• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform, Obama in Russia and at the G-8, and the possibility of another stimulus package.

• Carol Leifer joins us in studio at 8:06am Pacific to promote her upcoming gigs, and to talk about her book, “When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win.”

• President Obama is embarking on three days of multinational talks at the G-8 summit in Rome on climate change, the global economy, and world hunger in the second and most policy-laden stop of his three-nation, weeklong trip.

• Al Franken became a senator yesterday, being sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden and drawing thunderous applause in the Senate chamber. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, a Minnesota native, accompanied Franken. Franken was introduced by fellow Minnesotan and Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

• It was not spectacular, extravagant, or bizarre. There were songs and tears but little dancing. Instead, Michael Jackson’s memorial was a somber, spiritual ceremony that reached back for the essence of the man. If there was a shocking moment, it came from Jackson’s daughter, Paris-Michael, who made the first public statement of her 11 years, dissolving into tears, and saying she loved her daddy very much.

• David Shuster, MSNBC’s dayside anchor and regular substitute for “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Iran and health care reform.

• Jennifer Palmieri, Senior Vice President for Communications at the Center for American Progress, calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about health care and Iran.

• Lead Franken attorney Marc Elias calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the latest in the Franken / Coleman senate recount.

• Iran’s election authority has rejected claims of voting irregularities by a defeated presidential candidate, while acknowledging that the number of ballots cast in dozens of cities exceeded the number of eligible voters there, state-run TV reported today. Earlier yesterday, thousands of riot police and militia lined Tehran’s streets as the public rift among Iranian leaders appeared to be widening.

• Several senior Dem advisers to the White House are urging President Obama to further step up his personal involvement in the health care debate, as administration allies privately warn the president’s push for a major reform bill is hitting major roadblocks at a critical juncture on Capitol Hill.

• President Obama is set to sign into law an anti-smoking bill today that will give the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco.

• Brazilian and French rescue teams combed vast sections of the Atlantic after an Air France jet disappeared in a possible crash. A report of “shiny spots” in the sea along the route of Flight 447 by a crew from a Brazilian airline prompted a search in the territorial waters off Senegal, but without result.

• Scott Roeder faces a scheduled court hearing today in the weekend slaying of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas abortion doctor. Associates described Roeder as a regular participant in anti-abortion demonstrations in Kansas City and Wichita, where Tiller’s practice was located.

• The United States is working with its allies to send a “strong, unified” message to North Korea that its “belligerent” actions have consequences. Sanctions may include travel and visa bans on certain members of the regime and tougher trade and economic sanctions.

• General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection early yesterday, a move once viewed as unthinkable that became inevitable after years of losses and market share declines capped by dramatic plunges in sales in recent months.

• In an hour of rapid-fire questions over Minnesota’s disputed Senate election, the state’s highest court yesterday focused on whether vote-counting flaws alleged by Norm Coleman were severe enough to deny Democrat Al Franken the win.

• NY Times columnist Frank Rich calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about his latest regarding the economy, “Awake and Sing!”

• Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) calls in at 8:05am Pacific to discuss the anti-gay murders in Iraq and the need for an investigation. Polis was in Baghdad earlier this week.

• Lead Franken attorney Marc Elias calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the latest in the Franken / Coleman fight for the Senate in Minnesota.

• In a speech at Georgetown University yesterday, President Obama balanced painting an optimistic picture on the health of the economy – spurred by what he claims are his administration’s efforts – with the likely rocky road ahead to economic recovery.

• The Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship bound for Kenya, was attacked last night by Somali pirates. The pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the ship, which sustained damage, but they never made it onto the ship and the vessel is now being escorted by a coalition ship, still bound for Kenya.

• A nationwide “tea party” protest is scheduled in 500 cities for today, Tax Day, in the United States. The protesters’ goal is to pressure Congress and states to reject government spending as a way out of the recession and build an anti-spending coalition around taxpayers.

• President Barack Obama is expected today to bring an end to an eight-and-a-half year ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. White House officials say that the president’s order will give the National Institutes of Health 120 days to develop ethical guidelines for the research.

• Asian stock markets sank again today amid persistent fears that the recovery for slumping economies in the U.S. and elsewhere is still far off. Wall Street futures pointed to a lackluster open in the U.S. Dow futures were down 1 point while S&P500 futures rose 0.2 point.

• An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll has put GOP popularity at near historic lows. Just 26 percent in the survey viewed the Republican Party positively, compared with 68 percent for President Obama, despite the economic crisis and sharp GOP criticism of his $3.8 trillion budget plan.

• The Minnesota Supreme Court on Friday blocked Democrat Al Franken’s petition for an election certificate that would put him in the U.S. Senate without waiting for a lawsuit to run its course. The decision means the seat will remain empty until the lawsuit and possible appeals in state court are complete.

• President Obama retook his oath of office yesterday after Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed while delivering it at Tuesday’s inauguration. The do-over was aimed at dispelling any confusion that might arise from Tuesday’s take – in which “faithfully” was said out of sequence – and erase any question that Obama is legally the president.

• Promising “a new era of openness in our country,” President Obama signed executive orders yesterday relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration. Obama also said he would issue a pay freeze for his senior staff members and promised swift action on the beleaguered economy.

• Sen. Norm Coleman began packing his Capitol Hill office yesterday, but said he has no intention of giving up his legal fight to serve another term in Congress. Coleman claimed that Al Franken’s 225-vote lead was “artificial” and expressed hope that the courts will rule in his favor on ballot disputes when a court hearing begins next week.

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the Oscar nominations this morning. Front runners for Best Picture are “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and “Milk.”