WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast

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.

One in seven Americans receives food stamps, a number that's up sharply since the financial crisis. Most experts agree unemployment and underemployment have contributed to the number of people in need of food assistance. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a measure that would cut nearly two million people from the program and cause 280,000 children to lose free meals. Anti-poverty advocates call it unconscionable. But supporters of the cuts say the food stamp program is inefficient and many people are receiving benefits who are not truly in need. Diane and her guests discuss the cost of feeding America's poor.

A.S. Byatt's novel "Possession: A Romance" caused a literary sensation when it was published in 1990. The mystery and love story tells the tale of two young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets. It begins with the discovery of a letter from the well-known — and married — poet Randolph Henry Ash to an unknown woman. The search for her identity triggers a chase from London to Brittany, France. Along the way, the modern scholars uncover letters, poems and journals of Ash and his lover, Christabel Lamotte. Soon, others become interested in their pursuit and the story ends with a shocking graveyard discovery. Join Diane and her guests for our Readers' Review of "Possession."

Last year, law enforcement agencies made 1.3 million requests for cell phone user information. New questions about digital privacy and mobile surveillance.

The International AIDS Conference is under way in Washington, D.C., this week. This is the first time the U.S. has hosted the event in 22 years. During those decades, new HIV and AIDS treatments have transformed the face of the epidemic. In 2010 alone, drugs prevented 700,000 AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading HIV and AIDS researcher, is at the forefront of these breakthroughs. Fauci has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease since 1984. Today, he says an AIDS-free generation is an attainable goal. Dr. Anthony Fauci joins Diane to talk about the challenges of HIV and AIDS, and what it will take to turn the tide.

In the wake of the Colorado shootings, national debate over gun control is in the spotlight, but most politicians are remaining silent. Diane and her guests discuss the absence of political debate over gun control in an election year.

The French novelist Balzac wrote, "The whole world can be found in a village." For international journalist Martin Walker, that village is the fictional St. Denis on the Dordogne River. It's the setting for a series of mysteries featuring Bruno Courreges, the local chief of police. In the latest novel, Bruno deals with a series of regional and international problems. Local duck and goose farms that produce foie gras are attacked by animal rights protestors. Terrorists threaten to disrupt a meeting between French and Spanish officials. An archeology dig unearths a "modern" skeleton at one of the region's ancient sites. Martin walker joins us to discuss current events and his new mystery set in the French countryside.

Fighting continues for the third day in the northern Syrian city, Aleppo, as rebel leaders seek to wrest it from government control. In Damascus, government troops went door to door to clear out remaining rebels after their efforts to take control of that city faltered. In recent days rebels have stepped up guerrilla style attacks in urban areas. The Syrian army has responded with gunships and tanks. An estimated 3000 people have been killed since the beginning of this month. The U.S. has launched a behind the scenes effort to hasten the fall of the Assad government. Please join us for a conversation about chaos in syria and regional security implications

Jeff Faux of the Economic Policy Institute argues Americans are in denial. Everyone knows, he says, but no one faces up to the fact that the United States can no longer afford to have subsidized unregulated markets, be the world's global power and provide a steadily rising standard of living. One of these is possible, maybe two, but not all three, according to Faux. No group — and certainly no politician of either party — is addressing this new reality, he contends. Despite public posturing to the contrary, it's America's middle class that will be sacrificed on this current path. Please join us for a conversation with Jeff Faux on why he believes we're moving from a service to a servant economy.

In Syria, rebel leaders kill top military officials in Damascus, a brazen attack against the Assad regime. There is growing concern over the country's chemical weapons stockpiles. A suicide bomber kills five Israeli tourists on a bus in a Bulgarian resort town. Officials have identified the bomber as a member of the Iran backed Hezbollah. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton visits Israel to address the Iranian nuclear threat and Egypt's struggle to transition to democracy. And British government officials grapple with a major security shortfall days before the Olympics begin in London. Diane and guests discuss this week's international news.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies in front of Congress on the U.S. economy and the Libor rigging scandal. A new poll shows high voter discontent over President Barack Obama's handling of the U.S. economy. And GOP front-runner Mitt Romney remains under pressure to release his tax returns. Diane and her guests talk about this week's top domestic stories.

Two former CIA agents explain how the techniques they used to catch terrorists and spies can be applied in our daily lives. How to spot a lie and get people to tell you the truth.

Senator Marco Rubio served as a Florida congressman from 2000 to 2008, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate on the 2012 Republican ticket. Rubio talks about his Cuban heritage, his political ambitions and his ideas for making America better.

"I'm a barefoot girl from red-dirt Oklahoma, and all the marble floors in the world will never change that." That's the first line in a new novel by award-winning author Kim Barnes. It's the story of a young woman who leaves the dusty farmlands of 1960s Oklahoma to follow her husband to the oil fields of Saudi Arabia where lucrative work awaits. Like her heroine, Barnes grew up dirt poor and in a conservative Christian home. Her family members left this life for jobs in Saudi Arabia. Drawing on their memories and years of research, Barnes writes of a woman coming of age on an American oil compound in Saudi Arabia. She joins Diane to talk about a woman's quest for knowledge in a male-dominated world in her new book, "In the Kingdom of Men."

New data show more than half of the United States is experiencing moderate to extreme drought. Weather patterns, water shortages and crop prices.