Military Base Closings
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted Friday to keep open Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and to temporarily postpone the full closure of Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Ray Suarez speaks with BRAC Chairman Anthony Principi and Commissioner Philip Coyle about the latest round of base closings.

Iraq's Constitution Struggle
As Iraqi leaders continue struggling to reach an agreement on a draft constitution, Margaret Warner gets the views of Laith Kubba, the spokesman for the Shiite-led government, and Saleh Mutlaq, a leading Sunni negotiator on the constitutional committee.

Shields and Brooks
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks speak with Jim Lehrer about the Iraqi constitution stalemate, military base closings and President Bush's week in defense of the war in Iraq.

Lance Armstrong Allegations
The USA Cycling governing body Friday came out in defense of Lance Armstrong as the seven-time Tour de France cycling champion continues to deny a French media report that he tested positive for the red blood cell-booster EPO. Jeffrey Brown provides an update.

Iraq's Constitution Struggle
The fate of the draft Iraqi constitution remained unclear on Thursday after the Iraqi National Assembly announced it had no plans to meet to consider the charter before a self-imposed midnight deadline. Margaret Warner talks with New York Times reporter Dexter Filkins in Iraq.

European Bases
In July, the Pentagon announced it will pull out of 11 bases in southern Germany. In an encore report, correspondent Tom Bearden looks at one of the affected communities.

Historic Hospital
The commission appointed to review the Defense Department's recommended list of base closings voted Thursday to shut down the historic Walter Reed Army hospital in Washington, D.C.

Jeffrey Brown talks with Dr. Howard Markel, director of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan, about the legacy of Walter Reed.

Nigeria Oil
Ray Suarez reports on the tensions and violence rising in Nigeria as Shell Oil seeks the rights to drill there. Ray speaks with NPR's Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep, who is just back from the region.

NCAA Mascots
Correspondent Elizabeth Brackett of WTTW-Chicago reports on the battle over the NCAA's ban on Native American images.

Newsmaker: Arlen Specter
Gwen Ifill talks with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., about the confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts slated to begin when the Senate returns from its summer recess in early September.

Fuel Standards
The Bush administration proposed a new set of fuel efficiency standards for sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks.

Jeffrey Brown speaks with Alex Kaplun, a reporter for Environment and Energy Daily, on the recommendations.

Military Base Closings
The independent commission charged with making military base closing recommendations to President Bush began meeting Wednesday to make final decisions on dozens of bases. Correspondent Tom Bearden reports on the commission's first day of decisions.

School Rules
Connecticut on Monday sued the U.S. government over the No Child Left Behind law, saying the Department of Education has not supplied the necessary funds to implement the programs.

Ray Suarez talks with Betty Sternberg, Connecticut's commissioner of education, and Sandy Kress, former senior education adviser to President Bush about state concerns and criticisms over No Child Left Behind.

Essay: Cellular Society
Essayist Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune considers the power of the cell phone.

Newsmaker: Zalmay Khalilzad
President Bush spoke with reporters in Idaho Tuesday about the war in Iraq and his confidence in the country's parliament to pass a new constitution.

Gwen Ifill talks with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, about the obstacles Iraqi leaders face trying to create a new constitution.

Connecticut Base Closure
In an encore report, correspondent Kwame Holman reports on a Connecticut community's fight to save the submarine base in Groton.

Food Crisis in Western Africa
Margaret Warner talks with John Ambler, senior vice president for programs at Oxfam America, and Julius Coles, President of Africare, about the continuing food crisis in Western Africa.

Conversation: Monumental Effort
Jeffrey Brown speaks with Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund, about the organization's effort to save the world's architectural wonders.

Iraq's Constitution

Then, Margaret Warner speaks with James Dobbins, a former assistant secretary of state; Fouad Ajami, director of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University; and Mariam Memarsadeghi, senior program manager for Middle East and North Africa at Freedom House, about the failure of Iraqi lawmakers to reach the second deadline.

Vioxx Verdict
A Texas jury has found pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co. liable in the death of a man who took the painkiller Vioxx, awarding his widow $253.4 million.

Jeffrey Brown speaks with New York Times reporter Alex Berenson and Benjamin Zipursky, a law professor at Fordham University, about the verdict and its impact.

Northwest Strike
A strike at Northwest Airlines, America's fourth largest airline, carries into the third day without causing flights delays. Correspondent Tom Bearden reports on the walkout.

Then, Ray Suarez talks with Harley Shaiken, a labor expert at the University of California at Berkeley, and Peter Cappelli, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania, about the implications of the strike for Northwest and the entire industry.