A California judge overruled California's ban on gay marriage yesterday, will the case go to the Supreme Court?; headlines.

All week long, we've been focusing on Iraq, where American forces are drawing down this month. We've heard mixed opinions from Iraqis and analysts who say Iraq still lacks stability, infrastructure and a functioning government. Now, we turn to Kurdistan, where the view is altogether different from the rest of Iraq. For Kurds, the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 was largely positive. For decades Kurds had suffered repression and abuse under Saddam Hussein's regime.

But what happens when the U.S. pulls out?

Republicans have been pushing to have hearings to change the 14th Amendment. The way it stands now, if you're born in the U.S., you're an American citizen. We asked you, the listeners, what you thought about changing the 14th amendment, and we hear what you have to say. We're also joined by The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, who believes that Republicans are just nibbling around the edges of the whole immigration issue.

More than 30 billionaires have agreed to donate at least half their fortunes to charity; the list was made public yesterday. The Giving Pledge Campaign is the brainchild of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffet. It now has pledges from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, media mogul Ted Turner, filmmaker George Lucas, and dozens more. Forbes Magazine is estimating at least $150 billion could be donated. Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times, Louise Story, has the details of this new venture by some of the country's richest people.

A federal judge has overturned Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.  The measure passed with 52 percent of votes in November 2008. Yesterday, Judge Vaughn Walker ruled it unconstitutional on 14th Amendment grounds of due process and equal protection under the law. 

In a decision that ran more than 100 pages, Judge Vaughn Walker stated that "Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same-sex couples."

Former warlord and president of Liberia Charles Taylor has been on trial for over three years, charged with war crimes he allegedly committed in Sierra Leone. The trial, moved to The Hague from Sierra Leone for safety reasons, has only now recieved world wide media attention. That can all be attributed to supermodel Naomi Campbell, who is scheduled to testify in court today on whether or not she received a "blood diamond" from Taylor.

Most of us think of the word “neandertal” as an insult. We use it to describe someone who’s backward or not so smart. And why wouldn’t we? After all, our ancestral caveman cousins lacked intelligence and managed to go extinct while we, the modern humans, survived and thrived.

At least, that’s what we’ve always told ourselves. But maybe we’ve been wrong.

Overturning Prop 8 has many celebrating, but opponents are planning their appeal; headlines.

This week, we discuss two big stories, each of which considers the original intent of the 14th Amendment. Known as the "Reconstruction Amendment," as it passed in the aftermath of the Civil War, this clause of the Constitution guarantees U.S. citizenship for anyone born in the United States. It prohibits state governments from depriving anyone of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," and mandates "equal protection of the laws" for all citizens.

On Wednesday, a federal judge in California ruled Proposition 8, the voter-backed ballot measure to prohibit same-sex marriage, unconstitutional based on "due process" and "equal protection" grounds: both clauses in the 14th Amendment.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, several Republican senators are proposing to repeal or change the Amendment. They say we should no longer automatically give citizenship to American-born children of illegal immigrants.

The fight for same-sex marriage in California has been a long one. In 2004, Gavin Newsom surprised the state by opening marriage licenses to all couples, gay or straight. It was quickly shut down, but it opened up a flood of lawsuits. In June 2008, the California Supreme Court overturned the same-sex marriage ban. However, just a few months after, on November 8, a ballot measure called proposition 8 was passed by 52 percent of voters, and it officially defined marriage in California as between a man and a woman. 

Pakistan's worst flooding in 80 years has killed hundreds and displaced what's estimated to be more than a million people. The United States has pledged $10 million in relief, in addition to providing helicopters and other critical supplies to Pakistan. But is this enough relief to matter?

Kenya may soon have a new constitution, which would reduce the powers of the Kenyan president, give citizens a new bill of rights and pave the way for land reform. Kenya is a key African ally of the U.S. and there is hope that a new constitution will reduce the tribal tensions and politcally stabilize the country. East Africa correspondent for the BBC, Peter Greste, has the details.

The Senate handed President Barack Obama a victory yesterday as they passed a test vote on a $26 billion spending bill. The bill combines $16 billion in Medicaid funding and $10 billion in layoff prevention. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, has the details.

For more than 50 years, students who want to be doctors have dreaded two things above all else: organic chemistry and the Medical College Admissions Test – better known as the MCAT.

But there is one program out there that allows students to skip both of these prerequisites, though it’s been a pretty well-kept secret. The Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City admits a quarter of its class without the traditional pre-med background.

A federal report released yesterday says that 75 percent of the oil in the Gulf has either evaporated or been removed. However, local residents are skeptical and distrustful of the government and BP. There is also uncertainty surounding the environmental future of the region, which directly affects its economic future. New York Times correspondent, Campbell Robertson reports from New Orleans.

California's same-sex marriage ban was struck down as unconstitutional yesterday. Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker overturned the voter-approved ban, Proposition 8. The ruling is currently limited to California, but will go to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and could eventually end up in the United States Supreme Court.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage speaks out against the judge's ruling.