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The Company Memo: Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Obama huddles with Democrats Wednesday at an annual policy retreat, and there's no shortage of big issues to tackle: Gun control, immigration, the deficit, the
President Obama delivering remarks at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 5, 2013. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
President Obama delivering remarks at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 5, 2013.

Obama huddles with Democrats Wednesday at an annual policy retreat, and there's no shortage of big issues to tackle: Gun control, immigration, the deficit, the looming sequester... and, according to the Wall Street Journal, a renewed push to combat climate change. Congressman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., weighs in on some of the major policy initiatives on the table.

Plus, the cost of catching the common cold: Sarah Jane Glynn, policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, joins us to talk about the financial burden imposed on people with unpaid sick leave during this winter season. Glynn argues that the twenty-year-old Family and Medical Leave Act needs to be updated to match an evolving work-life balance in the 21st century.

President Obama is set to nominate outdoor activity retailer REI president and CEO Sally Jewell to head the Department of the Interior, replacing Secretary Ken Salazar. Jewell's pick is considered appealing to environmental groups, as she is a board member of the National Parks Conservation Association, as well as the gas industry, as a former petroleum engineer at Mobil.

And J.J. Ramberg, host of msnbc's Your Business, gives her take on a new Gallup poll that shows more small businesses are cutting jobs than hiring.