Uncertainties surrounding the future of the NATO mission in Afghanistan are of particular concern for an area near Kabul that French troops have controlled for the past decade. France now plans to withdraw its army a year ahead of schedule, sparking fears of a potential crisis in Kapisa province.

On a plateau amid the towering Hindu Kush mountains, Hukum Khan, a 31-year-old Afghan farmer, says the presence of French troops hasn't made much difference in his life in the past 10 years.

About a hundred people packed into a Socorro courtroom this morning for a hearing on a case that both sides say could affect the future of water law in New Mexico.  KUNM’s Conservation Beat reporter Sidsel Overgaard has more.

more conservation news on our blog: earth air waves

The group WildEarth Guardians is suing wildlife managers over a decision they say has led to the death and injury of Mexican gray wolves.  KUNM’s Conservation Beat reporter Sidsel Overgaard has more.

Imagine being not only the best high school player in the country — probably the world — and signing to play for the best college program in the country, but then walking away from the sport. Why would any kid do that?

But, of course, Elena Delle Donne did exactly that, and the reason she did is simply that she did not want to be away from her older sister.

As a candidate and as president, Barack Obama has disparaged the role of big money in politics. At his 2010 State of the Union address, he even called out the Supreme Court for a ruling that opened the door to unlimited personal and business contributions. But, faced with a Republican opposition that's raising millions from a handful of sources, President Obama let his fundraisers loose to play the game too.

Fiction and nonfiction releases from Haley Tanner, Carol Edgarian, Lorene Cary, Eleanor Brown and Michael Oher.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

A case of what appears to be a high-tech extorsion came to an abrupt end last night, when hackers, which call themselves Lords of Dharmaraja, made good on their promise to release the source code of Symantec's PCAnywhere software, which allows a user to access their computers remotely.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has joined the chorus criticizing President Obama over a controversial policy that would require most employers, including Catholic hospitals and universities, to include birth control in their employees' health insurance.

Catholic opinion leaders have denounced the policy as an assault on their religious freedom.