The number of disabled veterans has jumped by 25 percent since 2001, to 2.9 million. With tens of thousands of Iraq war veterans coming home with such injuries as multiple amputations, brain damage, and burns, the federal government expects to be spending $59 billion a year to compensate injured vets in 25 years, up from $29 billion this year.
Associated Press
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NASA is offering test volunteers $17,000 each to spend 90 days in bed, lying with their feet slightly elevated above their heads. The space agency is studying how the human body responds to a lack of gravity over long periods of time.
Wired.com
For the 12th year in a row, Emily topped the list of most popular baby-girl names last year, according to the Social Security Administration. Jacob led among names for boys for the ninth year in a row. The other top names for boys were Michael, Ethan, and Joshua, while the other top girls’ names were Isabella, Emma, and Ava.
Chicago Sun-Times
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court granted 2,370 requests to search or eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies in the U.S. last year—9 percent more than in 2006. “National security letters” issued by the FBI requesting customer information from banks, phone companies, and Internet providers are also up, to 12,583 in 2006, the latest year available.
Los Angeles Times
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Israel: Losing the American publicFeature A recent poll finds American support for Israel's military action in Gaza has fallen from 50% to 32%
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Unmaking AmericansFeature Trump is threatening to revoke the citizenship of foreign-born Americans. Could he do that?
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EPA: A bonfire of climate change regulationsFeature The Environmental Protection Agency wants to roll back its 'endangerment finding,' a ruling that lets the agency regulate carbon emissions
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Obama vetoes aid to Syrian rebels, and morefeature President Obama nixed a plan to arm the Syrian rebels in 2012.
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The cost of the financial crisis, and more
feature The financial crisis may cost the U.S. almost $13 trillion.
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Robots on the battlefield, and more
feature The U.S. military has deployed about 3,500 robots to search for bombs or enemy soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Suicide deaths surpass battle deaths, and more
feature More active-duty U.S. troops have committed suicide this year than have been killed in battle.
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Iraq's war widows, and more
feature After two decades of war and civil conflict, about 1.5 million Iraqi women are widows, a new study says.
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The hottest year ever? and more
feature In Iraq, where U.S. troops patrol in heavy armor, the temperature topped 126 degrees in July.
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Consequences of war, Longer flight times
feature About 300,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—18 percent of those who have served—are suffering from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a comprehensive new Rand Corp. analysis. More than hal
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Promoting senators, Texting 101, Foreign tourists
feature Whether Democrats choose Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama to face Sen. John McCain in November, it will mark the first presidential election in the nation’s history pitting two sitting U.S. senators agai