Dan Pashman and Mark Garrison, the brains behind the Sporkful podcast, talk about the Hanukkah tradition of eating doughnuts and share creative doughnut concoctions. Try Pashman's recipes for two auspiciously named Hanukkah-themed sandwiches: The Maccabee Delight and The Hanukkah Miracle.

Oatmeal would seem to be an unlikely topic of passionate debate, but these days, everyone has an opinion about the humble breakfast porridge. Let us know what you think about oatmeal here. Plus, try out two unconventional, savory preparations for oatmeal.

We're talking about something of great import: How to make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Our weekly food conversation features the two hosts of the blog and podcast, The Sporkful, who each bring a version of the PB&J ... with a delicious twist.

And we're asking you, have you ever experimented with this classic? Tell us your experience.

Scenes of Pittsburgh in "Flashdance."

You could say it's like the 1980s movie "Flashdance": It's set in Pittsburgh and the main character (the city) has shed its blue-collar threads for something more glamorous. This week "The Steel City" plays host to world leaders as the site of the G-20 economic summit. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman has lived through the city’s ups and downs and responds as the world comes to his town.

In his ongoing effort to regain public momentum for health care reform, President Obama continued his media blitz yesterday by appearing on Late Night with David Letterman, finishing off a long weekend of media appearances.

Joining us are two people who were in the live studio audience. Fernando Deguia is an Obama supporter from Staten Island and Joanne Morgan, an Obama critic, saw the show while visiting New York City from Doha, Qatar.

Watch a clip of Obama on Late Night with David Letterman:

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that the state will hold a special election in January to determine who will replace Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. But Patrick also said he'd push to see Kennedy's seat filled in the interim. We talk to Frank Phillips, State House bureau chief for the Boston Globe.

As the president prepares to host a kegger to smooth the feathers ruffled over the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr, the nation's beer drinkers are paying close attention. The Takeaway's Femi Oke has hit the bars (for research, naturally) to find out whether conflict is best resolved over a beer. Then Brooklyn Brewery's Beer Master, Garrett Oliver, adds his thoughts on the president's beer selection: Budweiser, Blue Moon, and Red Stripe. No Brooklyn Lager, Mr. President?

It's the start of summer and the kickoff of grilling season. To give us some cooking tips on we turn to Craig Samuels, Brooklyn's barbecue afficionado and owner of Peaches, a Southern restaurant, and The Smoke Joint, a barbecue spot.

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The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays face off in game one of the 2008 World Series tonight, while in politics, Pennsylvania and Florida are shaping up to become key battleground states in the 2008 presidential election. So, who is a candidate to root for?

We take a sonic tour of music inspired by tragedy. How composers have turned tragedy into music, and its cathartic power.
NOTES FROM TERRANCE MCKNIGHT ON HIS SELECTIONS
Americans heard a lot of sad music during the anniversary of 9/11 this week. But great music is born of tragedy, inspiring composers to create what moves us. Terrance McKnight, music host at WNYC, took a sonic tour of music inspired by tragedy and examined its cathartic power.

It’s called “security theater:” highly visible measures that serve no genuine security purpose. Those National Guard troops you see at the airport? Generally those big guns aren’t loaded. Having to show one's ID at every turn? The 9/11 hijackers carried genuine drivers licenses, too. The Takeaway talks to the man who coined the phrase “security theater” about what makes genuinely good security and what's just for show.

While Sarah Palin gets the spotlight, she’s not the only big political story out of the northernmost state. Alaska’s Ted Stevens, the Senate’s longest serving Republican in office, faces prosecution for major corruption charges. His trial is moving ahead, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for this morning. He is also in a tight election fight for his Senate seat against Anchorage mayor Mark Begich. The Takeaway talks with Alaska Public Radio Network correspondent Libby Casey, who examined the case against Stevens and the Senate race.

The Democratic and Republican conventions are as stylistically different as the candidates. Every convention is designed to within an inch of its life. We explore what the designs say about the two campaigns.

A U.S. deal to sell nuclear technology to India will be tested this week, as international nuclear powers meet to finalize the deal. We explain why the deal matters and how it could impact dealings with Iran.

In 2000, Senator Joe Lieberman spoke at the Democratic Convention as Al Gore’s VP nominee. Eight years later, he’s on stage at the Republican Convention, supporting McCain. We’ll compare his convention speeches.

China spent some 43 billion dollars on the Olympics. But what did they get for that investment? We’ll explore whether world opinion about China has changed, and if the increased attention to issues like Tibet and pollution had an impact.

There is talk outgoing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf could leave his country for good. We take a look at where he might go, why a country might want to take him in, and where famous fallen leaders have gone into exile.

China is tightly managing every aspect of the Olympics, even trying to control the weather. They’re using cloud-seeding techniques, both to create rain to reduce smog and to steer rain away from outdoor events. The Takeaway takes a closer look at the often colorful efforts to control the weather.