Washington Week

What’s the mood in Washington, as the city awaits Barack Obama’s inauguration? The Senate has passed the final installment of bank bailout money, lawmakers are hammering out details of Obama’s economic recovery plan, and even the most controversial of Obama’s cabinet appointments seem to be riding smoothly to confirmation. We speak with Gail Chaddock, congressional correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.

Johnny Lee Clary

As a former Ku Klux Klan leader, Johnny Lee Clary used to deliver a message of hate, but he’s changed his tune and now devotes his life to educating kids on the dangers of racism. He tells us how he changed and how the election of Barack Obama as the country’s first African-American president could be a boon for hate groups.

Inaugural Poetry

Elizabeth Alexander will be just the fourth poet to read at the inauguration of an American president when she does so after Barack Obama’s inaugural address on Tuesday. But fellow poet David Yezzi says her task is a difficult one because historic occasions seldom give rise to historic poetry. Yezzi’s latest book of poems is “Azores,” which was chosen by Slate Magazine as one of the best books of 2008.

Air Safety

What helps crew and passengers survive a crisis in the air? We’ll speak with veteran pilot and safety expert John Cox, President and CEO of SOS, Safety Operating Systems.

“Big Love” Returns

HBO’s “Big Love” begins its third season on Sunday. We have a preview of the series about the escapades of a modern day polygamist and his three wives from Here & Now’s critic-at-large Ed Siegel. Ed also notes the premiere of a new series on the Showtime cable channel called “United States of Tara,” which features a woman with multiple personalities.