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Saturday

Fighting Piracy At Sea And In Court

Nina Crossland holds up a photo of her aunt Phyllis Macay. The U.S. military says pirates killed Macay and three other American hostages they were holding on a yacht off Somalia's coast. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption

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Jeff Chiu/AP

World

Fighting Piracy At Sea And In Court

Legal and military experts say the U.S. and other countries had better get busy with a coordinated answer to piracy, now that the level of violence has spiked. Four American civilians were killed off the coast of Somalia this week.

Fighting Piracy At Sea And In Court

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Africa

A 'Vacuum' In Libya: An Opening For Al-Qaida?

Experts worry that the terrorist network's long-standing ties with extremists in Libya could give it a toehold there. "Anytime there is chaos," says one analyst, "there is opportunity."

A 'Vacuum' In Libya: An Opening For Al-Qaida?

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Thursday

World

Experts: Al-Qaida Will Adapt To Mideast Changes

Before the terrorist group made the U.S. and the West its principal targets, its top priority was to topple regimes in the Arab world. With revolution rocking the region, intelligence officials are watching to see if al-Qaida seizes the opportunity to return to its original mission.

Experts: Al-Qaida Will Adapt To Mideast Changes

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Africa

Obama Administration Faces Tough Choices On Libya

As tensions in Libya grow, the White House says it is considering all options to respond to the unrest. Some have called for economic sanctions or a no-fly zone to prevent the use of aircraft against Libyan civilians, while others argue for the U.S. to stay out of the conflict entirely.

Obama Administration Faces Tough Choices On Libya

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Wednesday

General Remembers Her 'Different' Military Days

Retired Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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On The Front Lines: Women In War

General Remembers Her 'Different' Military Days

Wilma Vaught was one of the first U.S. military women to be addressed as "general." Women's officer training in the 1950s included lessons on how to put on makeup. Today, "it's a different military."

General Remembers Her 'Different' Military Days

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Tuesday

American's CIA Ties Imperil Pakistan Cooperation

Pakistani police officers surround the U.S. Consulate during rallies on Feb. 18 condemning Raymond Davis, a U.S. Embassy employee who shot dead two Pakistanis in Lahore in January. K.M.Chaudary/AP hide caption

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K.M.Chaudary/AP

World

American's CIA Ties Imperil Pakistan Cooperation

The revelation that American Raymond Davis was a CIA operative has only heightened tensions between the Pakistani intelligence service and its U.S. counterpart.

American's CIA Ties Imperil Pakistan Cooperation

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Web Wiretaps Raise Security, Privacy Concerns

A mobile phone shows a Skype application. Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

Technology

Web Wiretaps Raise Security, Privacy Concerns

Companies that offer Web-based e-mail or social networking can't always cooperate with court-ordered surveillance. That's because it's not always possible to create built-in eavesdropping systems, and those back doors can leave computers vulnerable to hacking and non-government spying.

Web Wiretaps Raise Security, Privacy Concerns

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Silver Star Recipient A Reluctant Hero

Leigh Ann Hester, now a police officer in the suburbs of Nashville, Tenn., is the first female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star medal for valor in combat. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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On The Front Lines: Women In War

Silver Star Recipient A Reluctant Hero

The idea of being a hero doesn't really sit well with Leigh Ann Hester, so having an action figure modeled after her is, in a word, surreal. The doll is a tribute to Hester, a National Guard member awarded the Silver Star in 2005 — the only woman to win it for engaging in direct combat with the enemy.

Silver Star Recipient A Reluctant Hero

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Monday

Women In War: 'I've Lived Out There With The Guys'

Left: Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught during her time serving in Vietnam; when she joined the military, she received training on how to put on makeup — but not how to fire a weapon. Right: An illustrated poster of Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star for valor. Both women are profiled in this series. Courtesy of Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught; David Gilkey, NPR hide caption

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Courtesy of Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught; David Gilkey, NPR

On The Front Lines: Women In War

Women In War: 'I've Lived Out There With The Guys'

Next month, a panel is expected to tell Congress that the Pentagon should do away with its policy banning women from direct ground combat units. In reality, many already see combat.

Women In War: 'I've Lived Out There With The Guys'

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Saturday

Middle East

Bahrain: Key U.S. Military Hub

The tiny island nation plays a big role in America's Middle East strategy. In fact, more than 6,000 U.S. military personnel and contractors are located just five miles from where government security forces violently put down demonstrations this week.

Bahrain: Key U.S. Military Hub

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Friday

For Immigration Agents, Slaying Highlights Perils

Mexican police guard the U.S. vehicle that was attacked Tuesday by suspected drug traffickers in Santa Maria del Rio, Mexico. One U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed and another was wounded. El Pulso/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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El Pulso/AFP/Getty Images

National

For Immigration Agents, Slaying Highlights Perils

The killing of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Mexico on Tuesday and an incident involving another in San Antonio on Jan. 13 have left agents shaken and wondering if ICE is adequately protecting them in an increasingly violent criminal environment.

For Immigration Agents, Slaying Highlights Perils

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Tuesday

FBI Faulted For Overstating Science In Anthrax Case

Hazardous materials experts enter the Hart Building of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 7, 2001, in Washington. The building was closed after an anthrax-laced letter was found in then-Sen. Tom Daschle's office. Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images

The Anthrax Investigation

FBI Faulted For Overstating Science In Anthrax Case

The FBI and Justice Department overstated the certainty of the scientific evidence used to prove that Bruce Ivins carried out the anthrax mailings that killed five people in 2001, according to an independent panel of scientists. The panel limited its findings to the science and did not "assess the guilt or innocence of anyone" tied to the case.

FBI Faulted For Overstating Science In Anthrax Case

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Anti-Government Protests Roil Egypt

Mubarak's Fall Spurs Calls To Rethink U.S. Policy

The U.S. has long supported authoritarian leaders in the region in order to ensure stability, but the manner of the Egyptian president's ouster suggests that such regimes may not be stable in the long term. The U.S. may also have to take Arab public opinion more seriously.

Mubarak's Fall Spurs Calls To Rethink U.S. Policy

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Monday