WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast

In the late 19th century, the growing wealth inequality of the Gilded Age led to social unrest. Americans began looking to private charities to solve public problems, and later, changes to the U.S. tax code provided financial incentives for donating money. Today, there are more than one million charitable organizations in the U.S., addressing everything from water quality to drug education. These groups now account for 10 percent of the U.S. economy. Critics say charities have little oversight and are not held accountable for measurable results. Major charities insist they are responding to donor calls for transparency. Diane and guests discuss how to choose efficient and effective charities.

Barack Obama is about to begin his first visit to Israel as president. It's also his first foreign trip of his second term. On the itinerary is a stop at Israel's national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. He's also expected to visit the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. While there, he'll tour the Church of the Nativity with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. But perhaps most important is the face time he'll have with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders have had a rocky relationship and mistrust on both sides is said to be high. Diane and her guests talk about U.S.-relations and what's at stake for the region.

In 1873 writer Jules Verne captivated the literary world with his novel, "Around The World In 80 Days". Sixteen years later two young women set off in a real life race of their own. You may have heard of one of them: Nellie Bly. She was an intrepid reporter for Joseph Pulitzer's "The World" newspaper. Chances are you haven't heard of the other. Her name was Elizabeth Bisland. She worked as journalist with "The Cosmopolitan" magazine. In a new book author Mathew Goodman recreates their daring 28,000mile race against time and each other. He joins us to talk about these women and their era.

Four gun control measures are on their way to the full Senate in April. They were approved along party lines by the Senate Judiciary Committee in the past two weeks. One bill includes an assault weapons ban and a limit on ammunition magazines. Other proposals would expand background checks and enact tougher laws against firearms trafficking and straw purchases. At the same time, addendums to spending bills could undermine both existing and proposed gun control efforts. Three months after the shooting deaths of 20 first graders in Newtown, Conn., a panel joins Diane to discuss the gun debate in Congress.

The U.S. commander in Afghanistan cautions troops to brace for violence. The warning comes after a series of anti-American statements by Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Britain and France signal they will arm Syrian rebels unless the European Union lifts a blanket arms embargo of the country. European leaders meeting at a summit in Brussels stick to a course of austerity. China's new president promises to root out corruption in the Communist party. President Barack Obama names a new ambassador to Libya. And Roman Catholics wait to see what course the new pontiff, Pope Francis, will take. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week's top international news stories.

Conservatives are meeting here in Washington for their annual political action conference, and on the agenda is the direction of the GOP. Both parties unveil competing blueprints for the federal budget this week. President Barack Obama meets on Capitol Hill with lawmakers to seek a budget deal, as his approval rating dips below 50 percent. Intelligence chiefs warn that cyberattacks, not terrorism, are the most dangerous threats facing the U.S. A bill banning assault weapons passes the Judiciary Committee but faces strong opposition in the full Senate. And the New York Supreme Court overturns Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on big sodas. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page to discuss the week's news.

Growing up in Miami, Fla., Sheryl Sandberg was always at the top of her class. In middle school, she beat high schoolers in a debating contest, and later enrolled at Harvard. After working in government and then at Google, Sandberg joined Facebook. As chief operating officer, she helped lead the social media company to profitability. In a new book, Sandberg writes about her journey to the top of Silicon Valley while balancing a family. She says women hold themselves back from reaching leadership positions and should take more risks. Diane talks with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg about why women should "lean in" to their careers.

The Roman Catholic Church has a new pope. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio took the name of Francis yesterday at the Vatican as he became the first Jesuit pontiff. Dubbed a conservative with a common touch, the Argentinian is known for his outreach to his country's poor. He's a theological conservative who backs the Vatican's stand on abortion, gay marriage and the ordination of women. The first Latin American pope represents a cultural bridge between two worlds — he's the son of Italian immigrants from the New World, an area that represents a growing segment of the world's billion Roman Catholics. Diane and her guests discuss the challenges facing Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Church.

Fasting has always been part of the world's religious practices. Now it's at the center of a popular new diet. The British physician who developed the two-day-a-week fasting plan says it not only spurs weight loss, but it can reduce the risk of disease. Diane and her guest discuss the benefits of fasting.

Foreign policy experts General Brent Scowcroft and Dr Zbigniew Brzezinski discuss the U-S role in Syria, tensions with Iran, and the direction of U-S foreign policy.

A teacher describes how literature helped a group of girls in an inner-city, white Appalachian ghetto get through the toughest years of adolescence.

Since 1921, the White House has been required to submit a budget. But this year marks the first time that Congress, not the president, will begin the budget process. Republican Congressman Paul Ryan offers his party's budget today. His plan cuts overall spending by nearly five trillion dollars and transforms Medicare and Medicaid. The Ryan budget would also repeal the new health care law. Senator Patty Murray will offer a Senate Democratic version tomorrow, which is expected to call for higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, and more spending on education and infrastructure. Diane and guests discuss competing visions for the federal budget.

Tornadoes have been spotted all around the globe. In the suburbs of Rome in 1749, in Bangladesh, Australia and elsewhere. But nowhere in the world are conditions more perfect for tornadoes than the Central Plains of North America. The Great Tri-state Tornado of 1925 was the deadliest in American history. It killed some 900 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. A new book delves into the history of Americans' relationship with twisters. And new research by the National Severe Storms Lab examines whether climate change is affecting the incidence or severity of tornadoes.

Corporate profits are soaring. The jobless rate is at its lowest level in four years. But sequester cuts loom. Differing views on the outlook for the U.S. economy.

North Korea raises threats over new U.N. sanctions. International support grows for Syrian rebels. Venezuelans mourn the death of President Hugo Chavez. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.