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When Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley challenged the state's 5.6 million residents to reduce their home electricity consumption by 15 percent, NPR's Richard Harris looked at ways his household could better conserve.

A new Justice Department report says that politics illegally influenced the hiring of career prosecutors and immigration judges. The 140-page report issued Monday largely lays the blame on top aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

On Jan. 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi made history as the first female speaker of the House. She talks with Deborah Amos about her new book, Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters. Pelosi comes from a devoutly Democratic family, and she charts her journey from stay-at-home mom to politician.

The housing bill doesn't just help out Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs; it could make a big difference for regular folks, too. Ron Lieber, who writes a column for The New York Times called "Your Money," talks about the incentives, rebates and credits in the bill.

Pressure to send more troops into Afghanistan presents military planners with a logistical challenge. Factor in training and recovery time — and a "surge" in Afghanistan isn't likely until the spring of 2009.

Barack Obama has met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials in Baghdad. The Democratic presidential candidate's visit to Iraq is his first on-the-ground look at the war effort since starting his White House bid. Over the weekend, he was in Afghanistan.

For Stella Rimington, the author of Illegal Action, secret intelligence is second nature; for nearly 30 years, she worked for MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, rising through the ranks to become the first woman appointed director general.

Mystery writer Julie Smith offers a tour of the hauntingly Gothic city she calls home. New Orleans, says Smith, is a great place to write mysteries — not because of the city's crime, but because of its secrets.

When the votes came in for Prospect magazine's list of the top 100 public intellectuals, at No. 1 was Turkish Sufi cleric Fethullah Gulen. Prospect Magazine editor Tom Nuttall says Gulen's global network of supporters propelled him to the top spot.

Critics of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say the mortgage giants are too big and far too willing to take risks. They also say the companies have too close a relationship with Washington lawmakers, and that the entities shielded themselves from tighter regulation.