Last Friday was not the calmest day at the White House, as reporters and Republican lawmakers continued to press on the details of the Benghazi embassy attack. Plus, revelations that the IRS was targeting conservative groups. Ben Smith, Buzzfeed editor in chief, talks about the latest from Washington.

Marijuana culture in this country is changing. There was legalization of recreational marijuana use back in November in Washington and Colorado. Medical marijuana is still legal in California. Today, we explore the different issues that weed legalization and use pose.

David Stockman looks at Washington’s response to the recent myriad of financial crises. He argues that the American state—especially the Federal Reserve—has fallen prey to the politics of crony capitalism. In The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America Stockman looks at some of what he calls corruptors and defenders of sound money, fiscal rectitude, and free markets, including Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Fed chairmen Greenspan and Bernanke, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

The Rand Paul fillibuster continues to reverberate as Washington discusses the legal framework for targeted killings. Meanwhile, agencies have started to implement sequester cuts, and Obama continues to "reach out" to the GOP in advance of budget negotiations. Susan Page, USA Today's Washington bureau chief, gives an update on the latest happenings from Washington.

Glenn Thrush, senior White House reporter for Politico, talks about this week's news from the Beltway, from Senator Rand Paul's stand on drones, to the sequester a week in, and Obama reaching out to Republicans on a fiscal deal.

The automatic spending cuts known as the sequester kick in at the end of this week -- and the chances of a deal to avert them seem slim. Steven Dennis, White House correspondent for Roll Call, discusses the last-minute bargaining, the effects of the cuts, and the emerging blame-game in Washington.

The President and Congress are locked in a debate over the effects of the so-called "sequester," with Obama warning of dire consequences and Republicans more and more comfortable with the idea of the automatic spending cuts taking effect. Jon Meacham, executive editor at Random House and author of the book Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, discusses the latest in the negotiations, and other key news from DC.

"I think the president should go directly to the public with his argument about the sequester." - @jmeacham wny.cc/Zx3qwo

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) February 22, 2013

How secretive is the Obama White House, and should transparency be measured in access to the president? Glenn Thrush, Politico senior White House reporter, discusses the White House Press Corps' perceived lack of access to President Obama.

"I don't give a damn about Tiger. It's Pres Obama's use of the Press Corps as a prop that upsets me." -- @glennthrush wny.cc/157cO9i

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) February 21, 2013

Reading List: Access to Obama

Politico: "Obama, The Puppet Master" | Washington Post's Erik Wemple | Gawker's Tom Scocca | The Atlantic's Matthew Cooper

Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today, discusses the latest national politics news.

Matthew Dowd, political contributor for ABC News, writer for National Journal and former chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney '04 presidential campaign, discusses the latest news from Washington -- gun control, immigration, and more.

Hillary Clinton is set to testify on Benghazi today in front of the Senate foreign relations committee and the House foreign affairs committee. Todd Zwillich, Takeaway Washington correspondent, is watching the hearings.

The Seattle Supersonics were snatched up in a deal that created the Oklahoma Thunder in 2008. Now the Sonic booms of basketball are being heard again above the Emerald Empire. Seattle's days of being a basketball-free zone may be coming to an end. Sara Lerner, reporter and morning host at our affiliate KUOW in Seattle, has been following the story.

The Brian Lehrer Show's coverage of Barack Obama's 2013 inaugural ceremony and address. Featuring analysis from Clarence Page, live from the National Mall in Washington, Jodi Kantor on Obama's second term agenda, and Kenneth C. Davis on the surprising history of inauguration day.

Just a week into the 2013 legislative session, New York has a major piece of legislation under its belt. It’s another major win for Governor Andrew Cuomo, giving him the the ability to compare himself favorably to previous governors, and to Washington, where President Barack Obama introduced his own gun control package. And yet, the comparison isn't quite right.