Week in the News

The end of an American era this week, as Senator Ted Kennedy succumbed to cancer.
While the nation marks the passing of an unrivaled political dynasty, Kennedy's absence from the health care debate in Washington is felt more than ever. We'll look at that and other stories this week:
Attorney General Eric Holder names a special prosecutor to examine CIA interrogations.
President Obama taps Ben Bernanke for another term as Fed Chairman.
Afghanistan awaits election results amid more violence and charges of fraud.
This hour, On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.Guests:

Joining us from Washington is Karen Tumulty, national political correspondent for Time. Her latest piece is "Health-Care Reform After Kennedy." She blogs at Time.com's Swampland.

Also from Washington we're joined by Howard Fineman, senior Washington correspondent and columnist at Newsweek. In his latest piece he suggests why Ted Kennedy's death resonates most with Baby Boomers.

And from Hanover, N.H., we're joined by Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic.