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Newt Gringich has announced that he he will be dropping out the Republican Primary. We talk with Republican strategist Ron Christie to figure out how Newt has affected both Romney and Obama's chances in the general election, and the tradition of the meteoric candidate in American politics.       

In the run-up to this years presidential election, campaign speeches, political analysis, and polls always dominate the headlines.  But this year, the Supreme Court will be making big news too.  With major rulings expected on President Obama's health care law and SB1070, Arizona's contentious immigration law, the Supreme Court's positions are likely to sharply influence voter's perceptions on the role of government. Amy Howe, editor of SCOTUSblog explains how the Supreme Court's upcoming decisions could be game-changers this election.

Today is the third day of the federal corruption trial of former Senator John Edwards, who is charged with violating campaign finance law. Edwards allegedly used money given to him by wealthy supporters to hide his affair with Rielle Hunter and their subsequent love child while running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Yesterday, the defense cross-examined Edwards' former aide Andrew Young – who had testified that Edwards directed him to use funds from donors to take care of Ms. Hunter. Kim Severson, Atlanta bureau chief for our partner The New York Times, was in the courtroom yesterday.

Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Arizona v. United States, the case that will decide the constitutionality of Arizona's controversial immigration law, known as SB 1070. Kris Kobach is the Secretary of State of Kansas and the architect of SB 1070, as well as immigration laws in Alabama, Utah, South Carolina and a number of other states. He argues that federal immigration law allows for state and local cooperation in immigration enforcement.

Today the Supreme Court will consider whether Arizona’s approach to illegal immigration clashes with federal law. If they decide it does, what else will states be able do to address their concerns over illegal immigration?

Fresh off hearing oral arguments for and against President Obama’s health care overhaul, the Supreme Court is stepping back into the political spotlight. Today, the high court will consider the legality of Arizona’s tough crackdown on illegal immigrants. Jeffrey Rosen, professor of law at George Washington University, talks about the major legal implications of SCOTUS' coming ruling. 

Five Republican primaries, no real surprises: Mitt Romney sweeps the night and is now looking ahead to the general election. Anna Sale, reporter for our co-producer WNYC's politics website It's A Free Country, takes a step back to discusses Newt Gingrich and the continuation of this seemingly finished race. Steffen Schmidt, It's A Free Country contributor and professor of political science at Iowa State University, looks forwards and considers Romney's fight for the hearts and minds of the GOP base.

The severity of income inequality in the United States may have been relatively little known before making national headlines this past year, whether through the protests of Occupy Wall Street, President Obama's calls for the so-called Buffett Rule or dismissals of the whole conversation as a marker of class warfare. But income inequality is not new to the United States. And in his new book "The Great Divergence: America's Growing Inequality Crisis and What We Can Do About It," Timothy Noah explores the history of wealth disparity in this country, and looks into its possible futures.

Each year, more than 25,000 undocumented immigrants are apprehended as they attempt to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. In most cases, we hear very few details about these apprehensions. But in one case, the details — which are especially gruesome — have become widely circulated.

During the GOP Primaries, likely nominee Mitt Romney preached an immigration policy of "self-deportation". It just so happens that in the wake of the passage of SB 1070, Arizona's controversial immigration law, many of that state's undocumented immigrants are practicing self-deportation. But they're not necessarily going back to Mexico. Instead, many are crossing the border into surrounding states with more lenient immigration laws on the books. We're joined by Peter O'Dowd, News Director at KJZZ.

In a recent essay for The Wall Street Journal, former Transportation Security Administration administrator Kip Hawley said the current airport security system in broken, and he offers suggestions to fix it. He argues that beyond making airline travel unpleasant for customers, TSA officials are focusing their efforts on the wrong kind of threats.

Conservative polling and advocacy group Resurgent Republic recently sponsored a series of focus groups with Hispanic voters in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada. The groups consisted of people who voted for President Obama in 2008 but are now undecided. Resurgent Republic says its findings "dispel the myth of the Hispanic community being a monolithic voting bloc." The focus groups were conducted by Impacto Group. Leslie Sanchez, author of "Los Republicanos," CEO of Impacto Group and member of the board of Resurgent Republic, breaks down some of the groups' key findings.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) has served in Congress since Dwight Eisenhower was president. He is the longest-serving member of Congress and, this year, he is running for his 30th term. But he is facing his first challenge from another Democrat since 2002. We talk with Daniel Marcin, a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan, who is working to get on the ballot for the August 7th primary.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against the constitutionality of SB 1070, Arizona's controversial immigration law. The case and the Court's decision are sure to play a roll in this year's elections. Mitt Romney has all but wrapped up the GOP nomination. But with five primaries in Romney-friendly territory in the Northeast, why is the presumptive nominee still campaigning so hard in primary states? And panic returns to the Eurozone, with renewed fear over Spain and Italy. This weekend's first round of presidential elections in France only further clouds the Eurozone's future. To talk about these issues and more, we're joined by Takeaway and WNYC Economics Editor Charlie Herman, and Molly Ball, Staff Writer for The Atlantic.

Charles W. Colson, Watergate mastermind turned Evangelical leader, died of a brain hemorrhage on Saturday at the age of 80. Colson, special counsel to the Nixon Administration, served seven months for obstruction of justice in the Watergate scandal. But Colson emerged from prison a born-again Christian, promising to devote his life to religious activities. And though he may be remembered most for his role in Watergate, Tim Weiner, journalist and author of "Enemies: A History of the FBI," believes that Colson's true legacy might be his role in forging alliances between Evangelical Protestants and Catholics to create the religious wing of the Republican Party.

Monday was the first time GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, often talked about as a vice presidential pick, have campaigned together. But Romney said the process of choosing his running mate has barely gotten started.

Mitt Romney on Monday endorsed the idea of extending a law that curbs interest rates paid by some recipients of federal student loans, a cause that President Obama has made a campaign issue.

Journalist and documentary-maker Ben Anderson discusses the war in Afghanistan, and his experience reporting on front lines in Helmand province. His book No Worse Enemy: The Inside Story of the Chaotic Struggle for Afghanistan is based on five years of unrivalled access to the US Marines and UK Forces, often for months at a time and amidst the worst violence the conflict has seen. It details the daily struggles facing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and raises urgent questions about our strategies in there.

After months of on and off negotiations, the U.S. and Afghanistan have announced a strategic partnership agreement that ensures an American presence in Afghanistan until at least 2024 – a full decade after U.S. combat troops are scheduled to withdraw from the country in 2014. But the agreement, whose text was not released, does not include many specifics at all. We're joined by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Chair of Islamic Studies at American University.

Former Senator John Edwards was once one of the country’s most promising politicians: a vice presidential nominee and presidential hopeful. But for the next six weeks, he will be a prominent defendant in a campaign finance trial that is unprecedented. Edwards is being charged with using illegal campaign contributions to cover up an affair with Rielle Hunter, a videographer who worked for him during his 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Kim Severson, Atlanta bureau chief for our partner The New York Times, will be covering the trial in Greensboro, North Carolina.