We’re always experimenting here at The Nation: I’m changing the title of this weekly post from "Around The Nation" to "This Week at TheNation.com." The goal, which I think readers have appreciated, is to surface some of the multimedia, web-exclusive and off-beat content that you may have missed, and to flag a couple of big stories that deserve a second look. First and foremost, we’re still soliciting feedback on our new website. We realize there have been a lot of changes and we want to know what we can do to improve the site and make it better. If you have any feedback (good, bad, good and bad) on the new website please leave your comments here or email relaunch [at] thenation [dot] com. Also this week …

Are you reading Daybook!? Every day? At 8AM?  

Greg Mitchell’s MediaFix blog is off and running. Greg is starting each day with an 8AM EST "Daybook" post, a round-up of morning links and commentary. It’s something we’ve been missing at TheNation.com: A "cheat sheet" to the coming days news. Greg updates the Daybook throughout the day, and is highlighting both mainstream media and independent/progressive media stories, with an eye towards who is covering the news with substance and who isn’t. He’s also providing a steady and spirited dose of videos. Today’s daybook: The latest on the oil spill; Colbert takes on Beck; Studs Terkel returns; and why cable networks can’t stop talking about Elena Kagan’s softball skills. Read it here, and make TheNation.com your first stop every morning. You can also follow Greg on twitter for the Daybook as soon as its posted. 

The Breakdown with Chris Hayes

Derivatives! What are they and why should we regulate them? Derivatives have become a central focus of the financial regulation debate. In this week’s The Breakdown, Chris Hayes explains what these transactions are, what role they played in the financial crisis and what can and should be done to regulate them. Derivatives 101 – listen here.

Me on The Ed Show: What To Make of the Kagan Pick? 

I was on MSNBC’s The Ed Show on Tuesday discussing President Obama’s nomination of Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court. Here’s my explanation of why Kagan is a cautious choice – but a choice that does have the necessary experience. For more on Kagan you should also read the lead editorial in this week’s magazine, Judging Elena Kagan, and Ari Melber’s take, Free Elena Kagan! 

Christian Parenti: Obama’s Af-Pak Strategy is Hopeless 

Contributing Editor Christian Parenti, who has reported extensively in the Middle East and on national security issues, joined Laura Flanders this week on GRIT TV for an interview about President Obama’s strategy on "Af-Pak." Its a compelling conversation about the conflict in general and this week’s Obama-Karzai conference in DC, which Parenti viewed as nothing more than theater. Here’s the interview: 

– – – 

Finally this week, you may have noticed that I’m writing a weekly web column for The Washington Post. This week I looked at the biggest scandal in D.C. that nobody is talking about – the ongoing "pay to play" culture of organized money in Congress. In my piece, "How to Turn Congress Inc. Back to Just Congress," I explain how the Fair Elections Now Act would be a significant step forward for political reform, and would mean significant cultural change in Washington. 

Thanks for reading. As always I’m on Twitter too – @KatrinaNation.