This week America & the Courts takes a look at the life and career of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor through childhood friends, colleagues and former college classmates. Among them is New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who hired Judge Sotomayor as a prosecutor for the District Attorney's Office.

Fmr. Republican Vice Presidential candidate Palin announced she is stepping down as Alaska's governor on July 26. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the end of the month.

7:30am - Ken Silverstein, Harper’s Magazine, Washington Editor
8:30am - James Hutson, Library of Congress, Chief of Manuscript Division
9am - Richard Miniter, Washington Times, Editorial Page Editor

7:30am - Jennifer Loven, Associated Press, White House Correspondent
8am - Nico Pitney, Huffington Post, National Editor
8:30am - Jason Motlagh, Washington Times, South Asia Correspondent
9am - Jonah Goldberg, National Review Online, Editor at Large

President Obama made remarks on innovation and jobs from the White House Rose Garden.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White House.

Spokesman Ian Kelly conducts a daily briefing at the State Department.

Today’s open meeting of the FCC is the first led by new Chairman Julius Genachowski. The Commission was updated on the Digital TV transition and heard from Blair Levin, the FCC’s coordinator for a national broadband plan. The Recovery Act directed the FCC to work with the Commerce Dept. to develop a plan.

With the shutdown of GM/ Chrysler plants beginning next week & the bankruptcy proceedings continuing for both domestic auto companies, Mr. Montgomery discusses the impact this is having on communities; stimulus money being spent in some of these cities; and the long-term outlook for the U.S. auto industry.

Pres. Obama travels to Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The two are expected to discuss nuclear arms control. Later in the week, Pres. Obama goes to L’Aquila, Italy, for the G-8 Summit. The Center for Strategic & International Studies holds a panel discussion on the President’s travels.