Largest campaign in history, Abstinence sex-ed, 390-foot yacht

Barack Obama, who raised $52 million in June, will need every penny. His campaign has already hired 1,400 part- and full-time workers, triple the number of John McCain’s, and is hiring more. With the help of more than 2 million volunteers, the Obama campaign is creating what will easily be the largest field operation in American political history.

The Boston Globe

Texas spends $17 million a year—more than any other state—on abstinence-only sex education programs. The rate of Texas high school students having sexual intercourse, according to federal statistics, stands at 52.9 percent, compared with 47.8 percent nationally.

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Houston Chronicle

A 36-year-old Russian billionaire has launched a new 390-foot yacht that looks like a futuristic warship. The ship, named “A” after its owner, banker and industrialist Andrey Melnichenko, is equipped with two swimming pools, a helicopter, and a master bedroom that rotates on a giant turntable. “A” burns 700 gallons of fuel per hour.

The Wall Street Journal

A record number of babies were born in the U.S. last year, the federal government reported. Demographers say the estimated 4,315,000 births in 2007 signals the onset of a “baby boomlet.”

USA Today

As digital video recorders allow more television viewers to skip commercials, advertisers are turning to product placement in TV shows and films. Advertisers spent a record $2.9 billion on product placement in 2007, a 33.7 percent increase over the previous year.

Los Angeles Times