Newsmaker: President Bush
President Bush, in an exclusive interview with Jim Lehrer at the White House Friday, defended his administration's efforts in Iraq and refused to discuss the reported monitoring of Americans by the National Security Agency.

Shields and Brooks
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Jim Lehrer for analysis of Lehrer's interview with President Bush and other political developments this week.

Iraq Votes
Millions of Iraqis voted for a new government Thursday. Officials reported a large turnout, despite scattered violence. Jeffrey Brown gets an update from John Burns of The New York Times.

Katrina's Evacuees
Betty Ann Bowser reports on Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans that have been forced to relocate to Atlanta -- and the slow, often painful journey back home.

Building Better Levees
On Thursday, the White House asked for another $1.5 billion to rebuild New Orleans' levee system, roughly doubling the federal commitment. Margaret Warner reports on the initiative.

Then in a newsmaker interview, Warner discusses the levee rebuilding plan -- and what it means for the safety of New Orleans -- with Donald Powell, the federal coordinator for Gulf Coast recovery.

Conversation: World Without Borders
Ray Suarez discusses globalization, and the resulting new world economy, with Thomas Friedman, columnist for The New York Times and author of "The World is Flat," and Moises Naim, editor of Foreign Policy Magazine and author of "Illicit."

In Memoriam: William Proxmire
Kwame Holman looks back at the life of the former Wisconsin senator.

High Stakes in Iraq
Iraqis head to the polls Thursday to elect the country's first permanent parliament.

Gwen Ifill discusses the elections with Trudy Rubin, foreign affairs columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer; David Ignatius, columnist for The Washington Post; and George Packer, reporter for The New Yorker.

Wal-Mart's Image
Paul Solman of WGBH-Boston reports on the public image campaign at Wal-Mart launched in response to mounting criticism over its business practices.

Extended Session
Ray Suarez discusses the disputes on several key bills that have kept Congress in session much longer than usual with Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Troubles at the Red Cross
Margaret Warner reports on the resignation of American Red Cross President Marsha Evans and the other troubles plaguing the organization, particularly criticism over its response in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina hit.

Then, Warner discusses the problems facing the American Red Cross with Paul Light, professor of public service at New York University.

Patriot Act Debate
Congress is working to renew key provisions of the USA Patriot Act before they expire at the end of the year.

Ray Suarez discusses Patriot Act renewal and the divisions that remain among lawmakers with Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis.

View from Amman
Correspondent Simon Marks gives a report from Jordan about the trial of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as seen by Iraq's neighboring country.

Medicare Choices
Medicare's prescription drug benefit program is set to begin in less than three weeks, posing many options for seniors looking to sign up.

Margaret Warner discusses the program's options with Tricia Neuman, director of the Medicare Policy Project at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Unlocking Cancer Genes
Jeffrey Brown discusses Tuesday's announcement of a project that will attempt to decipher the genetics behind cancer with Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, and Dr. Anna Barker, deputy director of the National Cancer Institute.

Essay: Looking at "Lolita"
Essayist Roger Rosenblatt reflects on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel "Lolita," 50 years after it was first published.

Securing Peace in Iraq
Gwen Ifill reports on President Bush's speech Monday on his strategy in Iraq as the country moves toward parliamentary elections Thursday.

Then, Ifill discusses the politics of security in Iraq with Edward Wong, reporter for The New York Times in Tikrit, Iraq.

Fighting Methamphetamines
Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on how Oregon is trying to limit access to common medications that contain ingredients that could be used to produce methamphetamines.

Mistrial for Merck
Margaret Warner speaks with NewsHour health correspondent Susan Dentzer about the first federal trial against Merck and Co. over its painkiller Vioxx, which ended in a mistrial Monday.

In Memory of Richard Pryor
Jeffrey Brown looks back on the influential comedy career of Richard Pryor.

In Memory of Eugene McCarthy
Ray Suarez reflects on the political career and anti-Vietnam War movement of former Sen. Eugene McCarthy.

Then, Suarez leads a discussion with presidential historian Robert Dallek about McCarthy's career and life.