South Dakota Blizzard Kills 20,000 Cattle

Like in a scene from an apocalyptic parable, dark carcasses of cows and steers lie motionless in silent clusters across swaths of South Dakota, CNN reports. An early blizzard caught ranchers off guard this week in the state, killing as many as 20,000 head of cattle, a state official says. But ranchers say they are the real victims. The storm left many of them in ruins, and now Washington is leaving them out in the cold. "With the government shutdown and no farm bill in place, we need South Dakotans to help their neighbors," said Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R). Source: Drudge.com, October 12, 2013.