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The U.S. House of Representatives issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans on Tuesday for the institution of slavery and subsequent Jim Crow laws that for years discriminated against blacks. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, drafted the resolution and explains its timing.

President Bush signs a housing bill that could help struggling homeowners stay in their homes and stabilize the nation's troubled housing market, while tightening regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NPR's Brian Naylor discusses the bill and explains the key points that every homeowner should know.

Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali expatriate community in the U.S. But the Midwestern city is now the scene of an international mystery: dozens of young Somali men have gone missing, and there are worries that the disappeared men are being drawn into a Somali militia group.

Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), apologized this week for blasting conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh as an "entertainer" and "incendiary," describing the radio pundit's raw outspokenness. But the apology leaves some to ask, who's really leading the GOP, Steele or Limbaugh?

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last Friday that gay marriage was a constitutional right, making Iowa the fourth state to allow gay marriage. Also this week, Vermont legislators overturned a veto of a gay marriage bill, the first state legislature to vote in favor of gay marriage. Will other states follow?

President Obama has named Sonia Sotomayor as his choice to serve on the Supreme Court and succeed Justice David Souter, who will soon retire. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic and only the third woman appointed to the high court.

Elkhart, Ind., took center stage this week as the backdrop for President Barack Obama's pitch at winning over Congress with his economic stimulus package. The Indiana town has the nation's highest jobless rate, a whopping 15 percent.

The Obama administration last week pledged to spend $275 billion in hopes of reducing mortgage interest rates and lowering monthly mortgage payments. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros reacts to the bailout plan and discusses reasons behind current problems faced by the mortgage industry.

President Barack Obama issued an executive order today to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay within a year. The decision represents a critical break from Bush administration policies. James Yee, a former Muslim chaplain at the facility, discusses the move and those who say Guantanamo is a necessary tool in the war against terror.

President Barack Obama signs his economic stimulus plan into law today. But even the most ardent backers of the $787 billion recovery package caution Americans not to expect instant relief from the current crisis. Financial experts discuss what to expect from Obama's plan.