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Scientists in Hungary and Sweden say they've found an answer to the age-old question of how the zebra got its stripes. It turns out the pattern may have evolved to repel Africa's biting flies. The researchers discovered this by placing models of patterned zebras next to models of their plainer cousins, horses, and measuring how many flies ended up on each one. Host Scott Simon has more.

The process by which the Justice Department will decide whether a terrorism case goes to a regular federal court or to a military commission has been something of a mystery. The big difference is how it will be done: The people making those decisions won't just be lawyers; intelligence agents and spies will be there, too. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

Lin-sanity grips basketball! Gripes and second-guesses grip Pats fans! And what do we owe great four-legged athletes when they go past their prime? Host Scott Simon talks with NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman about the sports of the week.

Mushing is a solitary endeavor, especially in the more remote parts of Northern Alaska and the Yukon Territory. That's the stage for 23 dog teams who set out a week ago on a 1,000-mile race from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Canada. Emily Schwing of member station KUAC reports from the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

As the violence continues in Syria, International aid agencies say that medical facilities have become a target for government forces. In many cases, doctors on the ground are being forced to treat patients in their own homes, and reaching the wounded has become extremely difficult. Host Scott Simon speaks with Dr. Greg Elder from Doctors Without Borders, who's running that agency's efforts in Syria.

Saturday marks the first anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Last February, millions of jubilant Egyptians poured out onto the streets across the Arab country. That mood has given way to widespread frustration. Host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson about the state in Egypt.

Syria's state-run news agency says a high-ranking military officer has been assassinated. NPR's Kelly McEvers reports the attack comes as violence in Syria is quickly escalating.

Bu the GOP presidential hopeful walked away without delegates in the nonbinding caucuses and tallied fewer votes in the state than he did four years ago. This time, he barely beat rival Ron Paul.

The country is a major stop for drug traffickers and corruption is rampant. Many experts say things got markedly worse after democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya was ousted by the military in 2009.

Joseph Smith Jr. has been chosen to oversee the multibillion-dollar national mortgage settlement announced earlier this week. Smith is described as a man who understands the plight of the homeowner without forgetting what makes a successful banking industry work.