Can Man Control the Mighty Mississippi River?

Record flooding on the Mississippi and its tributaries has already led to stark choices between rich farmlands and more heavily populated towns and cities. Downstream, there's much more to come. Has the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a system that depends on unacceptable trade-offs? Also, Senate Democrats rake oil execs over the coals. On Reporter's Notebook, troves of information captured from Osama bin Laden's hideout are already leading intelligence agents to report some surprising conclusions.

Banner image: City workers load sandbags to be used in re-enforcing a levee gate onto a boat May 11, 2011 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images