NPR News

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta got a first-hand glimpse of the precarious security situation in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, when a flaming vehicle got too close for comfort to Panetta's plane as he landed in Helmand Province for a long-scheduled visit.

Scientists on the trail of "pine nut mouth," a nasty metallic aftertaste that some people get after eating the tender little nuts, have been stumped in their latest effort to zero in on the cause of the mysterious affliction.

Two Senate Democrats want the Justice Department to share more details about how it interprets a key provision of the Patriot Act. The lawmakers say the public has a right to know about a sensitive intelligence gathering program.

So Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden and Colorado Democrat Mark Udall have sent a letter of complaint to the attorney general. The senators say people would be stunned to know how the government is going about getting business records and other information under the U.S. Patriot Act.

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Karzai At 'End Of The Rope,' Says Witnesses Dispute U.S. Account Of Killings.

-- Soldier Accused Of Massacre 'Just Snapped,' Official Says.