Jen Poyant

McAfee, a leading cyber security company, issued a report on Wednesday that indirectly points to China as the source of a broad ranging cyber attack on more than 72 organizations throughout the world — including the United Nations, the Olympic movement and the U.S. government. As cyber attacks become a growing threat to the country, the National Security Agency has made a push to employ the best and brightest to combat these attacks. Often, the most qualified people to play defense are often the ones that were once on the offensive — former hackers.

Law enforcement officials at the Justice Department have announced 72 people have been charged and 52 arrested in what they are describing as a "horrific" child pornography ring. The ring was allegedly organized on a private online club called "Dreamboard" — where its members gained greater access and prestige by submitting images of their own violent acts of sexual exploitation against children. Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano said at a press conference announcing the sting yesterday that the Dreamboard may have been the vehicle for the distribution of up to 123 terabytes of child pornography. That  is roughly the equivalent to nearly 16,000 DVDs.

As the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches, a new Gallup poll raises the issue of how Muslim-Americans view our democracy and their place in it. The poll surveyed Muslim-Americans and other faith groups, asking whether Muslims have been discriminated against recently, if Muslim-Americans have been sympathetic to al-Qaida, and how loyal they are to the democratic system. In contrast to Americans of other faiths, 78 percent of Muslim-Americans said military attacks on civilians are never justified.

The fight over the debt ceiling is over in Washington, but another showdown over government funding is still dividing Congress. Since July 22, the Federal Aviation Administration has been partially shutdown, waiting for Congress to make a decision on its funding. As a result, thousands of F.A.A. workers are being furloughed — and won’t get back to work until after the recess in September.

The debt ceiling saga continues to grip Washington, and as August 2 looms closer, the threat of a partial government shutdown and the loss of some government services seems possible. The White House and the U.S. Treasury Department have warned that military spending could take a hit, which has military families worrying about how they’ll be impacted.

August 2 is one week away, and Congress still has yet to make a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Both sides of the debt debate are reluctant to compromise — both the Democrats and Republicans have now put forth plans to avoid a default on U.S. loans. The Republican plan includes immediate cuts and caps in discretionary spending, and raising the debt ceiling by less than $1 trillion. The Democratic plan includes a $1.2 trillion reduction in both defense and non-defense discretionary spending.

Millions of Somalis are mired in a deep humanitarian crisis that is now driving thousands of refugees over the border to Kenya daily. Famine is devastating the country, and the process of seeking outside aid is complicated by by an ineffective government, interference by the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabaab, and internal strife. Regardless, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for international aid agencies to bring food and supplies.

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann acknowledged earlier this week that she suffers from chronic migraine attacks, a familiar problem for the 36 million other Americans that experience them. But some people are now speculating as to whether or not Bachmann's migraines might interfere with her ability to do her job. This kind of talk could amount to a minor setback for Bachmann's campaign, considering some polls show she's the front runner for the Republican bid for president.

It’s been over four months since the earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which led to partial nuclear meltdowns in three of its reactors. Japan's government now says that those reactors are stable, and are headed toward a cold shutdown.

The repercussions from the News of the World hacking scandal are slowly spreading across the Atlantic to American shores. Yesterday, the FBI opened an investigation into whether News Corp. employees tried to hack into phones belonging to 9/11 victims and their family members. They began the investigation after Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, made a call for the probe. In related news, Rebekah Brooks, the embattled chief executive of News International, News Corporation's British newspaper subsidiary, has agreed to step down following weeks of political and public pressure.

The fallout from the News of the World hacking scandal seems far from contained this morning, as U.S. lawmakers call for an investigation into whether any American laws were broken during the alleged hacking practices at News Corporation's British newspaper subsidiary News International. Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer, Jay Rockefeller, and Frank Lautenberg, called for the FBI to investigate the day after News Corporation announced it was pulling out its $12 billion bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting, a British pay-for-TV outlet.

The online retailer Amazon is getting into the ballot initiative business. The company is pushing for a referendum in California that would eliminate sales tax for online retailers that have a limited physical presence in the state.

We have been hearing stories of struggles in the job market and small triumphs this week on The Takeaway. We’re asking listeners to tell us their stories of how unemployment has affected their lives. 

As the August 2 deadline to raise the debt ceiling draws closer, there's more talk about the dire economic consequences that will ensue if policy makers in Washington fail to reach an agreement on a budget plan. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says that a bipartisan agreement is not likely to happen, and has proposed a plan in which the president could increase the federal debt limit without Congressional approval.

Rupert Murdoch’s British media empire remains under fire as allegations continue to unfold — not only about the now-shuttered News of the World, but about other media outlets within the company. The Sunday Times and The Sun, both British papers owned by Murdoch’s News International, are accused of attempting to hack Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s phone, bank account and family medical records, as well as paying bribes to members of Scotland Yard officers for information about members of the royal family.

U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford's visit to Syria has drawn the condemnation of the Assad regime. Ford visited the city of Hama, a center of anti-Assad sentiment, where pro-democracy activists greeted him with flowers and olive branches. Meanwhile, in Damascus, pro-Assad demonstrators hurled rocks and eggs at the U.S. Embassy, protesting Ford's visit. 

Plans for the troop drawdown in Afghanistan are underway. The Defense Department announced that the first regiments to head home will be finishing their tours of duty this month, and won’t be replaced. But after nearly a decade of combat there, how much do we really know about Afghanistan and what this will mean for the country? 

An execution scheduled in Texas today is making international headlines. Should Humberto Leal Garcia, Jr. die at the hands of the state, the U.S.'s diplomatic relations with Mexico could be adversely impacted, and possibly may violate the U.S.'s compliance with the U.N.’s Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Garcia was convicted in 1994 of raping and killing a 16-year-old girl in Texas. He is a Mexican national and was not informed that he could access Mexican consular officials after his arrest. Garcia has been denied clemency from the state of Texas, but President Obama has asked that the Supreme Court weigh in on his case by today.

Cuts to entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid are continue to be used as bargaining chips as the debate over the budget rages on in Washington. Already some states have begun cutting back their Medicaid programs. 

But a new study out today in the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that people on Medicaid see doctors more regularly, and are more financially stable and less depressed than the uninsured. These findings could be crucial selling points as lawmakers debate the effectiveness versus cost of the health program.

President Obama is selling his plan to pull troops out of Afghanistan by describing it as an opportunity to refocus on the domestic health of America. His term, "nation building at home" recalls the great American eras like the industrial and gilded ages. They eventually led to new railroads and highways, the infrastructure that powered us into the boom time of the 1950s.