The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that judges must recuse themselves from ruling on cases that involve individuals who have spent money to help put the judge on the bench. It sounds like a fairly straightforward ruling. But the decision raises larger questions of just how we elect and appoint judges in this country. For a look at the tricky process of electing judges, The Takeaway talks to Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Correspondent for our partners The New York Times, and to Tom Phillips, a lawyer with Baker Botts in Austin, Texas, who served as the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1988 to 2004.

This week the Senate is expected to pass a bill to give the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. The bill does not ban cigarettes, nor does it restrict sales to consenting adults; it largely concentrates on marketing. Terms like "low tar" and "light" are gone, the Surgeon General's warnings will get much larger and brighter-colored, and except for menthol, there will be no more flavored cigarettes. To talk us through the details of the bill, we turn The Takeaway's Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich.

The iPhone is getting cheaper. Yesterday Apple announced it was slashing the price of the current iPhone in half just as it launches a new version, which is the third new model since 2007. This comes days after Palm launches it's so-called "iPhone killer," the Palm Pre. New York Times personal technology editor Sam Grobart helps us navigate the buying frenzy.

Watch an ad for the iPhone 3G S below.

Thanks to the protest of a group of Indiana-based debt holders, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay on the deal to sell Chrysler to Italian carmaker Fiat. The stay of proceedings allows the Court to consider whether to hear the objections of three Indiana state funds and consumer groups. Many industry watchers saw this deal as Chrysler's best chance to avoid liquidation. Joining us to look at how the Court will proceed — and if this will force Chrysler to fold— is Michael de la Merced, business reporter with our partner, The New York Times.

For more, read Michael de la Merced's article, Supreme Court Delays Sale of Chrysler to Fiat, in the New York Times.

U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East George Mitchell is in Jerusalem today for meetings with Israeli leaders. Yesterday he called for "immediate" peace talks between the Israeli and Palestinians. That comes on the back of President Obama’s speech in Cairo last week where he made clear his wish for a two-state solution to the conflict and the end of Israeli settlement building in the West Bank. The BBC's Diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus joins us with his analysis.

In July, the American Academy of Pediatrics will come out with a new statement on how to prevent childhood bullying. They suggest that schools adopt a program in which children are encouraged to reach out to victims and isolate bullies. Can schools really make bullying uncool? Dr. Robert Sege, one of the lead authors on the policy, joins The Takeaway with his big ideas.

For parents and teachers looking for advice on how to deal with bullying, head to today's New York Times to read Perri Klass's article, At Last, Facing Down Bullies (and Their Enablers).

When you're done listening to Dr. Sege, check out The Takeaway's past coverage on childhood bullying and teen psychosis.

Sixty years ago, George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece 1984 was published and imagery like Big Brother, Room 101, and the "thought police" entered the vernacular. It's a book that has resonated with the public, playing off the fear of government surveillance and encroachment on individual rights. Orwell's pessimistic vision didn't come to pass by 1984, but we turn to BBC arts correspondent Lawrence Pollard to discuss how the book is relevant today.

From the cinematic version of the book, here's an explanation of war:

In 22 cities around the country, Shriners' Hospitals for Children provide top-of-the-line care to anyone under the age of 18 for absolutely free—they accept no government funding or insurance payments. But the organization's endowment has been devastated by the economic crisis, and the membership is voting in early July on a proposal to close six hospitals. Parents of patients at the threatened hospitals are signing petitions and holding fundraisers to try and save the hospitals. Bob Houden, spokesperson for the Shriners Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, which could be closed, and Laura Marinucci, the parent of a Shriners patient who founded Save our Shriners, join The Takeaway to talk about this potential latest casualty of the recession.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not review the Pentagon's controversial "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy, which requires U.S. service members to keep their sexual orientation under wraps. In 2000, the UK armed forces integrated gay and lesbian service members nearly overnight with some surprising results. The Takeaway talks to Retired Lieutenant Commander Craig Jones of the British Royal Navy. He was a fierce advocate of British military integration.