WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast

Lawmakers have begun a five-week summer recess. A panel joins Diane to discuss what the 112th Congress has accomplished and what it left unfinished before going home to campaign for reelection.

By most accounts, the U. S. is headed for a fiscal cliff at the end of this year. Congress is at loggerheads over Bush-era tax cuts which are due to expire December 31st. Then there's sequestration - mandatory across-the-board budget cuts slated for January 2nd — the result of a bipartisan deal passed last year. The combined effects of these events could be disastrous. Members of both parties worry automatic defense cuts could jeopardize the military. Sequestration might also slash funds for education, infrastructure, head start, and food safety. Diane and her guests discuss the debate over automatic spending cuts.

The European Central Bank left its main interest rate unchanged, but ECB head Mario Draghi signaled the bank could purchase bonds and lower borrowing costs in the future. The battle for Aleppo raged on as Syrian rebels' handling of pro-government militiamen drew criticism. President Barack Obama announced new sanctions on Iran's energy sector. And India suffered the worst blackout in history, which left 670 million people without power. James Kitfield of National Journal, Susan Glasser of Foreign Policy magazine and David Ignatius of The Washington Post join Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the economy was weaker but took no new steps to help. The House and Senate remained at loggerheads over whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts. Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney returned from a week-long overseas trip. And Chick-fil-A fans and critics took to the streets following anti-gay marriage comments by the company's president. Greg Ip of The Economist, Julie Hirshfeld Davis of Bloomberg News and Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post join Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.

Marilyn Monroe is one of the most well-known American icons of the twentieth century. But did we really know her at all? A new book titled "Marilyn" reveals a deep and complicated woman full of contradiction. She was sensual but painfully insecure, devout but sexually uninhibited, disciplined but self-destructive, cerebral but na?f-like. Many of her complexities were rooted in her unstable childhood. She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in a charity ward in Los Angeles. She grew up in eleven different foster homes, with a mother in a mental institution and a father she never knew. Diane talks with Author Lois Banner about Marilyn Monroe.

The White House says it's preparing federal agencies for possible year-end mandated spending cuts. Debate over how sequestration could affect the government, military and economy.

From Chaucer to John Bunyan, pilgrimages have always had a place in English literature. In a new novel, Harold Fry is a henpecked, 65-year-old, recently retired man living in a small town in Devon, England. When a letter arrives from a former colleague who is dying, He responds with a leap of faith, which surprises even him. Without premeditation, wearing a flimsy pair of boat shoes and a light jacket, he sets off to walk the length of England, believing his friend won't die while he walks. "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," is a debut novel by actress-turned-playwright Rachel Joyce. She joins Diane to discuss her story about an ordinary man doing something extraordinary.

The U.S. Postal Service owes the Treasury Department $5.5 billion. The bill is due today, but the postal agency cannot make the payment. Nothing will happen in the near term: Post offices will not shut down overnight, and people will still be able to send letters and packages through the mail. But the default underscores not only the financial woes plaguing the nation's mail system but also dysfunction in a partisan Congress, which controls the Postal Service. Some say privatizing the mail agency is the only way to stanch the flow of red ink. Others blame Congress' requirement to pre-fund postal retirees' health benefits. The future of the U.S. Postal Service.

The nation's top universities have traditionally offered courses to an elite few. Only qualified students with enough financial resources need apply. But today, hundreds of thousands of people around the world are enrolling in classes at universities like Stanford and MIT. These higher ed institutions and many more now provide free online classes to anyone, anywhere. At the same time, other universities are offering on-campus students the opportunity to enroll in a growing number of online classes. As universities move toward instruction online, observers say higher education — and possibly the business model — is being redefined. Diane and her guests discuss the new generation of online learning and what it means for the future of higher education.

The deadly Colorado shooting underscores the need to better identify, diagnose and treat people with mental illness. Diane and guests will discuss the future of mental health services under the Affordable Care Act.

Not long ago the idea of Earthlings visiting Mars was confined to the realm of fiction. But scientists say NASA's current mission to Mars could bring us closer to making such a visit a reality. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft was launched last November. The detachable rover named "Curiosity" is scheduled to land on the red planet on August 6. The mobile lab will spend two years searching for evidence that Mars might have contained life. With NASA facing sharp funding cuts, there's a lot riding on the success of the mission. Some say it could determine the future of the nation's entire Mars program. Diane and her guests talk about their hopes and fears for the Mars landing and mission.

Officials in London hope the Olympics will be an economic boon for the city, but prior hosts have found that's not always the case. Diane and guests discuss the economics of hosting the Olympics.

In high schools and colleges across the United States, students are illegally using prescription drugs. Medications like Adderall, Ritalin and Focalin are commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. But in recent years, more kids are using these drugs non-medically in hopes of gaining an academic edge. Nicknamed the "study drug," Adderall can result in increased energy and intense focus. The Drug Enforcement Administration has classified it as a Class 2 controlled substance — just like cocaine and morphine — because of its addictive nature. Diane and her guests talk about Adderall abuse and what's being done to address it.

The European Central Bank president vowed to "do whatever it takes" to protect the euro. His promise quickly sent global markets soaring. Syrian rebels say government forces continue a ground and air assault on the nation's largest city. The Egyptian president chose an American-educated prime minister, not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. North Korea introduces its new first lady. The wife of fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai faces a possible death sentence in the murder of a British businessman. And bells peal across Britain as the Olympic Games get underway. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson of NPR, Warren Strobel of Reuters and Elise Labott of CNN join Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.

President Barack Obama spoke out forcefully against gun violence for the first time following the Colorado movie theater shooting. Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney outlined his plans for a more aggressive foreign policy just before he began a weeklong trip to Britain, Israel and Poland. The Senate narrowly passed an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class, which House Republicans have said they will not accept. Ari Shapiro of NPR, Karen Tumulty of The Washington Post and syndicated columnist Steve Roberts join Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.