Minimum-wage hikes sweep to victory: What does that mean for US workers?
After voters in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota passed hikes by wide margins, more than half of states will have a minimum wage higher than the federal one of $7.25 an hour.
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Going against Netanyahu, 84 percent of US Jews favor Iran nuclear deal
Strong Jewish support for an Iran nuclear deal was a surprise finding of a poll of American Jews who voted Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned against any deal that leaves Iran with an enrichment program.
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Mexico's missing students: Will case prove a tipping point?
The disappearance of 43 college students in September has reverberated deeply in Mexico, bringing together disparate protest movements and raising hopes that leaders will finally have to address the ongoing corruption and impunity it exposes.
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Obama, McConnell talk cooperation. This big issue may derail that.
Before New Year’s Day 2015, congressional Republicans and the White House are likely to be engaged in a policy battle that promises to be one of the most bitter and divisive fights of the entire Obama era.
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Iran hints at early release for detained Washington Post reporter
Jason Rezaian, a dual US-Iranian citizen, was arrested in July and has been held incommunicado in Tehran. Some believe his detention is part of a political war between supporters and opponents of President Rouhani.
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Monitor Breakfast VA chief Bob McDonald: curbing culture seen as callous toward veterans (+video)
When McDonald took over as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs this summer, he faced some 100 open investigations. Now, wait times at the notorious Phoenix VA facility are down 37 percent, he said at a Monitor breakfast.
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Why New York's Democratic governor may prefer a Republican state Senate
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who many believe has presidential aspirations, could make a strong case as a governor who works well with Republicans while also keeping progressive Democrats in check.
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Seeing red (lines) on Jerusalem, Jordan recalls envoy to Israel, a first
For nearly a century, Jordan has had stewardship over Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site. Prime Minister Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel has no plans to change the status quo there.
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Gaza flotilla raid: International court drops case against Israel
Ten people died in a 2010 raid by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in an aid convoy attempting to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza. The ICC said it won't prosecute Israel, despite 'reasonable' evidence of war crimes.
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Under blue skies, Beijing rolls out a red carpet for Obama and Putin
China is pulling out all the stops, including closing factories, schools and municipal offices, ahead of an APEC summit in Beijing that President Obama and other leaders are attending.
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Terrorism & Security Pakistan PM vows justice after mobs kills Christian couple over 'blasphemy'
A young Christian couple was accused of having desecrated a Quran on Tuesday and brutally murdered by a village crowd. Pakistan leader Nawaz Sharif vowed the attackers would be punished.
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In Southeast Iran, mourning the cost of a Sunni insurgency
A long-running Sunni insurgency based over the border in Pakistan's Baluchistan has left an indelible mark on an impoverished corner of Iran. President Rouhani has promised to improve the lot of citizens.
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Civil War hero to receive Medal of Honor, 151 years delayed
First Lt. Alonzo Cushing will receive a Medal of Honor Thursday for his gallantry at the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg. The tale of his heroism – and a family's long memory of it – punctuate a remarkable story.
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Seven new members of Congress to watch
With the 2014 midterm elections all but wrapped up, the Monitor looks at which new members of Congress could make the most waves.
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take the quizTest your scientific literacy!
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How to fix Congress: Five experts weigh in
Lawmakers need to spend more time in Washington, develop a less-rancorous dialogue between Republicans and Democrats, and find common ground in backroom meetings.
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Fortress Israel: Can people make peace when they don’t talk?
As Israelis grow skeptical about achieving peace, they have walled themselves off from their Arab neighbors.
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To spank or not to spank: Corporal punishment in the US
A pro football player uses a switch on his child, and an American cultural divide between races, regions, and religions is exposed.
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The whale savers
A decades-long quest to save the north Atlantic right whale is helping revive a species that is a bellwether of the health of the oceans.
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The rise of 'redneck TV'
Why TV's plunge into backwoods family, danger, and colloquial wisdom transfixes America (and the world). Do the shows depict caricatures or gritty authenticity?
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Fracking in the US: The story of one man's oil well
A writer from liberal Massachusetts goes to Texas to deal with a family oil well. What he learned about fracking, salt domes, and America's energy future.
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Why New York's Democratic governor may prefer a Republican state Senate
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who many believe has presidential aspirations, could make a strong case as a governor who works well with Republicans while also keeping progressive Democrats in check.
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Obama, McConnell talk cooperation. This big issue may derail that.
Before New Year’s Day 2015, congressional Republicans and the White House are likely to be engaged in a policy battle that promises to be one of the most bitter and divisive fights of the entire Obama era.
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Can Mitch McConnell handle Ted Cruz? Just maybe, he can.
Sen. Ted Cruz has already flexed his influence in the House with last year's government shutdown. Now, he'll be part of the Senate majority and presumed majority leader Mitch McConnell might have his hands full.
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Terrorism & Security Pakistan PM vows justice after mobs kills Christian couple over 'blasphemy'
A young Christian couple was accused of having desecrated a Quran on Tuesday and brutally murdered by a village crowd. Pakistan leader Nawaz Sharif vowed the attackers would be punished.
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Terrorism & Security Amnesty calls Israeli airstrikes on homes in Gaza 'war crimes'
Israel's foreign ministry rejected the allegations and questioned why Hamas wasn't accused of terrorism. The report was published on the day of another apparent terror attack along Jerusalem's rail line.
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Terrorism & Security Top UK spy: Twitter, Facebook are jihadi 'command and control networks' (+video)
Robert Hannigan called on US Internet giants to do more to help fight the militants using their networks to recruit new members abroad. The companies' cooperation has dropped off since Edward Snowden's intelligence leaks became public.
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Change Agent A chocolate factory with a higher purpose
Shawn Askinosie works directly with developing-world growers to sweeten their lives, too.
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Difference Maker Krithi Karanth's quest: help people and wildlife to coexist in India
Krithi Karanth has witnessed threats, poachers, and forest fires as she tries to learn how people and wildlife can live in harmony in a crowded India.
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Change Agent Hector Manley: paddling for a purpose
A young double amputee paddles down the 2,500 miles of the Mississippi River to bring wheelchairs to his native El Salvador.
Photos of the Day 11/06
A Brazilian Army soldier participates in athletic competition during military Sports Games 2014 in Brasilia. According to the Planalto Military Commander, Major General Racine Bezerra Lima Filho, the Sports Games 2014 are the preparations for the Games of the Army to be held in Brasilia in 2015.
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