To the Point

More than half of all working adults have been directly affected by the recession. Who’s been hit the hardest and why? How are Americans changing their lifestyles in the face of the worst economic downturn since the great depression? What implications do those changes have for  social relationships and institutions that may emerge in the future? Also, Obama and Netanyahu make nice, and officials seize a drug smuggling submarine in Ecuador. Guest host Sara Terry sits in for a vacationing Warren Olney.

We look at a new study of one thousand centenarians and what scientists have learned about the roles of genes in predicting extreme longevity. We also talk about the politics of old age in a society where, as some say, seventy is the new fifty. Also, Mexico’s old-line ruling party shows renewed strength, and comfort from computers. Artificial intelligence is starting to look cute. Sara Terry sits in for a vacationing Warren Olney.

As the nation prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July, President Obama has called for immigration reform.  Did yesterday's speech contain anything new?  Will it unify a polarized nation or further divide it? Also, weak job growth, and the President, Emma Lazarus and the Statue of Liberty.

An alleged network of Russians posing as ordinary Americans sounds like the parody of a spy novel or a Hollywood satire. We hear about invisible ink, buried money and something called "steganography." Also, President Obama's call for immigration reform, and the first day of free agency in the NBA.

Federal stimulus spending has fueled economic recovery.  Has the time come to worry about the deficit?  Will spending reductions and increased taxes be needed for long-term stability?  If they're imposed too soon, will austerity measures lead back to recession? Also, the season’s first hurricane creates problems for the Gulf oil clean-up. On Reporter's Notebook, can Google survive in China?

Even veterans of election-year partisanship were surprised when a joint committee of the House and the Senate reached a compromise last week on finance reform. President Obama declared it the biggest restraint on Wall Street since the Great Depression, and said he wanted to sign it by the Fourth of July.  We hear what's in the bill and assess its chances.  Also, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan and General David Petraeus as commander in Afghanistan.

Senate hearings on Elena Kagan's nomination to the US Supreme Court began today with lengthy statements by Democrats and Republicans. We get an update.  Also, the Supreme Court upholds gun rights in cities and states, and West Virginia's Robert Byrd, the longest serving US Senator, who died last night at the age of 92.

The Gulf oil spill won't stop the oil industry from drilling in dangerous places or from making enough money to support almost everyone's pension plan, federal judges included. Also, Congress reaches agreement on financial reform, and Happy Meals and public health.

McChrystal is out and Petraeus is back in, but the strategy remains the same, along with questions about whether it’s a recipe for success or for failure. We look at the prospects. Also, today's Supreme Court ruling weakens the Honest Services Law. On Reporter's Notebook, with a final score of 70 games to 68, a record-setting Wimbledon tennis match is called "both gripping and deadly dull."

President Obama has replaced General Stanley McChrystal with General David Petraeus as US commander in Afghanistan. The President said he admired McChrystal and that McChrystal was courteous to the Commander in Chief and faithfully carried out orders.  The problem was that article in Rolling Stone magazine... Also, the President, the judge and the moratorium on deep-water