Search results for

Melissa Block talks to University of Virginia law professor Anne Coughlin about the announcement expected Thursday from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the removal of the ban on women in combat. Coughlin and her students did the research which inspired a lawsuit filed by two women in the Army Reserves last year, alleging that policies banning women from ground combat units violated constitutional rights.

National security reporter Fred Kaplan's new book is called The Insurgents, but the insurgents of the title are actually American military intellectuals — including Gen. David Petraeus — determined to change the way the Army thinks about counterinsurgency operations.

Some dogs need to be on specialized diets for health reasons, but most eat just about anything. That wasn't always the case, however. The domestic dog's ancestor, the wolf, ate only meat. Research suggests for dogs to live with humans, they had to adapt to a starchy diet.

Support is growing for the French-led operation in Mali to drive back Islamist militants intent on seizing the capital. French airstrikes and ground troops have helped government forces retake the strategic town of Diabaly in central Mali.

Apple reported its sales rose 18 percent in the most recent quarter. But the gains failed to match expectations, adding to investor concern that the company may not be able to sustain its strong growth.

The Pentagon is expected to officially announce Thursday that it will lift the military ban on women in combat. The defense chief's groundbreaking move opens up thousands of front-line positions for women. For more on the Pentagon's decision Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Tom Bowman. And from Kentucky, Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has reaction from Fort Campbell.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the historic announcement Thursday afternoon. The reality, though, is that women in the U.S. military have been in harm's way in recent years. Women veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can speak to that. Still, the lifting of the ban will open up jobs.

Eating the popular noodle dish normally requires two hands — one for chopsticks, the other for a spoon. Designers at a Taiwanese company noticed a guy trying to do that while juggling his cell phone. So they came up with a way to slurp it up while watching videos or reading emails.

There were 330,000 first-time claims for benefits last week, down 5,000 from the week before. That means applications remain at the lowest level since January 2008.

In a border town in northeast Syria, the most recent fighting has involved a leading rebel group and a Kurdish militia. Both oppose President Bashar Assad's government, but they are deeply suspicious of one another.