In parts of Afghanistan robust local government institutions have taken hold. As the Obama administration prepares for the pullout of American forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, a question rises: Could these institutions hold the key to a stable future for the country? David Loyn, the BBC’s international development correspondent, has been reporting from Afghanistan on the run-up to the transition.

In February 1989, after nine long years, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan. Today, as the United States transitions out of the country, Nikolas Gvosdev, professor of national security studies at the U.S. Naval War College, says that Americans have plenty of lessons to learn from the Soviet withdrawal. 

One in eight bridges in the United States have been categorized as structurally deficient and many more are reaching the end of their lives. Attorney and author Barry LePatner tells us what can be done about America's infrastructure problem. Where will the money come from in an era of tightening budgets and is there enough political will to prevent the country's infrastructure from falling farther behind? Kristian Foden-Vencil is a reporter for OPB News.

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced a rule change that will help undocumented immigrants who are immediate relatives of American citizens. Julia Preston, national immigration correspondent for Takeaway partner The New York Times, explains the intricacies of this new policy, which may affect up to one million people. 

A new show on Oxygen called "All My Babies' Mamas" has led to public outrage, debate, and even a petition at Change.org, demanding that the producers pull the show. The main assertion from critics: that it negatively depicts black men. Jamilah King, culture editor at Colorlines.com, explains.

Within civilizations made out of hunter-gatherers, the practices for raising children and caring for the elderly are far different than in the developed world in the West. But, there may be lessons to be learned from these traditional societies. Jared Diamond has spent nearly 50 years studying culture and civilizations in Papua New Guinea. His latest book is called, "The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?"

Boston Globe staff photographer Essdras Suarez describes what it's like to actually be on the ground after an event like Newtown and to experience the grief of victims first-hand.