The Hidden Life of Guns is a year-long investigation by four Washington Post reporters documenting the way guns move through American society, from sales at retail dealers to crimes on city streets.

The Post investigation found that a small percentage of gun stores sells most of the weapons recovered by police in crimes - re-confirming the major finding of studies that came out before federal gun-tracing data were removed from public view by an act of Congress in 2003.

» Maryland gun store Realco tied to 2,500 crime guns

» Industry pressure hides gun traces and protects dealers from public scrutiny

» A small number of gun stores supply most guns tied to crimes in Virginia

» Virginia gun store D & R Arms' guns moved fastest from counter to crime

» ATF's oversight limited in face of gun lobby

Washington Post reporter Robert O'Harrow investigated Alaska native corporations' success in the wake of the federal contracting boom after Sept. 11, 2001. Alaska native corporations were created to bring development to some of America's poorest citizens in 1971, but billions in contracts went largely to nonnatives in the lower 48 states.

Multimedia overview: A look at Alaska natives and the corporations created to benefit them.
Photo gallery: Photographer Nikki Kahn spent four weeks on location in rural Alaska, documenting this story in images.

Article: For many with stake in Alaska native corporations, promise of better life remains unfulfilled
Article: In deals between Alaska corporation and D.C. area contractor, a disconnect

Full coverage »

Read the first of three excerpts of "Obama's Wars", Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward's book about the president's struggle to find a way out of the war in Afghanistan. The book details Obama's struggle with advisers in crafting the 30,000 troop surge and exit strategy.

Check out the Post's full coverage of the book, including graphics and related stories about its revelations this week.

» Video: Woodward discusses his book with Diane Sawyer

Lawmakers' committee assignments and industry investments overlap
In both houses of Congress, a host of other committee chairmen and ranking members have reported that they have millions invested in business sectors that their panels oversee, according to a Post analysis of financial disclosure records through 2008, committee assignments and lawmaker investments by industry.

The disclosure reports covering 2009 will be made public in the coming days. But because lawmakers still use a pen-and-paper method of reporting, it will be months before the information is entered into a database by the Center for Responsive Politics and then made available for analysis by The Post.

While many lawmakers have no investments in sectors under their oversight, some congressional committees had notably high concentrations of such holdings, The Post's analysis shows.

Interactive graphic: Congressional stock holdings
Related story: Disclosure rules for Congress are permissive, confusing

Study: Well most likely spilling more than 1 million gallons of oil a day The Washington Post
The Deepwater Horizon well has most likely spewed 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil a day, more than previously estimated, according to a group of scientists appointed by the federal government to study video of the dark geyser at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

The new estimate suggests that, if the flow has been more or less consistent since the April 20 blowout, approximately 1.3 million to 1.5 million barrels, or 53.6 million to 64.3 million gallons, of oil have emerged from the well. That is roughly five to six times the amount spilled in Alaskan waters in 1989 by the Exxon Valdez.

The new figures, obtained Thursday by The Washington Post and soon to be officially announced by the U.S. Geological Survey, indicate that early estimates of the flow rate by the federal government and oil giant BP were not even close to the mark.

Related: Estimate of spilled oil goes up, and BP stock price goes down
Video: U.S. Coast Guard: 630,000 gallons of oil captured a day

Article: At least $500 million has been spent since 9/11 on renovating Guantanamo Bay
The spending is part of at least $500 million that has transformed what was once a sun-beaten and forgotten Caribbean base into one of the most secure military and prison installations in the world. That does not include construction bonuses, which typically run into the millions.
Among other odd legacies from war-on-terror spending since 2001 for the troops at Guantanamo Bay: an abandoned volleyball court for $249,000, an unused go-kart track for $296,000 and $3.5 million for 27 playgrounds that are often vacant.

Live Q&A;: Post writers Scott Higham and Peter Finn will be online Monday, June 7 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss their story about the investigation into the expenses and take your questions.
Photo gallery: Renovation projects
Interactive map: Tour of Guantanamo Bay
Photo gallery: 'The least worst place'

U.S. 'secret war' expands globally as Special Operations forces take larger role The Washington Post
Beneath its commitment to soft-spoken diplomacy and beyond the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Obama administration has significantly expanded a largely secret U.S. war against al-Qaeda and other radical groups, according to senior military and administration officials.

Special Operations forces have grown both in number and budget, and are deployed in 75 countries, compared with about 60 at the beginning of last year. In addition to units that have spent years in the Philippines and Colombia, teams are operating in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.