To the Point

There's been a guilty plea in the first case under new rules for military commissions at Guantánamo Bay.  Was it a kangaroo court or a fair hearing that will help legitimize US treatment of suspects in the war on terror?  What about the future of Guantánamo Bay?  Also, the US Navy has begun its largest demonstration of force in the Gulf since the Iraq invasion and, on Reporter's Notebook, an aide to Virginia's Democratic Senator Jim Webb charged with bringing a loaded gun into a Senate office building.

The House has passed a bill funding troops in Iraq with a binding pull-out deadline of August 31 of next year.  Is it political posturing or something more? Would a pull-out be a logistical nightmare?  Will the Army run out of troops in the meantime?  On Reporter's Notebook, British sailors captured in the Persian Gulf at gunpoint by Iran.

Conservatives are suspicious of John McCain and evangelicals have problems with Mitt Romney's Mormon religion. Rudi Giuliani leads Republican polls. Has the base of the party softened on social issues, or is that a temporary phenomenon? Plus, Democrat John Edwards says he'll continue his presidential campaign despite his wife's continuing battle with cancer and, on Reporter's Notebook, we talk with New Mexico's Democratic Governor Bill Richardson about his race for presidency.

The White House and Congress are moving closer to a constitutional confrontation. What’s the evidence of political interference in the Justice Department?  Is the issue likely to end up in court? On Reporter's Notebook, Al Gore challenges Congress to act on global warming.

A survey shows that increasing numbers of Americans think the federal government has become cloaked in secrecy. Last week, the House passed four so-called "sunshine" laws, two of which President Bush has threatened to veto. Does secrecy destroy confidence in represented government? In times of war, is it best to err "on the side of caution?"  Plus, the Senate votes to rescind the president's unilateral power to replace federal prosecutors and, on Reporter's Notebook, the UN and Iraq's humanitarian crisis.

Four years into the war in Iraq, American attitudes toward

When the high-tech stock bubble burst, shareholders lost money.  As the sub-prime mortgage market declines, people are losing their homes. We hear how it works, what can go wrong, and what it means for the rest of the economy.  Also, Khalid Sheik Mohammed's confession continues.

Nevada Democrats canceled a presidential debate on the Fox News Channel after Internet activists called Fox "a mouthpiece for the Republican Party." Should the Democrats boycott conservative Fox altogether?  What does this episode say about the growing impact of the Internet on American politics?  Also, President Bush is dogged by domestic issues as he winds up his trip to Latin America and, on Reporter's Notebook, Spain's plan to build a tunnel to Morocco.

• NOTE: For those who were listening to today's program about the

On the last stop of his Latin American tour, President Bush heard some tough talk today from Mexico's President Felipe Calderón. Immigration and illegal drugs are high on the agenda.  What can a lame-duck US leader do for a counter-part who's just getting started?  Also, the flap over fired US attorneys continues with reports of White House involvement.  Democrats want Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to step down.

President Bush has asked Congress for still more troops to increase the buildup in Iraq.  At the same time, there's a report that the Pentagon is planning a gradual withdrawal in case the troop increase doesn't work. We also get diplomatic reaction to the weekend meeting that included both the US and Iran.   Plus, Guantanamo hearings continue in Washington—under total secrecy and, on Reporter's Notebook, Halliburton, the largest US contractor in Iraq, is moving its headquarters from Houston to Dubai.  We'll hear about accusations of corporate greed.