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Republicans want to block some $55 billion worth of automatic cuts to the Pentagon budget next year. Instead, they want to cut funding for social programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and Meals on Wheels. It's a choice that has been framed as guns versus butter, and this time, guns are expected to win.

As President Obama heads to Reno for a speech Friday, volunteers are already on the ground reaching out to the fast-growing population. He faces tough competition, though: The GOP announced last month that it is launching a six-state campaign to win over Latinos.

Host Michel Martin speaks with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, who chaired the first Senate hearing on Tuesday about racial profiling since before 9/11. The controversies surrounding the killing of Trayvon Martin and revelations that New York Police monitored Muslim groups served as the backdrop. Martin is also joined by NPR's Carrie Johnson.

The DREAM Act calls for a path to citizenship for some undocumented students. In the past, Republicans have opposed versions of the bill, but some prominent figures like former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales say the GOP needs to find its own voice on the issue. He speaks with host Michel Martin.

The release of the Social Security and Medicare reports became an opportunity for Treasury Secretary Geithner to send voters the message that Obama administration was a staunch defender of the nation's most popular entitlements even though it accepted the need for gradual changes to make the programs more sustainable.

The Federal Reserve chairman said another round of federal stimulus remains on the table.

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch is facing another day of uncomfortable questions in London. The questions focus on the wiretapping activities of his now-defunct tabloid News of the World. This is a judicial inquiry into a scandal that has reached the highest levels of British government. And for the first time, Murdoch is apologizing for "not paying enough attention" to the unfolding scandal.

A controversial biography of TV and music impresario Simon Cowell came out on both sides of the Atlantic this week. Cowell showed up at the London launch of the unauthorized biography entitled, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell.

As more soldiers return to civilian life, a civilian job may not be there waiting. Service members with the National Guard have the extra challenge of convincing employers to hire them when they may be called to active duty for a year or more. There are laws to protect them, but it's hard to prove discrimination.

Indonesia has the largest share of the world's mangroves — coastal forests that have adapted to saltwater environments. They play important environmental and ecological roles. The challenge is convincing locals that they benefit more from protecting the trees rather than cutting them down.