secure without compromising our values?  But have our values actually been compromised at Gitmo or is the policy the victim of a smear campaign?  Are prisoners being abused or being treated far better than inmates at any other prison camp in the history of warfare?  How much have we learned from interrogations there?  And what comes next?  We ask James Robbins, former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.

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Some major corporations are simply shutting down because going through Chapter 11 is too tough and lenders aren’t in the mood to help rescue a faltering firm.  This trend which includes retailers like Circuit City, Mervyn’s, Linens ‘N’ Things and Sharper Image suggests not only an economy badly in need of recovery but also a nation in need of a morale boost.  So how does that happen?  What policies will work?  And what can President Obama or anyone else say to cheer up a country drifting through very rough economic waters?  We ask Daniel Gross, senior editor at Newsweek.  His latest article is entitled “The Quitter Economy”.

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We have Friday’s top news…What is President Obama saying about the negotiations for an economic stimulus?  Is this the main effort to jump-start the economy or is there a lot more spending to come?  What are Republican and Democratic congressional leaders saying about the stimulus plan?  What abortion policy of the Bush administration did Obama reverse on Friday?  How are Republicans reacting to that?  Who is the new U.S. Senator from New York?  And what is the latest line of defense from scandal-swamped Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich?  We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Friday, January 23, 2009.

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As we previewed on Tuesday, President Obama made good on his promise to reverse Bush policy and allow tax dollars to fund the performing and advocating of overseas abortions?  How significant is this policy reversal?  Why might the 30-year ban on taxpayer-funded abortions soon be in jeopardy?  And what other plans does Obama have on the abortion front?  We ask Douglas Johnson, legislative director at the National Right to Life Committee.

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What should we want in the economic stimulus package being debated in Congress?  What should all Americans prepare for as the recession continues?  Where should the rest of the Wall Street bailout money go?  Is the next $350 billion really necessary?  And what should we glean from the latest episode of gross corporate malfeasance perpetrated by the head of Merrill Lynch?  We ask all these questions to Forbes Senior Editor Matthew Miller.

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After a political soap opera lasting some two months, New York Gov. David Paterson is naming Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand as the replacement for Hillary Clinton, who is now Secretary of State.  So why did Gillibrand get the job?  What do we know about her?  Why did the Caroline Kennedy campaign sputter to a halt?  And which party will win the House seat being vacated by Gillibrand?  We ask David Drucker of Roll Call.

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We saw plenty of change in Washington this week as Barack Obama and Joe Biden replaced George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as president and vice-president respectively. Less notived, however, was the departure of America’s favorite screaming politician as Howard Dean stepped down as head of the Democratic National Committee. So the Capitol Steps look back at Dean’s political legacy in this week’s visit.

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We have Thursday’s top news…What decision is President Obama making on Guantanamo Bay?  What is the reaction from the Pentagon and Capitol Hill?  What is the Obama plan for the Middle East and Afghanistan?  What was the committee vote for Treasury nominee Tim Geithner?  And what happened on Wall Street today?  We have all the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, January 22, 2009.

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