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Larry Abramson Larry Abramson is NPR's National Security Correspondent.
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Larry Abramson

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Tuesday

Air Force's Beloved 'Warthog' Targeted For Retirement

The U.S. Air Force could retire the A-10 "Warthog," despite support for the plane from infantrymen and pilots. These types of clashes occur whenever the military tries to mothball a weapon. Staff Sgt. Melanie Norman/U.S. Air Force hide caption

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Staff Sgt. Melanie Norman/U.S. Air Force

National Security

Air Force's Beloved 'Warthog' Targeted For Retirement

The Air Force says retiring the Cold War-era A-10 could help it balance its budget and focus on developing more versatile aircraft. But the military encounters resistance whenever it tries to mothball any weapon, and the case of the plane known as the Warthog is no exception.

Air Force's Beloved 'Warthog' Targeted For Retirement

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Thursday

National Security

Obama Panel: NSA Phone Record Surveillance Should Be Limited

A review group appointed by President Obama has recommended major changes to government surveillance programs. The group effectively called for the end of one of the most controversial programs run by the National Security Agency: the collection and storage of phone records of millions of Americans.

Obama Panel: NSA Phone Record Surveillance Should Be Limited

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Tuesday

Monday

All Things Considered

Karzai's Political Games Overshadow Hagel's Visit To Afghanistan

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel returned to the Mideast on Monday after a weekend tour of Afghanistan and a stop in Pakistan. The trip focused on a planned security deal with Afghanistan and concerns among Gulf allies about a nuclear deal with Iran.

Karzai's Political Games Overshadow Hagel's Visit To Afghanistan

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Monday

Politics

Avoiding Another Government Shutdown Moves To Front Burner

On Capitol Hill, another red-letter budget deadline is fast approaching. The Senate and House budget chairs are working toward an agreement on spending levels that they are supposed to be announced by the end of next week.

Avoiding Another Government Shutdown Moves To Front Burner

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Tuesday

Asia

U.S. Flies Bombers Through East China Sea Air Space China Claims

The United States military flew two B-52 bombers into air space that China recently designated as an air defense identification zone. The showdown is part of a larger dispute involving China and Japan and territorial rights in the East China Sea.

U.S. Flies Bombers Through East China Sea Air Space China Claims

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Thursday

Politics

Senate Considers Ways To Address Military Sexual Assaults

Members of Congress are unlikely to adopt one measure that many victims say is essential: taking away from commanders the ability to decide whether to pursue assault cases. Members of Congress say that step would undermine order and discipline in the ranks, and the Pentagon agrees.

Senate Considers Ways To Address Military Sexual Assaults

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Thursday

Who Owns The Archives Of A Vanishing Iraqi Jewish World?

This colorfully illustrated French and Hebrew Passover Haggadah was published in Vienna in 1930. Caption on the image: "Eating Matzah." This restored document is part of an exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., that opens Nov. 8. National Archives hide caption

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National Archives

Parallels

Who Owns The Archives Of A Vanishing Iraqi Jewish World?

In 2003, U.S. forces discovered a trove of Jewish documents in a flooded Baghdad basement. They tell the tale of a once-thriving Jewish community. The painstakingly restored documents will be exhibited in the U.S. before they are returned to Iraq. But some Jewish groups are trying to prevent that.

Who Owns The Archives Of A Vanishing Iraqi Jewish World?

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Saturday

National Security

A Controversial Week For The NSA

Several new developments put the NSA surveillance program into the spotlight this week. The U.S. had to explain why it eavesdrops on foreign leaders; The Washington Post reported that the NSA can tap directly into overseas servers of Google and Yahoo; and lawmakers have introduced legislation to rein in the program that allows NSA to gather phone data on Americans.

