Eight people have died from a rare, noncontagious form of meningitis linked to contaminated steroid injections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. In addition, 105 people in nine states have been infected with the illness as a result of the shots, the CDC said.

MED-Meningitis-Q-&-A

How did this meningitis outbreak happen and how does it affect you?

US-Obama-Chavez-Monument

Describing it as a "day that has been a long time coming," President Barack Obama made modern history Monday by announcing the creation of a monument to honor the late labor and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. The Cesar E. Chavez National Monument becomes the 398th unit in the National Park Service system, and the first honoring a Latino born later than the 1700s, the Park Service told CNN.

US-Cesar-Chavez-president-Obama

¡Si se puede!" Many people may not realize that the origin of "Yes We Can!" President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign slogan, was a direct translation of rallying cries of the farm workers movement led by César E. Chávez, founder of the United Farm Workers, an organization devoted to defending the rights of farmhands and field workers across the country.

US-Congressional-Report-Chinese-Telecommunications

The United States faces a potential security threat from two Chinese telecommunication companies operating inside the United States, according to a congressional report to be released Monday.

US-SpaceX-Engine-Failure

A SpaceX Dragon capsule remains on course for the International Space Station despite the failure of one of nine engines on its booster rocket after launch, the company reported Monday.

US-Skydiver-Record-Attempt

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner is aiming to pull off a record-breaking free-fall jump from the edge of space Tuesday, wearing nothing but a space suit, a helmet and a parachute.

US-Scotus-College-Admissions-Race

Heman Marion Sweatt and Abigail Noel Fisher both wanted to attend the University of Texas at Austin. Both filed civil rights lawsuits, and the Supreme Court ultimately agreed to hear their separate appeals. Their cases, although more than half a century apart, shared much in common -- vexing questions of competition, fairness, and demographics -- but it is the key difference between these plaintiffs that now confronts the nation's highest court: Sweatt was black, Fisher is white.

US-Anti-Jihad-Ads-DC

An anti-jihad ad that has caused a stir in other cities now has another destination for its message: the subways of Washington. The ad by the American Freedom Defense Initiative states, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad." Jihad - Arabic for "struggle" - is considered a religious duty for Muslims, although there are both benign and militant interpretations of what it means. Last month, the American Freedom Defense Initiative posted the ads in the subways of New York and San Francisco.

US-LGBT-Month-Schools

American schools recognize African-American History Month and Women's History Month. This year, for the first time, two school districts are celebrating LGBT History Month, which started seven years ago and kicked off this year on October 1. The Broward County school district in Florida signed a resolution in September in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender Americans. Last week, the Los Angeles school district, the nation's second-largest, also signed on. The two districts have more than 1 million students.

US-Pentagon-No-Surprises

If there is one thing U.S. military commanders don't like, it's a surprise on the battlefield.

Pennsylvania-Jerry-Sandusky-Sentencing

Nearly a year after the Penn State scandal erupted, leading to the firing of iconic head football coach Joe Paterno and the ouster of the university's longtime president, the public will learn what punishment is to be doled out to convicted pedophile Jerry Sandusky. The 68-year-old former defensive coordinator could be sentenced to life behind bars.

Michigan-Detroit-Police

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said Monday that the city's police chief has stepped down from his post after an investigation showed that he had been in a relationship with a subordinate.