Topic: South Dakota

NCAA tournament not enough? There’s more college basketball around.

Col. James Sabow: Pentagon shooter was obsessed with 1991 case

Pentagon shooter John Patrick Bedell was drawn to the 1991 case of Marine Corps Col. James Sabow. Investigators said the officer committed suicide, but others – including his brother – are sure he was murdered.

Retiring senators: Why are so many calling it quits?

Twelve senators so far have opted not to run again, the second-highest number of retiring senators in 75 years. Among their frustrations: the Senate's increasingly partisan climate.

Difference Maker 'The Aftermath Project': Photographers go back after the war

The effects of war linger past the fighting, as Sara Terry found out herself when she documented a mass grave being dug up in Bosnia.

Black Hills

Science fiction and history mingle in this novel about a native American who travels from 1930s Mount Rushmore back into America’s past.

Cigarette taxes: Where there’s smoke, there’s money

A new study by a national anti-smoking group argues that states could raise more than $9 billion in new revenues if they all hiked cigarette taxes by $1-a-pack.

Cigarette Taxes: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Money

Young Poets' Winning Words

The Monitor's 14th annual Young Poets Contest winners.

Community bankers to Obama on TARP: Thanks, but no thanks

Community bankers say they have plenty of money now, and there isn't the demand for loans. TARP is an unpopular program that some in Congress would like to kill.

Congress's early task: What to do about national debt ceiling?

A vote to raise the national debt ceiling is always tough, because it casts the majority party as a reckless spender. But Congress must confront the issue, probably Jan. 20, upon lawmakers' return from recess. If the ceiling is not raised, the government will likely run out of funds in February.

Midwest's winter storm packs a wallop, vexing holiday travelers

Big winter storm galloping across the US has been blamed in three road deaths. Conditions are grounding flights in Minneapolis, other cities.

Is happiness linked to quality-of-life factors like climate?

A new report finds a close match between individual happiness and objective quality-of-life measures such as climate, air quality, and schools. But others say happiness is more nearly tied to family, friends, and religion.

Catalina bison get birth control to keep numbers down

Conservationists on Catalina Islands, off the coast of southern California, are experimenting with birth control injections to control the wild bison population.

Veterans Day is a teachable moment for many US schools

Schools are mostly finding noncontroversial ways to bring Veterans Day into the classroom. For some students, this is the first time they've ever met a vet.

Dan Pfeiffer to replace Anita Dunn, Fox News takes parting shot

Anita Dunn, the White House communications director who escalated a war with Fox News, is stepping down at the end of this month. Veteran political operative Dan Pfeiffer will take over.

Opinion: As US population increases, Congress must adjust

Today the average House district has a startling 650,000 people. How can one person fairly represent them all?

Healthcare reform adds to troubles of Senators Reid and Dodd

Sens. Harry Reid and Christopher Dodd are leading the charge for a healthcare reform bill. But that makes it hard for them to run as moderates in 2010, when both will face tough reelection campaigns.

Opinion: Should we even have a Columbus Day?

Though the holiday has been used to teach American ideals, we need to remember that to many native Americans, Columbus symbolizes slavery.

Baucus healthcare plan takes flak from both sides of the aisle

Republicans say it's too costly. Liberal Democrats complain that it doesn't do enough for the uninsured. But unlike House plans, it wouldn't add to the deficit.

Going into the fall, Obama has a plateful

In addition to healthcare, there are two wars, Iran, North Korea, and climate change, plus the economy.

Volunteering at Yosemite is a natural

Visitors who fall in love with the park may return to help preserve it for all.