Noted
Fertility rates in developing world drop, and more 
Higher living standards and rising levels of women’s education have dramatically cut fertility rates in the developing world.
Bloomberg: $85 million; Thompson: $6 million
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent $85 million of his own money on his re-election bid; his opponent, City Comptroller William Thompson, has spent $6 million.
33.5% of married women earn more than husbands, and more
Among all married couples, 33.5 percent of the women make more than their husbands.
Public pension funds lost $1 trillion in market crash, and more
Public pension funds set up for retiring teachers, police, and other municipal workers lost $1 trillion in the recent market crash.
What's in the beef, and more
Prepackaged ground beef and hamburger patties are an amalgam of various fatty scraps and trimmings from multiple slaughterhouses.
Social Security applications up by 23 percent, and more
Applications to begin Social Security retirement payments are up 23 percent this year.
Chronic hunger touches more than 1 billion, and more
According to the United Nations, the number of people suffering chronic hunger worldwide will exceed 1 billion this year for the first time in human history.
Islamic groups begin to target gays, and more
More than 130 gay Iraqi men have been murdered since the beginning of the year by hard-line Islamic groups that specifically target gays.
Construction at World Trade Center languishes, and more
Of the five skyscrapers planned for the site of the World Trade Center in New York, only one, the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, has risen above street level.
Disillusioned Floridans pack up, and more
Florida lost 58,000 residents over the past year, the first time in a century that it has lost population.
An abundance of lobbyists, and more
There are 3,300 registered lobbyists working the halls of Congress on health-care reform legislation.
Congressional travels during the August recess, and more
Several members of Congress are traveling abroad during the August recess so they can "discuss" and "investigate" crucial issues with their foreign peers.
Fewer people tune into President's press conferences, and more
The television audiences for President Obama’s four prime-time press conferences have gotten progressively smaller since he assumed office.
Turnout for the 2008 presidential election, and more
For all the attention generated by the historic 2008 presidential election, the percentage of eligible voters who actually cast ballots declined for the first time in 12 years.
States close rest areas to save money, and more
To save $9 million, Virginia is closing 19 of its 42 highway rest areas.
Fewer couples file for divorce, and more
Hard economic times have produced a major drop in the number of people filing for divorce.
Sales of Jackson's albums top the charts, and more
In the week following Michael Jackson’s death, the three top-selling albums in the U.S. were all his.
Obama's communications track record, and more
President Obama’s aggressive communications strategy has yielded an impressive number of speeches, press conferences, and interviews during his first five months in office.
Unemployment in Detroit nears 25%, and more
With the implosion of the auto industry, the state of Michigan has lost more than 200,000 residents and unemployment in Detroit is now at almost 25 percent.
Harvard grads change course, and more
Two years ago, 47 percent of Harvard’s graduates took jobs in finance and consulting. Today, only 20 percent of the class of 2009 will work in those fields.
