A man in a mid-life crisis takes a terrifying parachute jump; an Iraq war veteran comes out of the closet; a daughter "pulls the plug" on her ailing father; a fireman tries to save two children; and a would-be Romeo laments the agony of platonic love.

Geneticist Paul Nurse, a Nobel Laureate, learns the shocking truth about his origins; a nine-alarm blaze in Boston's Chinatown teaches a daughter about her father's wisdom; and a cop makes an erroneous ID on a stakeout.

A prisoner in a small town lock-up gets sprung on a promise; a man desperate for a cure for depression travels to Africa to try a tribal remedy; and novelist/screenwriter Richard Price ("Clockers," "Lush Life," "The Wire") gets a lesson in interrogation in the back of a NYC cop car.

The city of New Orleans is as proud of its traditions as it is steeped in them. But since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the city and its residents have been thrust into new relationships with those very traditions they hold so dear. State of the Re:Union visits the Big Easy and explore how the city is negotiating that tension between the old and the new — from race relations to po boys to combating crime — five years after the storm.

Back in the timber industry’s heyday, the small mill town of Oakridge, Oregon was thriving. Business was booming. Then in the early 1990s, the saws stopped. The mills shut down and their economies crumbled. State of the Re:Union surveys how a town that has lost its identity reinvents itself through recreation, community-building, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, once referred to as "America's Machine Shop", has suffered a similar fate to other rust-belt cities. But despite the decline of some of its industries, passionate, hard-working citizens are changing this manufacturing mecca into a city of ideas. This episode of SOTRU explores the depth and viability of some of Milwaukee's most surprising community projects, and a people of unwavering resolve.

One night in May of 2007, a tornado wiped Greensburg, Kansas, off the map. The town's residents have decided to not only resurrect the town, but to rebuild in a true spirit of renewal. State of the Re:Union examines the profound devastation and the rigors and rewards of this innovative rebirth.

Brooklyn is New York's most populous borough. Ever evolving, Brooklyn has been celebrated as everything from a bastion of industry to a refuge for immigrants from around the world. This episode of SOTRU charts Brooklyn's evolution, celebrates the diverse communities and explores both sides of the dilemma that high-rise condos and gentrification has brought.

President Obama says our combat mission in Iraq will end by August 31, 2010. This leaves many unanswered questions. What was our mission in Iraq? Did we succeed? What will become of the country we invaded? Whatever the answers, our troops are coming home. But what are they coming home to? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll talk with Iraq War veterans about the challenges of coming home. And, what about us? Are WE ready for THEM?

At least 120 journalists have been killed in Iraq since the war began. They're targets for insurgents. But what are journalists to the US military? A necessary evil? Or weapons of war? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, How well have journalists covered the war. We'll hear from journalists embedded in Iraq. Can journalists accurately report on the very soldier or Marine who protects them? 

For many soldiers and Marines, war is not fundamentally about the mission. War is not really about the enemy. It's not even about patriotism. War is about the man to the left and right of you. War is about your buddy. And it's that camaraderie, that esprit de corps that is the glue that holds the U.S. military together. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge – a talk with U.S. soldiers and Marines who served in Iraq about Esprit de Corps.

On March 20, 2003, the US invaded Iraq. More than 6 years later we're still there. What happened? Were we prepared? We hear from the planners of the war in Iraq, from Neoconservatives, to Department of Defense officials. From members of the Iraqi government to military personnel. Will their preparations lead us to peace or … more war? 

This day marked the Marines’ heaviest fighting since Vietnam and was the start of the Iraqi insurgency. By the end of the day more than 40 Marines and hundreds of Iraqis were dead. General Sanchez, commander of US forces that day, gives his perspective. And, we hear from the Marines who were there about a day they’ll never forget. 

Can Muslims assimilate in the Secular West?

A "Bollywood" filmmaker talks about cross-cultural movies, a Pakistani comedian find the funny side of Islam, and an Iraqi heavy-metal band feels the noise.

The ancient rading routes through Persia, India and China were once the crossroads between East and West. Is the blogosphere the new Silk Road?

A roundup of prominent Western and Muslim intellectuals debate the conflicting world views that spark tensions between East & West.