Friday, May 27, 2005

Filibuster Fight
The vote to end debate on the nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations fell four votes short on the Senate floor Thursday night, delaying a final vote on Bolton's confirmation until after the Memorial Day recess. Kwame Holman reports on the latest snag with the Bolton nomination.

Shields and Brooks
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Jim Lehrer to speak about the Senate vote to delay John Bolton's nomination to the United Nations, the Senate compromise on judicial nominations and the House bill that would allow federal funding of stem cell research using human embryos.

Going Nuclear
Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles reports on the science and technology behind nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Conference
The month-long 188-nation meeting to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference ended Friday without a new plan to tighten controls on the spread of nuclear arms. Correspondent Terence Smith speaks with Louis Charbonneau, senior correspondent for Reuters, who has been covering the conference.

The Impotence Drugs-Blindness Link
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of blindness among dozens of men who used Viagra and other impotence drugs, but cautioned that the vision loss may be linked to other illness. Ray Suarez speaks with Dr. Robert Cykiert, ophthalmologist at New York University Medical Center, about the impotence drugs-blindness link.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Guantanamo Bay Abuse Charges
New allegations emerged from the scandal in Guantanamo Bay regarding the desecration of the Quran. Detainees complained to FBI agents that military personnel disrespectfully handled the Quran and in one instance flushed it down the toilet. Margaret Warner speaks with New York Times reporter Neil Lewis about the new allegations of prisoner abuse.

Embattled U.N. Nominee John Bolton
Until the White House releases classified information about U.N. ambassador designate John Bolton, Democrats have promised to try to delay a vote on the embattled nominee until next month. Kwame Holman reports on the latest in the Senate debate about Bolton's nomination.

Palestinian View
In a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, President Bush praised Abbas' leadership and his work toward peace and democracy. Mr. Bush also announced that the United States would be contributing $50 million to the Palestinian Authority for construction and housing in the Gaza Strip. Correspondent Terence Smith speaks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa about Thursday's meeting.

One Hometown's Lethal Threat
Elizabeth Bracket of WTTW-Chicago looks at an Indiana town trying to get rid of a weapon of mass destruction.

Avian Bird Flu
The Chinese Health Ministry announced Thursday that no human cases of the avian flu exists after investigators discovered 519 dead geese last Saturday in China's Qinghai northwest province. Ray Suarez leads a discussion on growing concerns of a bird flu pandemic with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for Global Health.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Judicial Battle
The Senate on Wednesday voted 56-43 mostly along party lines to confirm Priscilla Owen as a federal appeals judge.

Gwen Ifill leads a discussion with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, and Nan Aron, founder and president of the Alliance for Justice, on the repercussions of the Senate compromise on judicial nominations.

Going AWOL
Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on U.S. soldiers who decide they do not want to fight in Iraq.

Graying of America
Ray Suarez speaks with Nicholas Eberstadt, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Marc Freedman, president and CEO of Civic Ventures, and Courtney Coile, assistant professor of economics at Wellesley College, about the growing number of senior citizens in America and the impact they could have on Social Security.

Essay: Cowboys and Indians
Essayist Richard Rodriguez looks at the Arizona Minutemen patrolling the Mexico-Arizona border.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Senate Compromise

Gwen Ifill speaks with Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., about what this compromise will mean for the future of judicial nominations.

Shields and Brooks
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Jim Lehrer to discuss the political implications of the Senate compromise on judicial nominations.

Struggle for Security in Iraq
Eight American soldiers died in Iraq over the past the two days in the latest wave of insurgent attacks. Richard Oppel of The New York Times reports from Baghdad about the upsurge in violence in Iraq.

Governing the Economy
Business Correspondent Paul Solman of WGBH-Boston looks at the impact of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Supreme Court

Stem Cell Politics
A House bill that would allow federal funding of stem cell research using human embryos donated by fertility clinics that would otherwise discard them is generating heated debate on Capitol Hill. Jeffrey Brown speaks with Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Mike Pence, R-Ind., two key players in the debate.

Going Nuclear
The NewsHour presents an excerpt of reporter Paul Kenyon's Frontline report on the Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Afghan Turmoil
Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited President Bush at the White House Monday, where the two leaders discussed the treatment of Afghan detainees, the spread of poppy cultivation and the autonomy of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Ray Suarez leads a discussion on Karzai's visit to the United States with Don Ritter, a former member of Congress and founder and chairman of the Afghanistan-America Foundation, and Nazif Shahrani, an Afghan American who is a professor of anthropology at Indiana University.