Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.
1. Benedict XVI begins final day as Pope
Pope Benedict XVI spent his last night in the Vatican apartment he's lived in for the past eight years on Wednesday night. After saying goodbye to the Cardinals at about 1 p.m. local time, the pope will depart by helicopter to the Vatican retreat Castle Gandolfo.
2. Sequester cuts could furlough hundreds of National Guard employees in Sioux Falls
Last week the Department of Defense announced that 800,000 civilian employees might be furloughed if the Sequester occurs. More than 500 of those employees live right here in Sioux Falls.
In just the past two months, it seems as though not one week has gone by without hearing something about meth.
4. Weekly US unemployment aid claims drop to 344K
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell 22,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 344,000, evidence that the job market may be picking up.
5. Correcting South Dakota's health issue
South Dakotans are hard working people but does that mean we are healthy working people? According to the United Health Foundation, the Rushmore State ranks just 27th for overall health.
