National Security

U.S. Marines stand guard during the change of command ceremony at Shorab military camp in Afghanistan's Helmand province in January 2018.

U.S. Reaches 'Reduction In Violence' Deal With Taliban In Afghanistan

3:41pm February 14, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

The step is meant to serve as an initial confidence-building measure and would last for seven days. A more-formal agreement could be signed in the coming weeks.

President Trump tours a section of the southern border wall in 2019, in Otay Mesa, Calif.

Trump Administration Diverts $3.8 Billion In Pentagon Funding To Border Wall

8:14pm February 13, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

In a notice sent to Congress Thursday, the Pentagon said it is shifting billions from fighter jets and other weapons to help pay for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

National

Washington State Militia Leader Wants To Go Mainstream

6:37pm February 13, 2020

by Hannah Allam

The leader of the Washington State Three Percent, a "constitutionalist" group with militia ties, is running for office. Extremism trackers warn against normalizing paramilitary groups.

Queue Listen Now

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., (center), Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, have been pushing a bipartisan resolution to limit the president's war powers regarding Iran.

Senate Approves Legislation To Limit President's War Powers Against Iran

5:29pm February 13, 2020

by Claudia Grisales

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., led the effort to pass a bipartisan war powers resolution to end the president's ability to launch further strikes against Iran. The Trump administration has vowed to veto it.

Queue Listen Now

Karina Shumate, 21, a college student, filled out a voter registration form in Richardson, Texas on Jan. 18. One big registration effort this year has drawn controversy among elections officials.

A Big Vote Registration Push Reaches Millions — But Divides Elections Officials

4:53pm February 13, 2020

by Pam Fessler

An outside group is blanketing the nation with official-looking exhortations to register to vote. Actual elections officials don't agree whether that's ultimately helpful or harmful.

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Response To China's Talent Plan Is Described As Heavy-Handed

6:06am February 13, 2020

by Geoff Brumfiel

The arrest of a Harvard researcher late last month has led to questions about a Chinese program to recruit American talent. Prosecutors say it's a form of economic espionage. Scientists disagree.

Jared Kushner first tackled a merit-based immigration proposal last year. It landed with a thud. Now, he's working to make changes and revive the plan ahead of the 2020 election.

Kushner Seeks To Revive Trump's Overhaul For Immigration System

9:12pm February 12, 2020

by Franco Ordoñez

President Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law has been meeting with business leaders, immigration hard-liners and other allies. The goal: revive a plan to overhaul immigration laws before November.

National

'The Other Latif,' A Podcast Run About A Man With The Same Name — In Guantanamo

5:41pm February 12, 2020

by Latif Nasser

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with reporter Latif Nasser of WNYC's Radiolab about his podcast series The Other Latif, an investigation into the case of Guantanamo detainee Abdul Latif Nasser.

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Nears Taliban Deal To Reduce Afghanistan Violence And Begin Withdrawing Troops

4:20pm February 12, 2020

by Michele Kelemen

The United States and the Taliban appear to be making significant progress towards a deal that should see the drawing down of some U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Queue Listen Now

National

Report Criticizes SEAL Recruits With 'Unhealthy Sense Of Entitlement'

8:12am February 12, 2020

by Steve Walsh

President Trump often points to retired Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher as the epitome of a SEAL. But to some in that tight-knit community, Gallagher is the exact opposite.

Queue Listen Now