Friday, June 10, 2005

Nuclear Tensions
President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met today to discuss how to deal with North Korea's nuclear arms program.

Margaret Warner leads a discussion about the meeting with Kenneth Quinones, the State Department's North Korean affairs officer during the Clinton administration, and Chuck Jones, former director of Asian affairs for the National Security Council.

Ravaged Region
Ray Suarez talks with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof about his recent visit to the Darfur region of Sudan.

Fighting Back
Kwame Holman reports on a Connecticut community's fight to save the submarine base in Groton.

Shields and Lowry
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and National Review editor Rich Lowry join Jim Lehrer to discuss the week's political news, including President Bush's meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean's controversial comments about Republicans.

Thursday, June 9, 2005

Airline Safety
The Department of Transportation released a report Wednesday saying the Federal Aviation Administration is not keeping up with safety risks posed by the competition between major airlines and their low-cost rivals.

Margaret Warner speaks with Sarah Goo of the Washington Post about the inspector general's report. Then, she discusses the findings with Marion Blakey, head of the FAA.

Back to School
Correspondent Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Television reports on why some public schools are trying to get homeschooled students back in the classroom.

Mideast Democracy
Ray Suarez speaks with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Republican Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber about their recent report on the United States' policy in the Middle East.

Conversation: 'Everything Bad Is Good for You'
Jeffrey Brown sits down with Steven Johnson, author of a new book "Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter," which explains what we do for fun is just as educational in its way as what we study in the classroom.

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

Tobacco Trial
A federal judge Wednesday questioned the Justice Department's decision to require tobacco companies to fund a five-year, $10 billion nationwide stop-smoking program, rather than a recommended 25-year, $130 billion plan. Closing arguments are scheduled to end Thursday.

Gwen Ifill leads a discussion on the trial with Matthew Myers, founder and CEO of Tobacco Free Kids and Mary Aronson, head of a Washington research firm that analyzes tobacco policy and litigation for institutional investors.

Power Struggle in Iraq
Correspondent Elizabeth Brackett of WTTW-Chicago speaks with Aiham al-Sammarae, the former Iraqi electricity minister, about the power shortages in that country.

Then, Ray Suarez speaks with Jonathan Finer of the Washington Post about al-Sammarae's announcement that he has been in contact with insurgent leaders about beginning negotiations to end their attacks.

Targeting Tuberculosis
Jeffrey Brown examines efforts to combat the rise of tuberculosis cases with Dr. Paul Nunn, head of the World Health Organization's team devoted to TB, HIV and drug resistance, and Dr. Catherine DeAngelis, editor in chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Ombudsmen
Media correspondent Terence Smith sits down with the former ombudsman of the New York Times, Daniel Okrent, and the Washington Post's ombudsman, Michael Getler, to discuss the public's perception of the media.

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

Newsmaker: Tony Blair
British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited President Bush on Tuesday and called for increased U.S. funding to Africa. Gwen Ifill sat down with the prime minister before his meeting to talk about the goals of his Washington visit, Britain's delayed vote on the European Constitution, and issues that will be discussed at next month's G-8 summit including African aid and climate change.

Overcrowded ER
Health correspondent Susan Dentzer reports on how some hospitals are dealing with overcrowding in their emergency rooms.

Pension Problems
Two airline companies warned Congress Tuesday that they could go bankrupt if they are not allowed to stretch their pension payments.

Ray Suarez leads a discussion on the rising number of failing pension plans with Bradley Belt, executive director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., and Karen Friedman, director of policy for the Pension Rights Center.

Essay: Who's a Journalist?
Essayist Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune considers who is and who is not a journalist.

Monday, June 6, 2005

Medical Marijuana
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal authorities may prosecute patients whose doctors prescribe medical marijuana despite state laws that allow its use. Gwen Ifill speaks with the Chicago Tribune’s Jan Crawford Greenburg about the decision.

Then, Ifill leads a discussion on the ruling with Calvina Fay, director of the Drug Free America Foundation, and Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of Drug Policy Alliance.

News on Demand
Media correspondent Terence Smith looks at how several news organizations are trying to appeal to elusive, demanding and time-crunched news consumers utilizing new technology like podcasting and RSS feeds.

Iraq Insights
Phebe Marr, an independent scholar and senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, speaks with Ray Suarez about her recent trip to Iraq to interview several of the country's new political leaders and how they are coping with the continuing unrest and violence.

Conversation: Doubt
Jeffrey Brown profiles the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Doubt," which took home four awards including one for best play at Sunday’s 59th Annual Tony Awards.