Topic: United States

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Bestselling books the week of 5/19/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.
Test your Gangnam style?

Pop music sensation Psy has taught his signature horsey dance to everyone from the UN’s Ban Ki-moon to Britney Spears. But how much do you know about the artist?
Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
Bestselling books the week of 5/12/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.

All Content

Not so smart cards easily hacked

MIT students hack into Boston's transit system, highlighting security flaws in mass-transit cards.
The Monitor's View: Afer Musharraf, a new U.S. role

Helping rebuild the fragile Pakistani democracy is the best antiterror plan for the US.
Do uranium mines belong near Grand Canyon?

Mining companies stake claims on federal land adjoining the park, while opponents say drinking water will be at risk.
What happened to Anna K.

A modern take on a tragic romance.
Squeezing every drop from a dollar

A one-man crusade to cope with higher energy costs.
Where does giving fit in?

A Christian Science perspective on daily life.
For Beijing’s businesses, the Games fall short of gold

Tourism has been hurt by visa controls, high prices, and unrest in Tibet.
The agony: Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang drops out of race
China tightens grip on protesters

‘Protest pens’ have been empty. Those who have sought permission to demonstrate have been detained or harassed.
Pakistan weak as militancy surges

Government strategy has been ineffective, and officials are preoccupied with bid to oust Musharraf.
'New Europe' urges West to rethink Russian ties

Seizing on the conflict in Georgia, East European countries are pushing for strong measures against an aggressive Moscow they say they know all too well.
USA
World
In Florida, McCain jabs Obama on NASA funding
After Georgia, what future for NATO?

Russia's message – 'We're back and we're strong' – creates a new geopolitical dynamic in Eurasia for the Western alliance.
Record number of US contractors in Iraq

Some 190,000 private personnel were working in the Iraq theater as of early this year, a new report says.
Opinion: The critical pick: secretary of State

The next secretary faces huge challenges. McCain and Obama must choose carefully.
Opinion: What it takes to run for Olympic gold

Lessons from a legendary American runner.
The Monitor's View: Phelps the phenom

His Olympic wins are a triumph of imagination that physical limits can be broken.
Even the 'comfortable' face the need to alter spending habits

Losses in home equity call for recalculation of net worth, and a return to reality.
Feeling pinched? It's no time to crack the nest egg.

Resist the urge to panic, say pros, and keep on investing for retirement.
Beijing residents discover blue skies, stars

As the 2008 Olympics pass their halfway point, Beijing residents looking upward have begun to notice something new.
Traffic stoppers

An increasing number of cities are temporarily closing streets to cars and opening them to pedestrians and cyclists. It fosters a greater sense of community.
Two Chinese superstars shine in Beijing – as part of Team USA

"Jenny” Lang Ping and Chow Liang, the coaches of the US volleyball team and American gymnast Shawn Johnson respectively, have returned home to great acclaim.
Jamaican women sweep the Olympic 100-meter race

Gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser finished 0.2 seconds ahead of Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, who tied for silver in a photo finish.