This week, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman threw his hat in the presidential ring, and more staff walked out on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Plus, all eyes turned to Texas, where Gov. Rick Perry is contemplating a bid for the GOP nomination. Guest host Susan Stamberg talks with NPR's Mara Liasson.

This week marks a milestone in the presidential race. At midnight Thursday, the second quarter ends, and the campaigns have to tally up their first financial reports of the election cycle.

The filing deadline isn't until July 15, so it's now high season for speculation about who's got enough campaign money and who doesn't.

President Obama was back in New York City this week, where at three fundraisers in one evening, he revived for donors their 2008 vision of what America could be.

The latest surveys show that both business owners and consumers have been losing confidence in the U.S. economy. That pessimism is just the latest blow to hopes for a speedy recovery.

Last week, even Federal Reserve officials said they have grown more pessimistic about the economic outlook this year. The policy makers cut their forecast for 2011 to a growth rate of just 2.7 to 2.9 percent — down from their April estimate of 3.1 to 3.3 percent.

In 2000, Sports Illustrated named its 100 top athletes of the 20th century. There are names you no doubt are familiar with — Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, and of course Michael Jordan. But there's also a name that might slip by: Babe Didrikson. She is the only woman in the top 10.

Norwegian singer Ida Maria has a voice that demands attention. It's powerful and commanding, and harkens back to a time when Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and even Courtney Love ruled the hearts and minds of teenage girls.

The amount the U.S. military spends annually on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20.2 billion.

That's more than NASA's budget. It's more than BP has paid so far for damage during the Gulf oil spill. It's what the G-8 has pledged to help foster new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.

Civilization is on a collision course. That's the message Paul Gilding, the former head of Greenpeace International, is sounding in his new book, The Great Disruption.

The facts, as Gilding spells them out, are frightening. The United Nations predicts the world's population will reach 9.3 billion by 2050 and humans are already using 140 percent of the Earth's resources.

Archeologists say our garbage provides a glimpse into our actions and values. Now, some scientists say our sewer systems do also. It only takes a teaspoon of waste water to reveal an entire city's eating or drinking habits. Environmental scientist Kevin Thomas talks about what the method can tell us.

It's been called the worst job in the country. And once you get it, unpopularity is practically certain. But it seems there's never a shortage of presidential candidates. Presidential historian Alvin Felzenberg talks about what it takes to make it into that small group.

James Fallows, national correspondent with The Atlantic, talks about the week's news: New York becomes the sixth state to legalize gay marriage; House Majority Leader Eric Cantor walks out of debt ceiling negotiations; and Congress votes on Libya.