David J Fazekas

Philadelphia Phillies ace pitcher Roy Halladay, made a stunning playoff debut against the Cincinnati Reds, yesterday.  He pitched only the second no-hitter in Major League Baseball post-season history.

The Takeaway's sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, talks about this historic moment, and takes us through the rest of baseball's playoffs.

With less than a month until Election Day, Democrats are hoping to keep control of both the House and Senate while trying to appeal to their core constituencies. Just two years ago, President Obama brought the Democrats back to the White House with the help of Latino voters. Democrats will surely need those votes if they hope to keep their majorities in Congress, but it is not clear that the Latino votes will come through in the mid-terms.  A new poll from the Pew Hispanic Center reports that only 51 percent of Latino registered voters say they are "absolutely certain to vote," this season, compared to 70 percent of all registered voters who say they'll go to the polls.

Why is it looking like so many Latinos will skip voting November 2?

The Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded to Robert Edwards yesterday, who developed in vitro fertilization in the 1970. Controversial from its introduction, the practice was initially condemned by the Catholic Church. Today, while many of the original ethical issues have abated, new ones have arisen over questions about the in vitro industry's lack of regulation and the continuing debate surrounding stem cell research.

Glenn Cohen, co-director of the Petrie-Flom Center, and assistant professof or law at Harvard University, believes the number one controversy today is the safety methods surrounding the practice. 

When Child Protective Services investigates a household where a child may have been abused, that family has a small chance of seeing improvements, according to a new study out of the University of Utah, set to be published in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Scientists believe they may have discovered a planet that is capable of holding water on its surface; if true, it strongly implies life could exist there as well. 

The planet orbits a dim red star called Gliese 581, some 20 light years away from us.

For many years, an integral part of the American dream has involved making it to the middle class. We associate the phrase with steady, secure work, home ownership and providing for a comfortable — if not lavish — lifestyle for our family. But has middle class America fundamentally changed since the Great Recession hit? Do people that once saw themselves as solidly middle class see themselves differently now?

It is now mandatory that athletes wanting to particpate in NCAA Division I sports be tested for sickle cell anemia. The new rule has some people worried that it could lead to racial discrimination.

Put in affect in April, it's aimed to prevent the sudden death of young athletes such as 19-year-old Dale Lloyd II, who died suddenly in 2006 after a rigorous practice for Rice University's football team.

Lady Gaga has taken it upon herself to become an advocate for gay rights, especially for those serving in the military, by becoming extremely vocal in having 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' repealed.

But is Lady Gaga the right person for the job, and is she someone gay service men and women want?

We've come a long way, baby...

The Macondo well may be sealed and "dead," but the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster is going to be felt for some time to come. We're spending the whole hour wrestling with some of the unanswered questions and lingering issues that the BP oil spill has left in its wake. To help us navigate these dirty waters, Robert Hernan, author of "This Borrowed Earth: Lessons from the Fifteen Worst Environmental Disasters Around the World" joins us for the hour.

Also, check out our timeline of the entire disaster, spanning from the Deepwater Horizon's construction in 1998 through when it was declared "dead" on Sunday.

The United Nations General Assembly kicks off this week, starting with a summit on the Millenium Development Goals, which aim to cut world poverty in half by 2015. As world leaders converge on New York for this event, they will also join leaders of the corporate and non-profit world for the 6th annual Clinton Global Initiative.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is taking full advantage of his playing time and flying high, throwing 2 touchdowns yesterday to beat the Detroit Lions.

Nando Di Fino, sports writer for The Wall Street Journal, has the latest on Vick and the rest of the NFL.

Delaware: so small, harmless, and sometimes, forgotten, has been making headlines in recent weeks with the emergence of Tea Party-endorsed Christine O'Donnell, who won the GOP nomination for Senate last night.  But what is the truth behind Delaware? It's known as the First State, for being the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution, but also the last to ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. It's the origin of destination of many of those pesky credit card and collection agency bills you receive in the mail.

John Hockenberry takes us through his very own history of the First State.

Thursday morning marks the 200^th anniversary of the start of The Mexican War for Independence, the conflict that ultimately led to the end of Spanish colonial rule over Mexico. Unfortunately, even as last-minute preparations for a massive commemorative celebration in the capital wrap up, persistent drug-related violence continues to temper optimism over Mexico’s stability.  

Both the House and Senate head back into session this week, and the decision whether or not to extend the Bush-era tax cuts will be high on the agenda. Takeaway's economics editor Charlie Herman and National Journal managing editor Terence Samuel look at what else Congress has to look forward to

The NFL got into full swing yesterday with the first football Sunday in the 2010 season. Nando di Fino, looks at what happened yesterday, including an injury to the Detroit Lions' promising young quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

For women in Afghanistan, day-to-day life continues to be a struggle. It has been nearly a decade since the fall of the Taliban, yet every step forward for Afghan women seems to come with new setbacks.

Though girls now have the right to an education, getting one can be perilous. Reports over the years of schools being burnt down, teachers being beaten and beheaded, and acid being thrown at girls' faces as they walk to school can obscure signs of progress being made for women, yet they are there.

President Obama is embarking on a week of focusing on the economy. He will visit Milwaukee to address Wisconsin's union workers; Cleveland, where he's expected to give details on his ideas to improve the economy and spark job growth; and back to Washington D.C. for a White House news conference on Friday.

Dan Gross, senior editor and finance expert at Newsweek, says tax breaks to encourage companies to hire will be the main item on Obama's agenda.

Day 3 of the U.S. Open saw temperatures reach the mid-90s and a scare on the court as 10th seed Victoria Azarenka collapsed in the midst of her second-round match. Heat wasn't the only culprit, it was later revealed she fell in the gym and bumped her head and arm, before the match.

Tandaleya Wilder, sports commentator and founder of She Got Game Media, has the latest on Azarenka's condition, and how Americans Venus Williams and Andy Roddick did yesterday.

Ad Pakistan struggles to cope with a devastating flood, the U.S. has stepped in, delivering aid, boxes of biscuits and sacks of flour, and evacuating people from flooded areas by helicopter.  The U.S. has become the single biggest international donor to Pakistan during these troubles and their presence and aid has shifted Pakistani perceptions of America. However, this may not necessarily mean a consistently positive relationship on a political level.

President Obama addressed the country last night, marking the official end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. Balancing his own former opposition to the war with congratulating the troops required Obama, a gifted orator, to thread several rhetorical needles, but a larger question remains: do people care what Obama had to say about Iraq?