National Security

A man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the Capitol surrendered to law enforcement after an hours-long standoff Thursday. The incident prompted a massive police response and the evacuations of government buildings and businesses in the are

National

Questions About Security Around The Capitol Complex Emerge After Bomb Threat

10:57am August 20, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

The ease with which the attacker gained such close access to the Library of Congress on Thursday raises new questions about security, just seven months after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

National

New Orleans Police Superintendent On Policing Reforms That Have Been Working, And Why

7:39pm August 19, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson about the summer spike in violence and how the city has changed their policing efforts under a Justice Department order.

Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. The Taliban declared an "amnesty" across Afghanistan Tuesday seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed.

Taliban Mark Afghanistan's Independence Day As Challenges To Their Rule Rise

6:40am August 19, 2021

The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan's Independence Day by declaring they beat the U.S. but face running a country short on cash where the possibility of an armed opposition is beginning to emerge.

President Biden discusses the COVID-19 response and vaccination program Wednesday at the White House. Biden also spoke about Afghanistan in an interview Wednesday with ABC News.

A Defensive Biden Argues There Was No Exit From Afghanistan 'Without Chaos Ensuing'

8:32pm August 18, 2021

by Alana Wise

The president told ABC News it was "a simple choice" to withdraw U.S. forces, and he faulted the Afghan government and its military for not more forcibly defending the capital.

Journalist Who Escaped The Taliban Is Trying To Evacuate Family Of Man Who Helped Him

6:41pm August 18, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with David Rohde, online news director for The New Yorker, on his treatment while captured by the Taliban and efforts to get the family members of Tahir Luddin to safety.

Pentagon Issues Update On Efforts To Evacuate Thousands From Afghanistan

4:59pm August 18, 2021

by Tom Bowman

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave an update on the efforts of U.S. forces to evacuate thousands from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

An information board shows people who are wanted by law enforcement on suspicion of assaulting federal officers at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

National

The FBI Keeps Using Clues From Volunteer Sleuths To Find The Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters

4:59pm August 18, 2021

by Tim Mak

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, a group of volunteer sleuths came forward to assist law enforcement in an unprecedented effort to identify possible suspects.

National

Jihadi Movement Is Galvanized By Taliban's Takeover In Afghanistan, Expert Says

6:39am August 18, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to international security expert Asfandyar Mir who believes global jihadist could feel emboldened after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters patrol in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 as they seek to convince a wary population that they have changed.

Taliban Destroy Statue Of Foe, Raising Fears Over Their Claims of Moderation

6:12am August 18, 2021

The insurgents' every action is being watched closely. They insist they have changed and won't impose the same restrictions they did when they last ruled, but many remain skeptical.

U.S. soldiers stand guard as Afghans wait Monday at the Kabul airport following the swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war.

National

As The Taliban Made Their Way To Kabul, Biden Ordered Troops Into Afghanistan

7:32pm August 17, 2021

by Brian Naylor

President Biden gave the order last week to send U.S. troops into Afghanistan as it became clear the Taliban were overrunning Afghan government forces on their way to taking the capital of Kabul.