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A Thai appeals court ordered the extradition of suspected Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout, who allegedly supplied weapons that fueled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa.

Vanity Fair's Todd Purdum followed President Obama and his advisers around for a day this summer. He says the modern-day presidency would be unrecognizable to previous chief executives -- "thanks to the enormous bureaucracy, congressional paralysis, systematic corruption and disintegrating media."

The White House has been on a good news streak, accentuating the positive every day in areas ranging from Iraq to the BP oil well to the auto industry. On all of these fronts, serious challenges remain. The White House insists it is not hanging a "Mission Accomplished" banner too soon.

A strong signal came last week from the U.S. State Department, where a spokesman said the U.S. is still interested in talking to Iran about a uranium swap deal, first floated last year, but never consummated. Tehran sent a quick, positive response.

John Limbert, who spent 444 days as a hostage in Tehran, stepped down as head of the State Department's Iran desk on Friday. Limbert says that while the White House has made persistent efforts to change the tone of America's relationship with Iran, conflicts between the two nations are deeply ingrained.

Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law was set to go into effect this week, but a federal judge has blocked some of the major elements of the bill. We discuss how the legal battle over Arizona Senate Bill 1070 could play out, and the long-term impact the law might have on our region.

China's 12 million Catholics have been bitterly divided for decades. Some belong to Beijing-sanctioned churches, while others worship in "underground" churches loyal to the Vatican. Even though Pope Benedict XVI has urged reconciliation, China's Catholics have struggled to follow his instructions.

"Satan's Playground," a new book by SDSU Professor Emeritus Paul Vanderwood, chronicles the rise and fall of the gambling industry that developed in and around Tijuana, particularly the Agua Caliente Resort and Casino, as prohibitions against alcohol, horse racing, gambling, and prostitution swept the United States.

The Cuban government has promised to release 52 political prisoners, some of whom have already flown to Spain. In light of that move, and recent sightings of a healthier-looking Fidel Castro, Julia Sweig, author of Cuba, predicts what may lie ahead in U.S.-Cuba relations.

Airs Monday, July 12, 2010 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV