Stories of the Week | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

In aftermath of the attack in Boston, letters sent to President Obama and members of Congress tainted with the poison ricin were intercepted by authorities before delivery. Hari Sreenivasan talks with WNYC's Todd Zwillich, who says the potential scare has many edgy especially on such an unusual day on Capitol Hill.

Despite media outlets' conflicting reports, the FBI insisted no arrests had been made in connection to the Boston Marathon bombings. Jeffrey Brown talks with WBUR's David Boeri, who reported that senior judges and top officials were directed to prepare the courthouse for an impending arrest until threats shut down the building.

In other news Wednesday, Texas authorities arrested Kim Williams on charges of murder for the shootings of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife, Cynthia, and assistant prosecutor Mark Hasse. Williams is the ex-wife of a former justice of the peace in Texas, who is currently in jail for computer theft.

Proposed amendments for assault weapons and high capacity magazine bans and universal background checks failed to pass the Senate. Kwame Holman reports. Then, Gwen Ifill gets two perspectives on why Senate failed to pass the proposals from National Shooting Sports Foundation's Lawrence Keane and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

In Boston, evidence seemed to suggest that the explosive devices were made from pressure cookers filled with shrapnel. Jeffrey Brown talks to WBUR reporter David Boeri about what else police and federal agents have discovered, as well as what challenges they face in trying to piece together

Army chaplain and Catholic priest Father Emil Kapaun received the military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor, 60 years after he died as a prisoner during the Korean War. Kapaun took care of wounded soldiers even though it compromised his own safety. Jeffrey Brown has more on Kapaun and an excerpt from the White House ceremony.

Two dozen hospitals are under fire for allegedly not disclosing the risks of participating in a clinical study, which involved 1,300 premature infants. The study was to determine proper supplemental oxygen levels, and risks to the infants included death and blindness. Judy Woodruff talks to David Brown of The Washington Post.

Moises Naim's new book, "The End of Power," aims to track the history of political power and answer why being in charge isn't what it used to be. Ray Suarez talks with Naim, also a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about why power is both harder to use and to keep today.

Special correspondent for education John Merrow reports on what accounts for a national rise in high school graduation rates and why the increase has raised some questions about inflation in how schools report their data. He also explores new tactics educators are using to inspire students to succeed.

The president's proposed budget includes cuts to Medicare and Social Security. Jeffrey Brown discusses the various impacts with Joseph Antos of the American Enterprise Institute, Max Richtman of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and Jared Bernstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In other news Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators wrapped up work on the major elements of an immigration reform bill. Also, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan announced a recall of more than 3 million vehicles due to air bag problems.

With families of the Newtown shooting victims looking on, Congress moved closer to coming up with a comprehensive bill for reducing gun violence. The Senate blocked an attempt to prevent debate on the subject. Judy Woodruff reports on what measures the bill may include.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the recipient of a "transformative" collection of Cubist works by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and others. The donation, worth more than $1 billion, was made by Leonard Lauder, philanthropist and former chairman of Estée Lauder. Margaret Warner talks to the Met's Rebecca Rabinow.

Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on efforts to keep young people from returning to New York's Rikers Island once they've served their time. A privately financed pubic program utilizes evidence-based behavioral therapy to imbue teens with a sense of greater control over their lives and decisions.

The Obama administration rolled out its new budget proposal, which includes Medicare cuts and tax hikes for the wealthy. Kwame Holman has more on reactions to the budget from both sides of the aisle. Gwen Ifill gets views from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and White House economic adviser Gene Sperling.