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The nation's top military officer says more U.S. troops will likely be needed to win the war in Afghanistan. Adm. Mike Mullen's comments before the Senate Armed Services committee came as Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan underscored his opposition to additional forces, and Sen. John McCain, the committee's ranking Republican, shot back that any delay in sending troop reinforcements would have catastrophic consequences.

Republicans had accused President Obama of dithering rather than deciding how things should go in Afghanistan. The president took three months and convened many top-level meetings to consider strategy and troop levels. While there is support for the increased troop level, they do not think Obama should have set a timetable for withdrawing.

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield about agenda priorities, including: human rights and global food security. Action may be stymied by Russia and China.

Fitch Ratings cut the U.S.'s rating by one notch, moving it from the previous top-rated AAA to AA+, citing worsening governance as a key factor — just months after the country averted a debt default.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Courtney Nguyen, senior writer for WTA Insider, about the home stretch of Wimbledon, the world's oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) forms a presidential exploratory committee and says that he will announce his plans — to run for the top office or not — on Feb. 10. Obama's move allows him to raise money for a presidential candidacy.

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Thomas Kellogg, a law professor who specializes in China at Georgetown University, about the country's expanded espionage law.

A new report from NOAA and NASA confirms that last month was the hottest July ever recorded, driven to new heights by human-caused climate change.

Jill Heinerth's memoir leads with her thoughts as she wonders if she will die underwater, setting the tone for an honest and engaging book about life as one of the world's top cave divers.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti is set to become the first woman to head the Navy. Her confirmation is being held up by one senator as part of a protest over abortion policy within the military.

The top fundraiser for NPR has resigned after a videotape became public showing him openly disparaging conservative groups during what he thought was a fundraising meeting. The video was recorded secretly during a lunch Ron Schiller had with two people who claimed to be eager to contribute to public radio.

Democrats unveiled what they hope will be the final version of their health care overhaul bill after days of closed-door meetings, setting the stage for a showdown vote in the House on Sunday. With his top domestic priority hanging in the balance, President Obama again postponed an overseas trip that has already been pushed back once.

After the famous toucan received a prosthetic replacement, it's story has helped spark a national movement against harming animals in Costa Rica, where a new anti-abuse bill is also gaining traction.

Florida residents brace for Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to become a hurricane before landfall. COVID cases are rising in the U.S. The NPR international desk's best tips for beating jet lag.

Before the Soviet period, "Russian food had color," says Vladimir Mukhin of Moscow's world-famous White Rabbit restaurant. He aims to honor those flavors, as well as locally source his ingredients.

R.O. Kwon's new novel explores the attractions — and dangers — of faith, against the overheated, over-the-top backdrop of an upper-crust college somewhere in the Northeastern United States.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang's Forward Party is preparing to put up its first candidates in 2024.

President Obama has tapped a rural family physician to be the nation's top doctor. At a Rose Garden ceremony Monday, Obama nominated Alabama doctor Regina Benjamin to be the U.S. surgeon general. Benjamin runs a nonprofit health clinic on the Gulf Coast.

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, briefs both the Senate Armed Services and the Senate Foreign Relations committees Tuesday on the military situation in Iraq. Lawmakers will also be updated on political developments by the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a coup in 1999. Now, Musharraf faces increasing pressure to step down after sacking the country's top judge. Sharif is among those who wants Musharraf to resign, and says he is willing to return to join forces against Musharraf, even if it means going to jail.

The White House made sure Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey would fly with potential opponents: conservative Republicans as well as various Democrats. President Bush stayed away from more volatile choices.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told Congress Tuesday that he's confident he now has both the strategy and resources he needs in Afghanistan. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, initially wary of a troop increase coming before a crackdown on corruption, said he's satisfied that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed the right intentions.

NASCAR is trying to diversify its workforce. The race teams want more minorities in their pit crews, and they're recruiting former college athletes.

Hundreds of nominees for military positions have been stalled as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., protests Pentagon abortion policy, and that total could swell to 650, the Pentagon says.

Ed Piskor is back with another volume of his popular Hip Hop Family Tree series, this time chronicling the acts — from the Beastie Boys to one-hit wonders — that rose to the top in 1984 and 1985.