America’s longest war may soon be coming to an end. President Biden is announcing that all U.S. troops will be leaving Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. [Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post]
Within six months, the leaders of al-Qaeda and the Taliban were dead, captured or in hiding. Instead of withdrawing, however, the U.S. government started to blur its strategic objective — something that would persist for the next 19 years. [Photo: Pete Souza/White House/AP]
Today, there are officially around 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, though unofficially that number, which fluctuates, is estimated at 3,500. There are an additional 7,000 coalition and NATO troops. [Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images]
See more from America's longest conflict through photos. [Photo: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post]
After the deadly Capitol attacks, lawmakers are considering which fences should stay or go.
The decisions could alter the landscape of the District and change how easily the public can access elected officials. wapo.st/3g6Wvqd
Leading up to Inauguration Day, only government officials, National Guard troops and credentialed media could enter the orange area. The yellow zone permitted vehicle traffic only for residents and businesses.
The closures created havoc for those who worked and lived nearby.
Fences have long been an easy and effective solution.
But the visual cue that large fences send to the public — and other cities in the country — is a message the federal government should reconsider, said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia.
Domestic terror incidents have hit new highs, led by white supremacists, anti-government groups and others on far right, data shows wapo.st/327I7G2
The surge reflects a growing threat from homegrown terrorism not seen in a quarter-century, with right-wing extremist attacks and plots greatly eclipsing those from the far left and causing more deaths, according to a Washington Post analysis.
Since 2015, right-wing extremists have been involved in 267 plots or attacks and 91 fatalities, data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows.
At the same time, attacks and plots ascribed to far-left views accounted for 66 incidents leading to 19 deaths.
In early December, the end of the pandemic glimmered on the horizon. Blockbuster vaccine results suggested a clear path forward: It was a matter of making vaccine doses and getting them into people’s arms. wapo.st/3q8jAe9
Then, the euphoria dissipated.
The illusion that science had bested the virus crumbled as mutation-ridden variants with concerning new characteristics were detected. The path forward is still hopeful, but longer and more complicated. wapo.st/3q8jAe9
It has become clear that coronavirus variants can slip past some of the immunity generated by vaccines and prior infections. The virus is here to stay — and scientists will have to remain vigilant. Vaccines may have to be updated, perhaps regularly. wapo.st/3q8jAe9
One in 7 adults in the U.S. are in a family without enough to eat -- a crisis made worse by the pandemic.
In Pennsylvania and New Mexico, Maryland and California, The Post spent time with people living with hunger, and the people trying to help them. wapo.st/3cf30W0
Across America, people are lining up for food - on foot and in cars, at churches and rec centers and in parking lots, in wealthy states and poorer ones. They are parents and grandparents, students and veterans, employed and underemployed and jobless.wapo.st/3cf30W0
After months of deadlock, lawmakers passed a relief package in December that includes $400 million to help supply food banks. But other critical food programs worth billions expired at year’s end.wapo.st/3cf30W0
How America’s deadliest serial killer got away with murder for more than 40 years wapo.st/3mouIBR
Samuel Little has confessed to killing 93 people, virtually all of them women. Again and again, police across the country failed to stop him. wapo.st/3mouIBR
Little has drawn portraits of many of his victims. Some police departments have circulated those portraits, hoping that they will help families identify long-lost loved ones in unsolved cases. wapo.st/3mouIBR