The Pentagon announcement that they will open up combat postings to women may seem like a dramatic departure today, but in the context of world history, it's not such a giant leap. Host John Hockenberry explains.

This second inauguration day offers a second moment for President Obama to address the nation without the press of a crises or under the specific obligation of the U.S. Constitution. It's also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We meet Dr. King through the archives of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Eleanor Fisher, who interviewed Dr. King back in 1961.

In an essay mixed with listener responses, host John Hockenberry attempts to answer a simple, but at the same time limitlessly complex, question: Why do Americans own guns?

We'll have live updates starting at 3 PM Eastern on the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that has reportedly left at least 27 people dead, including over a dozen children.

We've received a ton of responses over the last few days about our stories on the supposed death of irony, teaching empathy to kids, and more. Takeaway host John Hockenberry runs through some of our favorites.

Today is the last day in nearly one hundred years that the date will line up along the same number, as in 12/12/12. What, if anything, does it mean? John Hockenberry investigates.

Takeaway host John Hockenberry, who uses a wheelchair, looks at the people opposing the United Nations Convention on Rights for People with Disabilities.

With residents of the Northeast still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and Americans everywhere trying to move on from yet another bitter and divisive election, host John Hockenberry shares his Thanksgiving reflections on inequality. 

John Hockenberry usually wouldn't say it out loud, but sometimes he wonders to himself, 'Are New Yorkers crazy to live so directly in danger's path?' The city has weathered twisters, earthquakes, and now a major hurricane that has left dozens dead and millions without power. Shouldn't we live where it's safe, rather than rebuild where it's not?

Host John Hockenberry on the sounds of New York, the morning after the storm.

Before moving to Red Hook in Brooklyn, John Hockenberry had only evacuated twice: once from Iran and another time from Zaire. But then Hurricane Irene came along, and now, Hurricane Sandy. That's next, on The Takeaway.

Why do we need permission to think seriously about politics?

In Fremont, Ohio you can see the quiet evidence of the election of America’s centennial year, an election that rocked the United States in a way we have only glimpsed since.

This week the show is taking a close look at education in America, with interviews with education experts from around the country. Takeaway listeners have had a lot to say about this topic. Parents, teachers, and education advocates alike have been chiming in on the website, on Facebook, Twitter, and by text message, email, and voicemail. Host John Hockenberry takes us through some of the best responses yet.

Vulnerability: it's when we feel fragile, uncertain, and isolated. But there's a power hidden within vulnerability. Embracing those emotions can radically change our lives, says Brené Brown.

The United States' 16 year drought of gold at the Paralympics ended with wheelchair-bound archer Jeff Fabry. John Hockenberry spoke with Fabry before his win about how his success rides on a dog leash and his teeth.

What if taking a vacation no longer meant flying to Europe? What if it meant traveling through space? Luckily, should that day come, lawyers are already looking into it.

The worst drought in half a century has devastated farmers across the country this summer, yet few have been as devastated as those in the major farm state of Nebraska.

The United States Postal Service is approaching a $5 billion default. Suddenly, officials are saying we might have to drastically restructure our mail program, but the post office says it could all be avoided with a vote by the House of Representatives. Is there a solution in sight?

With the United States Post Office about to default on its $5 billion debt, they haven't yet received any help from Congress. Representative Dennis Kucinich, a democrat from Ohio, explains why he believes the default is manufactured.