What the heck is reconciliation? For starters, it’s the latest way Congressional Republicans are hoping to get rid of Obamacare. We’ll look at how it’s used and whether it’s a winning tactic. Then: hundreds of thousands are people are due in Washington, D.C. for next week’s inauguration, and all the protests and parties that come with it. Local businesses and merch-sellers are preparing for a crush of business, and opening themselves up to criticism in the process. Then: the civil rights divide in charter schools and how to make your desk lunch less sad. 

President-elect Donald Trump laid out plans today for addressing his conflicts of interest, but government ethics experts on both sides weren’t impressed. Plus, with HHS Secretary nominee Tom Price’s confirmation hearings coming up, what’s next for the Affordable Care Act? Then, George Lucas’ new LA museum and the effect of renewed U.S.-Cuba relations on Big Pharma.

Confirmation hearings for the Trump administration are underway on Capitol Hill. We’ll look at what to expect from Wilbur Ross and Rex Tillerson in the coming days. Plus, the trials of the marijuana and magazine businesses, and the problem of American productivity. 

It’s a big week in politics. President Barack Obama will deliver his farewell address in Chicago tomorrow as confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet start in D.C. We’ll look at the vetting process Trump’s picks have (or haven’t) gone through, and how this confirmation compares to past administrations. Plus, Twitter is Trump’s favorite way to get the message out — why can’t the company find a way to make money off that? Then, how athlesiure killed the mall and a startup that’s trying to fight the opiod epidemic.

First up, wages are on the rise for the first time since President Barack Obama took office. What might this mean for inflation? Then: China is investing a whopping $360 billion in renewable energy over the next few years, and it’s not the only emerging economy to make a green power play. Plus, conversations with “nerd Ryan Seacrest” Chris Hardwick and outgoing Secretary of Education John King.

The National Institutes of Health has loosened up restrictions on peanuts, which is good news for the industry and for parents, who spend billions on food allergies. Today brought bad news for Macy’s, which announced closings and dismal earnings over the holiday season. Plus, why Wired magazine is going sci-fi and when the vet is big business.

In both the U.S. and across the pond, politicians won on their promises to dismantle trade deals. In the new year, delivering on those promises could be tough. Then: President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of State pick, Rex Tillerson, was close to retiring with millions in deferred stock. Now he’s cashing out to avoid a conflict of interest. Plus, how car companies prepare for a driverless future and the latest from CES 2017.

Congress started a new session today, and that means the renewed Republican effort to repeal Obamacare is underway. Plus, President-elect Donald Trump’s trade rep pick and his tweets at GM. Finally, the race to build artificial intelligence to find and scrub fake news.

Online sales for the 2016 holiday season are expected to total about $91.6 billion, an 11 percent jump from last year, according to Adobe. We look at how that impacted delivery services.  Also on today’s show: Molly Wood talks to New York Times tech writer Farhad Manjoo about his piece “The Gadget Apocalypse Is Upon Us.” We also talked to “Arrival” screenwriter screenwriter Eric Heisserer about why making an alien movie without the explosions and battles is difficult to do.