Radio America Online News Bureau

The fight over how to define marriage moved to the Iowa Supreme Court on Tuesday, as justices heard arguments in the wake of a lower court striking down the state’s Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional.  So what were the arguments today?  Which side is likely to win?  And what have we learned about the ‘tolerance’ of those in favor of gay marriage by their reaction to their defeat in California on Election Day?  We ask Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University School of Law.

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The fight over how to define marriage moved to the Iowa Supreme Court on Tuesday, as justices heard arguments in the wake of a lower court striking down the state’s Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional.  So what were the arguments today?  Which side is likely to win?  And what have we learned about the ‘tolerance’ of those in favor of gay marriage by their reaction to their defeat in California on Election Day?  We ask Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University School of Law.

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Why are Americans more pessimistic this month in how they view the health of our economy?  What issues are driving this negativity more than the others?  What do the numbers suggest about Washington’s handling of the economic crisis?  And how has the recent election impacted the optimism numbers?  We ask Terry Jones, associate editor at Investor’s Business Daily, which conducted the survey.

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Why are Americans more pessimistic this month in how they view the health of our economy?  What issues are driving this negativity more than the others?  What do the numbers suggest about Washington’s handling of the economic crisis?  And how has the recent election impacted the optimism numbers?  We ask Terry Jones, associate editor at Investor’s Business Daily, which conducted the survey.

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Should the government prop up the auto industry or is that just throwing good money after bad?  Can they survive bankruptcy protection?  Why is the public so strongly against any sort of federal support?  And is Barack Obama on the right track with his economic recovery ideas?  Will a focus on public works and rebuilding infrastructure be the trigger for our fiscal comeback or is he just recycling failed ideas from the New Deal era?  We ask Scott Hodge, president of The Tax Foundation.

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Five detainees at Guantanamo, including 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are asking to plead guilty to their charges and in effect speed up their own executions.  Why would they want to do this?  Can they pass mental competency tests to make this happen?  How does the election of Barack Obama factor into this?  We ask Maj. Kyndra Rotunda, former member of the U.S. Army’s prosecution team at Guantanamo Bay.

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Is it safer to use your cell phone while driving if you have a hands-free device?  What are the statistics on how much more distracted a driver is while on the phone?  Which group of drivers has experts especially worried?  We ask Peter Kissinger of the AAA Foundation.

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It’s been 34 days since Election Day, but we are still at least several days away from learning who will serve as a senator from Minnesota for the next six years.  What is the latest in the political drama featuring GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken?  How many challenged ballots still need to be resolved?  And how important has it bee for Coleman to stay ahead in every vote count to bolster his case that he is the legitimate winner?  We ask Kevin Duchshere, political report for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

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Did the CEO’s of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler make a compelling case to Congress for $34 billion in bridge loans this week?  What are the reasons why many lawmakers see this as the wrong way to save the auto industry or any other part of the economy?  What’s the alternative to rescuing the Big Three?  We ask Georgia Rep. Tom Price, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

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