A Controversial Week For The NSA

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Friday

Pentagon Pushes States On Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

The Pentagon extended military benefits to same-sex spouses this summer, but some states have been resisting. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called that resistance "wrong" on Thursday. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

National

Pentagon Pushes States On Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

After the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, the Pentagon said it would offer military IDs and extend the benefits that come with them to same-sex partners. But some states that don't recognize gay marriages have refused to issue the IDs to same-sex spouses of National Guard members.

Pentagon Pushes States On Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

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Tuesday

National Security

NSA Chief: We Did Not Collect French, Spanish Phone Data

The head of the NSA testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday. General Keith Alexander disputed news reports that the NSA collected the phone call data of citizens in France and Spain. The NSA is facing tough criticism over its extensive surveillance efforts, including the apparent monitoring of phone calls of the leaders of countries that are close U.S. allies. The NSA controversy has also prompted legislators to change the way the agency conducts surveillance. Two reforms aim to limit the NSA's ability to collect the phone records of U.S. persons in bulk.

NSA Chief: We Did Not Collect French, Spanish Phone Data

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Who Has The Right To Know Where Your Phone Has Been?

Cell towers are constantly tracking the location of mobile phones. And that data, federal courts have ruled, is not constitutionally protected. Steve Greer/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Steve Greer/iStockphoto.com

All Tech Considered

Who Has The Right To Know Where Your Phone Has Been?

Law enforcement agencies across the country subpoena cellphone location data regularly. But civil liberties groups hope a series of state-level legal victories will usher in stronger protections for that often-revealing digital information.

Who Has The Right To Know Where Your Phone Has Been?

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Tuesday

West Point Women: A Natural Pattern Or A Camouflage Ceiling?

At the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the graduating class has been about 16 percent female since the institution first accepted women more than 30 years ago. Mike Groll/AP hide caption

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Mike Groll/AP

National

West Point Women: A Natural Pattern Or A Camouflage Ceiling?

Since 1980, the percentage of women at the U.S. Military Academy has stayed largely the same, leading some to conclude that the school has set an artificial cap on the number of female cadets it accepts. Now, West Point has been told it must raise those numbers to meet the demand for more female leaders.

West Point Women: A Natural Pattern Or A Camouflage Ceiling?

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Tuesday

Monday

Technology

Funding For Software To Cloak Web Activity Provokes Concern

A service called Tor makes it possible to communicate and surf the web anonymously. It sounds like a plot by privacy-minded rebels, but in fact the service receives most of its funding from the government and was started by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Despite recent revelations of government email snooping, the U.S. government supports anonymous communication so foreign dissidents can work undetected, and so government agents can pursue bad guys without giving away their identities. But now the service faces new accusations that it might be serving NSA surveillance efforts.

Funding For Software To Cloak Web Activity Provokes Concern

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Thursday

National Security

NSA Head Admits Testing U.S. Cellphone Tracking

Intelligence chiefs said recent media reports are wrong about their efforts to gather information about the social networks of Americans. They told a Senate panel such efforts are focused on foreigners. But NSA chief Keith Alexander admitted the agency has collected cellphone location information, as part of a short-lived test program years ago.

NSA Head Admits Testing U.S. Cellphone Tracking

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Tuesday

Thursday

Technology

NSA Revelations Leave Encryption Experts In A Quandry

Documents leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden indicate the NSA may have installed backdoors on encryption products. It's not clear exactly what's going on but the stories have unleashed plenty of fear and loathing in the closed world of encryption researchers.

NSA Revelations Leave Encryption Experts In A Quandry

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Thursday

Wednesday

Thursday

Middle East

Analyst Criticized For Syrian-Rebel Advocacy Connections

During the run-up to possible military action in Syria, the name of an unknown researcher was catapulted into the spotlight. Elizabeth O'Bagy was on NPR, Fox and quoted by Senator John McCain during a hearing. It turns out, O'Bagy is not exactly who she said she was, and her story reveals a lot about how Washington works during times of high drama.

Analyst Criticized For Syrian-Rebel Advocacy Connections

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