Soldiers scan for possible snipers in nearby apartment buildings in al Noor neighobrhood, north Mosul, Iraq on January 26, 2008. Charlie Company, First Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Division based at Fort Carson, Colorado (Steve Lannen/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT)

U.S. rocket kills 10 Afghan civilians

The 10 deaths, five of which were children, came two days into a new military strategy in Marja. Top American commander Gen. Stanley A. McCrystal apologized to President Hamid Karzai. Avoiding civilian deaths is the basis for American strategy in the Middle East.

Secret raid captures Taliban commander

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a top Taliban military commander, was captured in a secret joint raid by American and Pakistani intelligence officers. American officials call Baradar the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the American-led war in Afghanistan started more than eight years ago.

New nuclear reactors approves by government

The U.S. government has approved an $8.3 billion loan guarantee to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia. These will be the first new reactors built on American soil since the 1970s. President Obama has embraced nuclear energy as a clear energy alternative.

Snipers are effective for Afghan offense

Afghan military have begun using snipers in combat in the new U.S. campaign in Marja. There have been five Marines hit by these long-range shots, one fatally.

States consider cuts to Medicad

Virtually every state is eyeing possible cuts to Medicaid. In order to try and save money, states are cutting optional coverage since they are not allowed to change eligibility. This comes at the same time as Democrats pushing for $15 million in funding for the program.

Anthrax case officially closed

The F.B.I. has officially closed the case on the anthrax attacks from eight years ago that killed five people. The attacks were carried out by Bruce E. Ivins, a military biodefense expert who killed himself in 2008. The 92-page report is considered the largest F.B.I. investigation in history.

Jobless to stay jobless in better economy

As the economy starts to head north, don’t expect the unemployment rate to do the same right away. Economists are worried that there will not be enough new jobs to meet the needs of the record number of Americans without them.