National Security

A Ukrainian soldier walks in a trench on the front line in Zolote, Ukraine, earlier this month. A buildup of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine has heightened worries that Russia intends to invade.

Biden will speak by phone with Putin as Russia ramps up presence on Ukraine border

3:05pm December 29, 2021

by Alana Wise

The request for a call on Thursday came from the Kremlin. The White House said, "It will take a high level of engagement to address this and to try to find a path to de-escalation."

Proud Boys walk toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington in support of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. A federal judge has refused to dismiss an indictment charging four alleged leaders of the group with conspiring to attack the Capitol.

Judge refuses to dismiss indictment against alleged Proud Boys leaders

3:45am December 29, 2021

by The Associated Press

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Tuesday rejected defense attorneys' arguments that the four men are charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden took calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center on Christmas Eve.

National

Man who said 'Let's Go Brandon' to Biden on Christmas Eve says he was only joking

8:14pm December 26, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

"I am being attacked for utilizing my freedom of speech," Jared Schmeck told The Oregonian.

U.S. air strikes have killed thousands of civilians, NYT Magazine investigation finds

8:28am December 25, 2021

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon talks with Azmat Khan of the New York Times about U.S. drone strikes that have killed civilians in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev closes his resignation speech after delivering it at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 25, 1991. After 74 years, the Soviet Union was dissolved, breaking into 15 countries. But there's often been friction among the former Sovie

How the Soviet Union's collapse explains the current Russia-Ukraine tension

8:55am December 24, 2021

by Greg Myre

To understand the friction between Russia and Ukraine, it's important to go back to 1991. Exactly 30 years ago this weekend, the Soviet Union formally dissolved and broke up into 15 separate nations.

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The Trump supporters who went from planning the Jan. 6 rally to aiding the riot probe

5:27pm December 23, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with reporter Hunter Walker, who wrote a Rolling Stone article on Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lynn Lawrence, the Trump supporters now cooperating with the Jan. 6 House panel.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021.

Putin urges West to act quickly to offer security guarantees

6:36am December 23, 2021

by The Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the West on Thursday to move quickly to meet Russia's demand for security guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine.

News brief: Biden speech, COVID testing critique, Pentagon extremism rules

6:58am December 21, 2021

President Biden addresses the Omicron variant in a speech Tuesday. Some health officials say Biden has fallen short on COVID testing. The Pentagon is updating its policies on extremism in its ranks.

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National

Defense officials announce new rules to counter extremism within the U.S. military

6:13am December 21, 2021

The Pentagon has updated its policies on extremism in the military by service members. The long-awaited report was ordered in the weeks following the January attack on the U.S. Capitol.

National

The Pentagon is taking steps to stop extremism within its ranks

6:13am December 21, 2021

NPR's A Martinez speaks to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby about the steps the military is taking to stop cases of extremism by members of the military.

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