EXCLUSIVE: The Takeaway’s Memorial Day Special

Happy Memorial Day from The Takeaway. Today, we pay tribute to America's service members, dig into the vice presidential guessing game, and examine the state of the Supreme Court. Here's our show order:

• Dr. Emily Mayhew works at London’s Imperial College. She is the author of "Wounded," which traces a soldier's journey from injury on the front-lines of World War I to recovery in Britain. Dr. Mayhew explains how the "Great War" forever changed battlefield medicine.

• Kharisma James is a decorated two-time combat veteran of the United States Army. She's also a mom. She has her sights set on becoming a qualified nurse, and El Paso Community College (EPCC) has given her a chance to reach her goal. EPCC, which enrolls over 1,000 veterans each semester, is one of the five schools we’ve been profiling in our Community College Challenge series.

• Since Justice Antonin Scalia died in mid-February, the U.S. Supreme Court has been smack in the middle of a bitter political battle. The Republican-controlled Congress has refused to consider the appointment of Judge Merrick Garland, who President Obama has chosen to replace Scalia. Amy Howe, editor and reporter at SCOTUSBlog, explains how Congressional sclerosis has affected the court itself.

• Staff Sergeant Kevin Snow is an Iraq War veteran. He suffered a brain injury in 2007 when a grenade exploded on his base. Today he struggles with PTSD. Kevin and his wife Adrienne Snow talk about how close they came to divorce, and how much their lives have changed.

• Who will Donald Trump pick as his running mate, and who might potentially team up with Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders? Takeaway Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich looks at the runners and riders in the 'Veepstakes.'

• 58,220 Americans died during the Vietnam War, and today, 1,621 Americans are still officially missing or unaccounted for. One of them is Tech Sergeant Melvin Holland, or Mel as he was known to family and friends. Patricia Murphy, military and veterans affairs reporter for member station KUOW in Seattle, says that Mel's family is urging the Pentagon not to give up the search for his remains.