National Security

Britain Debates Revoking Passports Of Fighters Returning From Syria, Iraq

6:15pm October 16, 2014

by Dina Temple-Raston

The U.S. has tried to block potential Islamic State volunteers before they leave the country, arresting them for intending to help terrorists. The British have suggested taking another route.

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Soldier of U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade prior to an air analysis mission near an oil and gas separation plant at the Baba Gurgur oil field outside northern Iraq's town of Kirkuk in May 2003.

Pentagon Reportedly Hushed Up Chemical Weapons Finds In Iraq

12:33pm October 15, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The New York Times reports that between 2004 and 2011, American troops repeatedly encountered chemical weapons caches dating from the Iran-Iraq war. At least 17 U.S. service members were injured.

John Yoo, a former lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, argues that the NSA's phone records surveillance program is constitutional.

National

Debate: Does Mass Phone Data Collection Violate The 4th Amendment?

11:25am October 15, 2014

by NPR Staff

In the latest Intelligence Squared debate, John Yoo and other legal scholars faced off over the constitutionality of the National Security Agency's phone surveillance program.

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The sign NPR producer Rebecca Hersher saw as she left Liberia to return to the United States.

Live Airport Tweets: An NPR Producer's Irregular Ebola Screenings

10:33am October 15, 2014

by Rebecca Hersher

Airports around the world have begun screening passengers arriving from West Africa for signs of Ebola. But as producer Rebecca Hersher live-tweets, not all of the exams are as strict as promised.

This photo released by Vandenberg Air Force Base on Monday shows the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, the Air Force's unmanned, reusable space plane, after it landed at Vandenberg from a previous orbital mission.

Secret U.S. Space Plane To Land After 22 Months In Orbit

8:59pm October 14, 2014

by Scott Neuman

There are many theories about what exactly the unmanned X-37B is doing as it circles the Earth on long-duration missions.

Microsoft Windows Flaw Let Russian Hackers Spy On NATO, Report Says

6:41pm October 14, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

A weakness in Microsoft Windows has been exploited by Russian hackers to spy on Western governments, NATO, European energy companies and an academic organization in the U.S., according to a report.

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Journalist Talks Confidential Sources, Getting Subpoenaed And His New Book

1:31pm October 14, 2014

James Risen could face prison for refusing to reveal his source for a story about a botched CIA operation intended to sabotage Iran's nuclear weapons program. His new book is Pay Any Price.

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Twitter is suing the federal government over First Amendment rights. The tech company says the government stopped it from releasing extra detail about government requests for user information.

National

Twitter Is Suing The U.S. Over Free Speech (Its Own)

11:28am October 14, 2014

by Laura Sydell

Twitter sued the federal government because it stopped the tech company from disclosing government requests for user information. Twitter says the current disclosure rules aren't transparent enough.

Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez is a top candidate to be the next attorney general, according to sources familiar with the process.

Labor Secretary Eyed As White House Searches To Replace Attorney General

3:50pm October 10, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

The White House effort to replace Attorney General Eric Holder is happening largely in the shadows. But Labor Secretary Thomas Perez is emerging as a top candidate for the post.

Turkey Agrees To Train, Equip Moderate Syrian Opposition

1:36pm October 10, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The pledge to create a force to assist in fighting the self-declared Islamic State comes a day after Ankara called for creating a buffer zone around its border with Syria.