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In Duty, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates writes that the Obama team was always "suspicious" of the military and never trusted senior leaders. The memoir is a case study in a long-standing cultural divide between the White House and the military.

The al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has played a key role in the war against Syria's government but now faces a major onslaught from other rebel forces. ISIS militants are also under fire in neighboring Iraq. NPR's Scott Simon and correspondent Deb Amos discuss how ISIS arose and what it wants to achieve.

Israel's former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who suffered a devastating stroke in 2006 at the height of his political power, died Saturday after spending eight years in a coma. NPR's Scott Simon remembers Sharon with former ambassador Dennis Ross, who has played a leading role in shaping U.S. policy on Israel.

Nearly 20 percent of Americans still smoke, in spite of what we know about the dangers. Part of the reason is the allure of a cigarette, so elemental to classic scenes in movies, television shows and books. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Richard Klein, author of Cigarettes are Sublime, about smoking and American culture.

In the 50 years since the Surgeon General's landmark report on smoking, what's worked to convince people not to smoke, and what hasn't? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Kenneth Warner, professor of public health at the University of Michigan, about cigarette consumption before and after the report.

The Wall Street Journal reports the breach affected fewer than one million cards. The retailer has not released estimates on how many cards were compromised.

Next week, Egypt holds yet another referendum on its constitution. We talk to political scientist Nathan Brown on what the likely outcome is, and if it could mean more stability in the country.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died Saturday at the age of 85. Israelis mourned the death of the celebrated politician and army general. But Palestinians reacted differently to the death of the controversial leader, who pushed for Jewish settlement of Palestinian territories.

Nuns sue to avoid contraceptive coverage. A baker refuses to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. These ongoing battles bring into question the scope of the right to religious liberty in America. Where do one person's rights end and another's begin?

Four years ago, an earthquake heavily damaged Port-au-Prince and killed more than 200,000 people. Many areas of the Haitian capital now look much like they did before the 7.0-magnitude quake. But nearly 150,000 are still living in temporary structures.