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Steve Inskeep talks to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Jared Bernstein, who's an ex-Obama aid. And, Peter Morici of the University of Maryland, who's a conservative syndicated columnist.

The president says he intends to fill Antonin Scalia's vacancy, but it's unlikely the Senate will make it easy. Cases on immigration, religious liberty and abortion access may hang in the balance.

The Supreme Court has been closely divided, 5-4, on major social issues for years. With Justice Scalia's death, the White House has a chance to shift the balance of power with a Democratic appointee.

Florida election officials are combing through voter registration forms collected by a Republican-hired firm for signs of fraud. Dozens of forms contained irregularities. The firm was picked by the Republican National Committee to conduct registration drives in five battleground states. The party, which has made fighting voter fraud a signature issue, has fired the firm.

Land banks are public entities created to revive vacant or tax-foreclosed properties. The small city of Newburgh on the Hudson River has been trying to revitalize itself using a land bank.

Washington state is to roll out retail pot sales this week after voters approved a referendum on recreational marijuana in 2012. But a backlog of growers and processors are awaiting licenses.

It's typically a holy month of reflection for Muslims, but Iraqis face a bleak Ramadan this year. Extremists have taken over much of the country and show no sign of easing their fighting.

The U.S. has banned the import of Scotland's national dish for decades because it contains sheep's lung. Britain will make the case to the U.S. Agriculture secretary to lift that ban on haggis.

Foreign policy hasn't been a major focus this election season, but whoever wins will face a delicate tangle of issues in the region. On top of a major decision about Iran, the U.S. must deal with a new government in Egypt, an intensifying war in Syria, and nervous allies in the Persian Gulf.

The Army changed its guidelines last year on awarding Purple Hearts to troops who got concussions in combat. NPR and ProPublica reported on this two years ago, and last month, one of the soldiers profiled by our investigation — who had been denied a Purple Heart — finally received her medal.