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An appeals court ruled against the New Orleans public school system this week — a decision that could bankrupt the Orleans Parish public schools. The five-judge panel ruled that the school board wrongly terminated some 7,000 teachers and other school employees after Hurricane Katrina. For more information, Melissa Block speaks with education reporter Sarah Carr, who has written a book on the changes to the New Orleans school system after Katrina.

When peace talks open in Switzerland, one common concern between the West and Syria is expected to be the threat of Islamist extremists and the rise of al-Qaida-linked militias. Thousands of Sunni militants from around the world have joined the rebel groups in Syria, but there are other groups of militant foreign fighters who support the Syrian regime. Iraqi Shiites are being recruited in the thousands to bolster Syria's armed forces. Recruiting billboards and social media help portray the fight as an existential battle between Sunnis and Muslims.

The state's controversial law required women who want to have an abortion to first have an ultrasound scan and have it described to them. A federal judge calls the law "an impermissible attempt to compel these providers to deliver the state's message in favor of childbirth and against abortion."

The U.S. Supreme Court is delving into the technology-versus-privacy debate, agreeing to hear two cases that test whether police making an arrest may search cellphones without a warrant. A decision is expected this year.

If there was a consensus from Congress after President Obama's NSA speech Friday, it was that Congress itself must play a major role to play in the ultimate fix.

The president's speech Friday offered a revealing look into the nation's phone data collection program and the direction of the surveillance policy debate. But some of biggest controversies have been put off or pushed to Congress.

The new law prohibits almost any type of demonstration. The opposition has vowed to fight, calling for a big protest on Sunday.

Federal forces are backing away from a plan to disarm the civilian militias that are defending their communities from ruthless drug traffickers. In the western state of Michoacan, it's unclear how long the fragile peace will last.

Sunanda Pushkar's death was preceded by a very public Twitter feud about an alleged affair by her husband.

Ahmad Jarba, the president of the Syrian Coalition, said this was "a major step from tyranny to freedom for the people of Syria."