Both houses of Congress are back in session tomorrow. Senate Democrats are pushing to end subsidies to oil companies, while House Republicans look at reversing the moratorium on deep-water drilling. President Obama travels to Texas to seek support for immigration reform. Will Congress take up a plan to change the immigration system before the 2012 election? Also at the top of the agenda: debt ceiling negotiations. Here with a look at what's ahead on the legislative agenda is Politico senior editor David Mark.
The City University of New York may be awarding playwright Tony Kushner an honorary degree today after last week deciding to deny him the degree because of his views on Israel. That decision has caused outrage, charges of academic censorship, McCarthyism and right-wing bullying leveled at the university. Peter Beinart joins Madeleine. He teaches political science at City University NY and writes about the issue in The Daily Beast.
Do you spend time worrying about the amount of T.V. your kids watch, or whether they're doing enough extracurricular activity? If so, it's time to relax and let go. So says author and economist Bryan Caplan. His new book, 'Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think.' He joins Madeleine for this week's Parenting on the Edge.
Lawmakers in Sacramento may give more power to the state's insurance commissioner. A bill under consideration would allow the state's regulator to stop health plans from raising premiums. If passed, would the law provide important protection for consumers? Or could it slow business in the state? The California Report's Sarah Varney has the story.
What is there to say about the Lakers? They hold the record for NBA championships. They have the biggest payroll in the league. And they were shut-out by the Dallas Mavericks, who humiliated them yesterday, winning the fourth straight game in the Western Conference semi-finals. They lost 122-86. To talk about the Lakers loss, legacy, and future is NPR's Mike Pesca.
Regular Pacific Rim Diary contributor, Roland Kelts, is back with two colleagues, Motoyuki Shibata and Hideo Furukawa. They're in to discuss the release of the new literary journal, Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan, which showcases contemporary Japanese writing.
