National

Roe v. Wade at 40: A Look at Its Legacy

Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, just turned 40. Host Neal Conan speaks with Linda Greenhouse, who covered the Supreme Court and writes in a New York Times opinion piece that it was about "the rights of doctors...acting in what they considered to be the best interest of their patients."

A Closer Look at Women In Combat

The military's lift of the combat ban for women potentially opens up thousands of front-line positions, but many women in uniform argue they've long served in front-line units. Host Neal Conan talks to Lt. Col. Samantha Nerove about what the change may mean and her experiences in the military.

Women In Combat Ban To Be Lifted

The Pentagon is expected to officially announce Thursday that it will lift the military ban on women in combat. The defense chief's groundbreaking move opens up thousands of front-line positions for women. For more on the Pentagon's decision Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Tom Bowman. And from Kentucky, Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has reaction from Fort Campbell.

Lawsuit Questioned Constitutionality Of Ban On Women In Combat

Melissa Block talks to University of Virginia law professor Anne Coughlin about the announcement expected Thursday from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the removal of the ban on women in combat. Coughlin and her students did the research which inspired a lawsuit filed by two women in the Army Reserves last year, alleging that policies banning women from ground combat units violated constitutional rights.