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Created by the federal government during the Great Depression, Fannie Mae became a Washington powerhouse: a highly profitable, private company, protected by the government and boasting huge lobbying clout. But today, Fannie Mae has essentially become a ward of the state.

Morale Takes A Hit At Beleaguered Fannie, Freddie

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been vilified for their role in the housing collapse. Key employees have left as morale has plummeted. But the two organizations are key to the functioning of the U.S. housing market, leaving some observers concerned about the ongoing brain drain.

When families give up farming and move away, it drains life out of small communities.

In The Making Of Megafarms, A Mixture Of Pride And Pain

A tiny fraction of America's 2 million farmers produces most of our food. They are the winners of a long-running competition for land and profits that has also drained the life out of small towns.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde in Brussels earlier this year. Lagarde says women are underutilized in the global economy.

IMF's Lagarde: Women In Workforce Key To Healthy Economies

Christine Lagarde says giving women access to the job market isn't just about equal opportunity — it makes economic sense. In an interview, she also reflects on being the only woman in the room.

Over the last dozen years, whistleblowers at the National Security Agency have had a rough track record, facing FBI raids and lawsuits.

Before Snowden: The Whistleblowers Who Tried To Lift The Veil

Unless you have documents, nobody listens. It's a bitter lesson learned by former NSA officials who tried to work within the system to expose what they considered unconstitutional programs.

What Does A Good Common Core Lesson Look Like?

You've heard the complaints — now take a close look at a top-notch lesson plan.

Reliving 'Dylan's Gospel': Bob's Songs Transformed

In 1969, music producer Lou Adler assembled LA's top background singers for a gospel reading of Bob Dylan songs. NPR's Eric Westervelt speaks with Adler and Merry Clayton about the album's re-release.

Ahmad, who wouldn't give his last name, smokes heroin. He lives in a makeshift village filled with drug addicts called Kamar Kulagh, on the outskirts of the western Afghan city of Herat.

An Afghan Village Of Drug Addicts, From Ages 10 To 60

Afghanistan is not just a world leader in producing drugs. It's also a leading consumer. Drug users addicted to heroin, and more recently crystal meth, are everywhere in the western city of Herat.

An Admitted 'Ham' Shares Slices Of Show-Biz Life

Sixteen short stories of a triumphant, tragic, and most of all, hilarious life in show business make up Sam Harris' new memoir, Ham: Slices of a Life. NPR's Jacki Lyden speaks to Harris about his rise to fame after winning the first season of the 1980's hit TV show Star Search.

U.S. Olympic Skier Finds Team Spirit, Minus The Team

Three-time Olympic skier Kris Freeman has had a successful career filled with challenges; first and foremost managing diabetes while becoming an elite competitor in a physically taxing sport. But this past year, Freeman encountered another obstacle when his relationship with the national ski team abruptly ended.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (center), accompanied by FBI Director Robert Mueller (left) and CIA Director John Brennan, testifies on Capitol Hill on March 12, 2013. When questioned, Clapper said the NSA did not collect data on Americans. He later acknowledged his response was "clearly erroneous."

The Challenge Of Keeping Tabs On The NSA's Secretive Work

Congress is supposed to hold U.S. spy agencies accountable. But as Edward Snowden's disclosures revealed, intelligence officials have not always provided a full or accurate picture.

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