The retraining order follows word that another member of the military who is supposed to investigate sexual assaults is instead under investigation himself. It also follows a survey that estimated about 26,000 members of the military were sexually assaulted last year.

"The initial portrayal by the media has been one of a 'monster' and that's not the impression that I got when I talked to him for three hours," attorney Craig Weintraub tells Cleveland's WKYC-TV.

A Treasury Department inspector general concludes that "ineffective management" is to blame for the singling out of some conservative groups.

While looking for the source of a leak, federal investigators obtained phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors. There's been bipartisan outrage over what many see as government overreach. The attorney general tells NPR "I'm not sure" how many such seizures he's signed off on.

Echoing comments made Monday by President Obama, Attorney Gen. Eric Holder also said that even if no laws were broken it was "outrageous" for the IRS to focus on groups who identified themselves as "patriots" or "tea party" supporters when they applied for tax-exempt status.

As the head of the IRS turns to this classic "past exonerative," we look at the history of an oft-used phrase. It came up in the Nixon era, again during the Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, and now in the Obama years. It goes back much further, though.

NPR has launched a blog that looks to tell stories from around the world that connect us all.

The extra scrutiny given to some conservative groups' applications for tax-exempt status has sparked outrage. Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller blames "shortcuts," not politics. He and other IRS officials didn't alert Congress to what was happening when they could have last year.

VIDEO: A would-be Whitney Houston wouldn't stop singing on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City. So, the pilot made an unscheduled stop in Kansas City. As she was led off, the woman serenaded everyone.

Also: Russian security service says it uncovered a CIA agent; the AP blasts Justice Department's search of reporters' phone records; New Orleans police identify a suspect in the city's Mother's Day shooting.

The alleged agent was held overnight and then turned over to U.S. officials. Russian security services say he was trying to recruit one of their officers.

A U.S. audit shows that American firms working in Afghanistan have been hit with nearly $1 billion in taxes since 2008. Much of what's been taxed should have been exempt from such levies according to agreements with the Afghan government, auditors say.

Jolie, 37, wants other women to hear of her decision. She chose to have the surgery after learning that she carries the "faulty" BRCA1 gene. Studies show women with that gene have a much greater chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

VIDEO: The explosives went off, but the grain silo in Australia only leaned. Heavy equipment had to be brought in to finish the job.

The administration's critics, though, say revelations about changes made to accounts of what happened at the U.S. consulate raise questions.

Charged with 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other crimes, James Holmes is accused of opening fire on the crowd at a midnight movie last July in Aurora, Colo. Twelve people died and an additional 70 were wounded.

"This is pretty straight forward," Obama said Monday. "If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported .... and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that's outrageous and there's no place for it."

An Indiana farmer bought soybeans that he knew likely included some with genetic modifications developed by Monsanto. The agribusiness giant sued because it controls the patent on such soybeans. The Supreme Court says the farmer infringed on Monsanto's legal rights.

Groups that focused on issues such as government spending, taxes and making America "a better place to live" were given extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status, according to news reports. That's in addition to the "tea party" and "patriot" groups the IRS has apologized for singling out.

A plan for U.S.-Russian peace conference marks a major step, the prime minister tells NPR. He believes that while Russian President Vladimir Putin still differs with the West over what to do about Syrian President Bashar Assad, there is agreement about the need for a peaceful transition.