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Everyone with a security clearance has to undergo a background check, and those checks are often conducted by outside contractors. Lawmakers say some investigators have been convicted of falsifying reports, and the biggest contractor is under investigation in a "complicated contract fraud case."

Africa has increasingly become a focus of anti-terror efforts. The U.S. is providing training and intelligence assistance to a number of countries, and is particularly concerned about the arc of countries in northern Africa, stretching from Mali to Somalia.

With a 44-second victory, Oracle Team USA faced down Emirates Team New Zealand at the finals Wednesday to hold onto the America's Cup. Wednesday's race capped off an America's Cup competition that included capsizing and shattered masts, and an Oracle Team USA that seemed sure to lose.

The famed hall's five full-time stagehands went on strike, and that forced the cancellation of one gala. Tax records show their average total compensation is more than $400,000 each a year. The dispute was over whether they'll also be working in the hall's new Education Wing.

An upscale shopping mall in Nairobi is the scene of a deadly standoff. Kenyan armed forces are battling gunmen who stormed the Mall on Saturday. The Red Cross says at least 20 people have been killed. NPR's Gregory Warner is on the scene and he tells host Scott Simon the latest.

Very few insurers around the country are offering top-of-the-line platinum insurance plans. Policymakers predicted less expensive but more restrictive bronze and silver plans would prove more popular than high-end options, and it looks like insurance companies think so, too.

Kevin Helliker, senior sports editor for The Wall Street Journal, argues that young runners have lost the competitive spirit in running, making them the "slowest generation." He tells host Arun Rath that many young people value camaraderie more than finish times, and some competitions, like the "Tough Mudder" race, explicitly avoid the focus on finish times.

A drama from Dreamgirls director Bill Condon chronicles the rise of the transparency-advocacy group, focusing on the relationship between founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and a top lieutenant (Daniel Bruhl). Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie also star.

A brutal corrective to gauzy portrayals of the antebellum South, this true story of a man kidnapped into slavery took home the top audience prize at the Toronto Film Festival. NPR's Bob Mondello says it emphatically deserved the honor. (Recommended)

Hondurans are going to the polls Sunday to elect a new president. Crime, gangs and drug cartel violence have made Honduras the most dangerous country, of those not at war, in the world. If that weren't enough to compel voters, Honduras's economy is nearly bankrupt and many live in poverty. Host Arun Rath talks to NPR's Carrie Kahn, who's been monitoring voting in the country's capital.