As the debate over the budget continues, there is an ongoing conversation about how much money should be spent on defense. Defense spending makes up 20 percent of the United States budget.

The budget remains the hot button issue in Washington, and cuts all across the board appear likely, except for defense. Military spending makes up approximately 20 percent of the federal budget, and will likely exceed $700 billion in 2011 — that's 40 percent of the world's total military spending. Where does all that money go to? Larry Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense under the Reagan administration explains.

Japan has raised the severity rating of its nuclear crisis from level five to the highest level, seven. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster is the only other time a nuclear emergency has been given a level seven. This decision reflects the total release of radiation at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which is ongoing, rather than a sudden deterioration. Reporting from Tokyo is Keith Bradsher, reporter for The New York Times. The Japanese government says that the total amount of radiation is 10 percent of what was released at Chernobyl and there's still nervousness in the country, says Bradsher.

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo finally surrendered to a military assault by president-elect Alassane Ouattara yesterday. Ouattara won last November’s election with only 54 percent of the vote. While Human Rights Watch has accused Gbagbo and his militia of crimes against humanity, the organization has also accused pro-Ouattara forces of massacring over a hundred civilians in a pro-Gbagbo region. Ouattara has promised to put together a commission of truth and reconciliation to look at crimes from both sides. Can he unite this bitterly divided country? Rickard Dicker, Director of Human Rights Watch's International Justice Program talks about the legal issues faced by Ivory Coast.

Many Americans are related to people who fought and died in the Civil War. But imagine that you’re related not just to one figure we associate with the Civil War and aftermath, but two. This is the case for Kenneth Morris. Not only is he the great-great-great grandson of abolitionist and Lincoln adviser Frederick Douglass, he’s also the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington, the post-Civil War educator and activist. On top of that, Morris is the Founder president of the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation, which aims to eradicate modern-day slavery.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first human orbiting the earth. That human, Yuri Gagarin, was Russian, and his accomplishment was, like the Sputnik launch, a moment that terrified Americans and fed our fears that we couldn’t keep up with the Joneses across the sea. We look at this anniversary, and at the fact that we’re still lagging behind our international neighbors in math and science. What would it take for us to catch up? Recreational mathematician Vi Hart has some ideas. First on the list: to stop seeing math as a skill of right and wrong, and to begin embracing it as a tool of creativity.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which began with the battle of Fort Sumter. At the heart of the conflict was the preservation of the Union and the abolition of slavery.

It's been several weeks since the CIA operative Raymond Davis was released from custody in Pakistan for reportedly killing two armed men in a traffic incident in Lahore, Pakistan. Since his release, relations between the US and Pakistan have been strained. The tensions have grown not only over the questions relating to the diplomatic immunity of Raymond Davis and his 47 days of detention, but also over a US drone attack that killed tribal leaders last month. Now Pakistan is demanding that the United States sharply reduce the number of CIA and Special Ops forces working in the country, and put drone strikes on hold.

Today is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. And while history buffs all appreciate the influence that the war had over the future well being of our nation – it can be easy to gloss over the details of the war. Like who fought in it. Joining us to talk about the history of black confederate soldiers is Stan Armstrong, director of a documentary called "Black Confederates: The Forgotten Men in Gray.” Stan’s great-great-grandfather was a black confederate soldier.

For a man who has yet to officially declare his candidacy, there is immense hype surrounding Donald Trump as a Republican presidential contender. And it seems that GOP voters are interested — a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll of Republican primary voters had Trump tied for second place with former Governor Mike Huckabee at 17 percent, just a few points behind Mitt Romney, who came in at 21 percent. But our next guest isn’t buying it – in fact, he’s betting his savings that the Donald won’t enter the 2012 race. Joining us is Steve Kornacki, Politics Editor for Salon.com.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. For whites in the south, the anniversary marks the start of a proud military engagement. For blacks in the south, the war led to the end of slavery and the start of the civil rights movement. And while celebrations for the event will be grand in scale and scope, this year's commemoration will not reverberate nationally as it did during the centennial. How do the two anniversaries compare?