Too fat for the armed services, and more

Too fat for the armed services

One in five military-age Americans is too fat to join the armed services. Though recruiters are scrambling to fill quotas, the military has turned away 48,000 overweight applicants since 2005—a number greater than all the U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan.

ABCnews.com

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Seniors winning entry-level job race

The recession has sparked intense competition between young and old for entry-level jobs in stores, supermarkets, and fast-food restaurants—and the seniors seem to be winning. The number of employed Americans ages 16 to 24 has fallen by 2 million over the past two years, while the number of workers 65 and over has risen by 700,000.

The New York Times

George W. Bush at work on memoir

Former President George W. Bush is writing about 1,500 words a day for his memoir, which will explain how he decided to send troops to Iraq, his response to Hurricane Katrina, the formation of his stem-cell policy, and his relationship with his father.

Politico.com

Green thumbs at the White House

Michelle Obama, who broke ground on a plot for vegetables last week, is not the first White House gardener. John Adams defrayed the cost of feeding guests with his own vegetable garden. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s vegetable garden helped inspire 20 million World War II “victory gardens,” which produced 40 percent of the nation’s produce.

ABCnews.com

Past behavior disqualities potential nominees

Of the 373 Obama administration jobs that require Senate confirmation, only 43 have been filled. Many potential nominees have been disqualified because of tax or nanny problems or other blemishes on their records.

Newsweek