Stories of the Week | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have achieved a longtime goal. They cloned a human embryo to derive embryonic stem cells able to transform into tissues and organs genetically identical to patients who need them. Jeffrey Brown talks to NPR's Rob Stein about the science as well as the ethical concerns.

While lawmakers in Washington continue work on overhauling American immigration policy, Ray Suarez reports from Colorado, where members of the Evangelical Christian community are advocating passage of immigration reform to respond to demographic shifts in membership.

President Barack Obama hosted Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan at the White House where talk centered on Syria. Margaret Warner talks with Henri Barkey of Lehigh University and Steve Heydemann of the U.S. Institute for Peace about how the international community could collaborate on ending the Syrian civil war and the violence.

In other news Thursday, the Justice Department failed to add a small number of terror suspects -- members of the federal witness protection program -- to the government "no-fly" list. Also, tornadoes in Texas killed at least six people, injured dozens and left hundreds homeless.

President Barack Obama used a rainy, Rose Garden news conference to get in front of a series of political storms, tackling questions on the IRS scandal, the AP subpoenas and Benghazi. Judy Woodruff talks to White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri about how the Obama administration is responding to various crises.

President Barack Obama announced that acting commissioner of the IRS Steven Miller would be stepping down, calling the political targeting scandal "inexcusable." Jeffrey Brown delves into the latest developments and lingering questions with Josh Gerstein for Politico and Paul Streckfus, creator and editor of EO Tax Journal.

Surveillance cameras near the site of the Boston bombings helped authorities quickly identify and find the suspects. Those events have sparked a push in cities nationwide to increase their use of cameras. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports from San Francisco on how police are utilizing surveillance as prevention.

Two members of the military responsible for preventing sexual assaults and protecting victims are facing allegations that they committed sex crimes. A recent Pentagon survey found that 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted in 2012. For more, Margaret Warner talks with Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post.

In other news Wednesday, the White House released 100 pages of emails and notes on attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The documents describe how officials developed "talking points" about the attack. Also, the UN General Assembly condemned the Assad regime forces in the Syrian civil war.

Republicans stepped up demands for action against the IRS for targeting conservative political groups, the day after the Treasury Department released a report saying the IRS used inappropriate criteria in assessing tax-exempt status. Gwen Ifill reports on Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony in a House Judiciary hearing.

An archaeological dig at Jamestown, Va., unearthed the remains of a teenage girl whose skull had been butchered -- confirmation that early settlers resorted to cannibalism to stave avoid starvation. Jeffrey Brown talks to William Kelso, the director of the team, about how their discovery alters our understanding of that history.

Google's Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen explore the intersection of technology and democracy in their new book, "The Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business." Judy Woodruff talks to the authors about the promise and pitfalls of the digital future.

Ray Suarez talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Feisal Istrabadi, Iraq's former deputy ambassador to the United Nations, about the upsurge in Iraqi violence and boiling political pressures, how the conflict in Syria has spilled over into Iraq and whether the country is advancing towards civil war.

The battle continues over the emergency contraceptive known as the morning-after pill, as the Justice Department announced it would appeal a federal ruling. A judge had ordered the age restriction be lifted so females of all ages could get the pill without a prescription. Jeffrey Brown talks with NPR's Julie Rovner.

President Barack Obama makes a stop in Mexico City to shore up relations with the U.S.'s southern neighbor. Judy Woodruff talks with Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Brookings Institution's Diana Negroponte about shared concerns between Mexico and the United States over trade and border issues.