NPR News

Top Pentagon leaders went to Capitol Hill Tuesday and took tough questions from lawmakers on the future of the U.S. relationship with Iraq. Specifically, they addressed how the decision to withdraw all U.S. combat troops by the end of this year will impact Iraq's stability and U.S. national security interests in the region. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told a congressional committee that, while U.S. military commanders wanted to keep a contingency force on the ground, it was Iraq's decision to make.

The Herman Cain campaign is on the defensive Tuesday following a video that shows the candidate grasping and stammering for an answer to a question about Libya. The video was recorded during an interview with editors and reporters of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Melissa Block talks with Craig Gilbert, the newspaper's Washington bureau chief, who was part of the interview.

Melissa Block reads emails from listeners.

After weeks of game postponements, the NBA league made a final offer to players — and the players rejected it. Cancelling games affects the players and the fans, but it can also be devastating for the many businesses that revolve around the industry.

Note: There are some details of alleged sexual activity with minors in this post.

There's a story unfolding in Charleston, S.C., that sounds depressingly similar to the scandal that has rocked Penn State University.