Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

New Fort Meade suicide prevention program manager targets civilians Marissa Pena said many people would be surprised to know the positive impact a kind word can make in the day of a soldier.   Report: NSA collaborates with CIA on drone strikes The National Security Agency has been extensively involved in the U.S. government's targeted killing program, collaborating closely with the CIA in the use of drone strikes against terrorists abroad, The Washington Post reported after a review of documents provided by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden.   Shutdown ends but defense budgets still squeezed Military personnel and defense civilians still work under the cloud of budget sequestration. So first-year sequestration cuts continue to crimp military training and to freeze civilian hiring. And pressure is building on the services to curb military personnel costs.   Veterans are flocking to college as wars wind down Some 1 million veterans and their dependents have enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities over the past four years, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. This influx of veterans has come with the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and more generous financial incentives. Many veterans face an array of challenges in making the transition.   Miramar air show cancellation costs Marine base dearly The Pentagon’s decision to cancel the air show at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar just one day before it was slated to begin will cost the base between $600,000 and $700,000, though officials aren’t sure yet how big a hit the Marine and family programs that usually benefit from the show’s profits will take.   New charges in Blackwater shootings The Justice Department on Thursday brought fresh charges against four former Blackwater Worldwide security contractors, resurrecting an internationally charged case over a deadly 2007 shooting on the streets of Baghdad.   Shutdown over, but effects may linger across Europe The shutdown is over and the debt ceiling was raised, but uncertainty was still the name of the game Thursday as military organizations in Europe awaited further guidance on how and when things would get back to normal.   Hagel apologizes for delay in Swenson's Medal of Honor Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel apologized Wednesday to former Army Capt. William Swenson for the mishandling of his Medal of Honor nomination four years after his heroism in a deadly six-hour battle in Afghanistan.   USS San Antonio rescues 128 in Mediterranean The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio helped rescue nearly 130 migrants from a raft that was being rocked by high waves off the coast of Malta, in an area where hundreds of migrants died when their boat capsized.