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
This week marks the first time in more than 10 years that a Harry Potter book has not appeared on The New York Times best-seller list.
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The New York Times
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
