President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize this morning. The announcement considered stunning – even the White House admits it was surprised. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honored Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." The Nobel committee recognized Obama's efforts at dialogue to solve complex global problems including working toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Obama's recognition comes less than a year after he became the first African-American to win the White House. He is the fourth U.S. president to win the prestigious prize and the third sitting president to do so.
We want to know what you think, what is your reaction to the President winning the Peace Prize? Leave your comments below, and Heidi will read some of them in the Newsroom, from 9a-11a ET.

The war in Afghanistan is intensifying as it ages. A huge worry not just for the family of American private first class Bowe Bergahl, who was allegedly abducted at least three weeks ago and then his videotaped image released last weekend, but a major concern for the American and British militaries. Deaths of American and British military personnel are spiking. Attacks by the Taliban increasing and becoming more sophisticated as they continue to earn millions of dollars from poppy fields. So as you watch this war evolve, what are your observations, concerns and questions? We focus on this war and you Saturday 4p ET.

It’s not an apology, but the President of the United States extended an olive branch to Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley, Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates and to America—all torn after this weeks break-in response and disorderly conduct arrest. And now, days after the high profile incident, a new “can we all just get along” moment. This time it was President Obama who said at the end of his impromptu presser, okay , maybe we’ll all toss back a cold one together at the White House.
I’d love to hear from you. How can this be, as the president encouraged, “a teaching moment” for America?

WASHINGTON (CNN) - More work is needed on proposed health care reform legislation to ensure that whatever bill eventually gets passed by Congress is budget neutral, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday.
Appearing on the NBC program "Meet the Press," Sebelius said an additional tax on wealthy Americans is "a legitimate way to go forward."
A final bill "will be paid for - it will not add to the deficit," Sebelius said of health care reform, which is currently President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.
Obama seeks an overhaul to ensure that health insurance is available to the 46 million Americans currently uninsured while preventing costs to both the government and individuals from continuing to climb.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported last week that the measures currently under consideration in both chambers would fail to pay for themselves, increasing the budget deficit.

So, the more you hear about health care reform plans, are you more or less convinced that it's a good idea?
Post your comments here and we may use them live on CNN at 2p and 4p eastern today.

She faced questions and critical comments before the Senate Judiciary Committee all week. Most members seemed convinced Sonia Sotomayor will make a good Supreme Court Justice. But what do you think?
Post your comments here and we may use them on CNN Newsroom Saturday, and join us for a special hour looking at the hearings for Judge Sotomayor and what her nomination would mean for the Supreme Court at 4pm Eastern.

Would you buy your garbage back? Recycling waste is not only good for the environment, it also provides jobs.

That's the motive behind one woman's effort to combat her community's growing trash problem.

To learn more about her project and learn about other groups working for a cleaner, safer world, please visit our Impact Your World page.

Parents, we worry about nothing more than the safety of our children. Will they make the right decisions, hang out with the right crowd? Will they be lured into a gang? Sadly, violence is everywhere–innocent children gunned down in the streets, even in their own homes. They're attacked at school. But they're not only the victims, some are perpetrators, too.
Look at some of these numbers. The Centers for Disease Control just released new data showing that, in 2006, nearly six thousand young people between the ages of 10 and 24 were murdered. In 2007, nearly one in five high school students polled admitted to carrying a weapon in the past thirty days.
Today at four p.m. Eastern, we are taking aim at youth violence.
Why all the bloodshed? What needs to be done to reduce and, hopefully, stop it?
We're looking for solutions. Post your comments and questions now for our guests, including a youth violence expert and a child psychologist, and we may use them on the air today at 4 p.m. Eastern.

UPDATE: Here's a portion of Saturday's discussion:

Iran's Ayatollah warned of a crackdown if protests planned today in Tehran were held. By all indications, that crackdown is happening. With international media coverage virtually blocked, CNN is relying on amateur images through social networking sites and eyewitness reports to tell and show us what's happening in Iran. Today, people trying to get to protest sites have been met by armed security forces. There are reports of tear gas and water cannons being used against protestors. In additional, one person was killed and eight injured in a blast at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.
What do you think of the situation in Iran surrounding the contested election results? Post your comments here and we may use them live on air today in the CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield, 12p ET to 5p ET.

This week, President Obama faced criticism and praise as he tackled a host of issues here at home and abroad.
Domestically, the President has zeroed in on health care reform, a plan to tighten controls on the financial sector, and granting benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
But what may be overshadowing his domestic agenda are pressing matters overseas: the unrest following the Iranian election and reports of a growing nuclear threat from North Korea.
It’s a juggling act for this administration. How does it find balance? Or is this a typical challenge of any Presidency in its infancy? Post your comments or questions here, and we may use them when we discuss Balancing Act: US Interests at Home and Abroad. Join us Saturday at 4PM Eastern.

Mir Hossein Moussavi, the defeated challenger in Friday's controversial presidential election in Iran, is requesting that the government
annul the contested results, according to a letter circulating among his
supporters and posted on his campaign Web site.
Tell us what you think of the results from the election. Post your comments now and we may use them during our 2p and 4p Eastern hours of CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield.