Stories of the Week | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

Supreme Court justices stood divided as they debated the constitutionality of public prayer at government meetings. Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly's Tim O'Brien reports on the case that began in Greece, N.Y. Then, Jeffrey Brown talks to National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle on how the Supreme Court has ruled on prayer in the past.

In the news Wednesday, the Obama administration announced nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty, 3 million more than the official census count. The higher count is based off a supplemental measure of poverty that accounts for out-of-pocket medical costs and work-related expenses.

New data from the Kepler Spacecraft shows one in five of the sun-like stars in the universe have Earth-size planets. The potential for habitable planets has fueled excitement in the search for intelligent life. Jeffrey Brown speaks to one of the lead researchers, Geoff Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley.

Between food, housing and baby supplies, Shenita Simon struggles each week to support her family of seven. The 25-year-old from New York makes $8 per hour and is one of the fast food workers nationwide advocating for higher wages. Hari Sreenivasan brings us Shenita's story of surviving on a near-minimum wage salary.

Roger Rosenblatt thinks he perhaps pursued a life of words to express understanding of his own life experiences. In "The Boy Detective: A New York Childhood," he draws on recollections of growing up in Gramercy Park in order to craft his memoir. Judy Woodruff sits down with Rosenblatt to discuss the use of memory in his writing.

While pro football has begun to confront the consequences of concussions, a new report is putting the spotlight on younger athletes and the risk they face from repeated head injuries. Jeffrey Brown talks to Dr. Robert Graham of The George Washington University, former NFL player Fred McCrary and athletic trainer Tamara McLeod.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., believes the problems with the Affordable Care Act implementation extends beyond the website's technical troubles. Gwen Ifill sits down with Sen. McConnell to discuss his criticism of the ACA, his take on NSA spying allegations and which common causes unite the GOP factions.

"I knew that poets seemed to be miserable," says writer Billy Collins about his younger self, yearning to fit in. While he admits he "faked a miserable character" at the start of his career, he's since embraced his sense of humor. Jeffrey Brown talks to Collins about his new collection, "Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems."

Ten cases of polio have been confirmed in Syria -- the first appearance of the disease in the country since 1999. Gwen Ifill speaks with Joel Charny of InterAction on how the outbreak adds to the challenge of the humanitarian crisis and how the ongoing war has caused the destruction of the nation's medical infrastructure.

Superstorm Sandy showed U.S. coastal cities the damage water can do -- a threat the Dutch have lived with for centuries. Their system of dams and dikes, locks and levees is keeping the Netherlands safe in a world with rising seas. Miles O'Brien reports on what Americans can learn from the Dutch model of flood management.

In our news wrap Tuesday, Russian contractors have been burying construction waste outside Sochi, despite a no waste pledge by the government for the Winter Olympics. The illegal dumping may taint the water supply for the games. Also, Beijing police are investigating a car crash that officials now think was a deliberate attack.

Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner faced questions on Capitol Hill about the rocky rollout of HealthCare.gov and the administration's proposed timeline for fixes. Kwame Holman reports. Jonathan Gruber of MIT and industry consultant Robert Laszewski join Gwen Ifill for more on Americans whose insurance policies are being canceled.

Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, says Dick Cheney was arguably the most influential vice president, but that his relationship with President George W. Bush was quite complicated and unique. Baker joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his new book, "Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House."

Just how significant is the announcement out of California that a Republican congressman will co-sponsor legislation providing a pathway to citizens for millions of undocumented people living in the country? Alan Gomez, who reports on immigration issues for USA Today, joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.

To keep up with the huge boom in urban development, China has knocked down villages to make way for new cities, sometimes without consent. When one farmer's demands for compensation were not met, he resorted to setting himself on fire, and he's not the only one to do so. Hari Sreenivasan gets details from Frank Langfitt of NPR.