- AP Special Report: In a multipart package of stories, photos, graphics and video, The Associated Press examined the personal and financial toll of heroin addiction and efforts to address the growing national concern. Among the findings: The number of heroin users in the U.S. rose to 669,000 in 2012, with the greatest increases among those 18 to 25. First-time users nearly doubled in a six-year period ending in 2012, from 90,000 to 156,000. Numerous states are reporting rising use, overdose deaths or treatment admissions related to heroin. In Ohio, heroin-related overdoses killed 195 people last year in the Cleveland area, shattering the previous record, while in Connecticut, 10,183 people were admitted for treatment for heroin last year at licensed programs, up from 8,954 in 2012 and the highest total in eight years. http://goo.gl/x2pIrg
- WP: Of the 2.6 million service members dispatched to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, more than half say their physical or mental health is worse than before they deployed, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation. But most of those health problems are not the result of gunshots, grenades and roadside bombs: Almost eight in 10 of those reporting health problems – about 1 million of them – say they were not seriously injured in combat. Their wounds are predominantly derived from the turmoil and piercing physical challenges of modern war, the cost of dressing with a bulky armored vest and extra clips of ammunition, the failure to provide basic safety gear, the mistakes that occur when imposing vehicles are driven by sleep-deprived troops, the eardrum-rattling blasts of gunfire and artillery. During the entire Iraq war, which stretched for almost nine years, the military conducted more medical evacuations by air for troops who had non-hostile wounds than those injured in combat. The Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts witnessed thousands of troops who survived roadside bomb blasts, suffering moderate brain injuries that could cause long-term health consequences. http://goo.gl/Bs1Q6n
- WSJ: As housing costs have spiraled out of control, thousands of people in Silicon Valley struggling to afford a place to live have resorted to sleeping in their own car; but many communities are passing ordinances, prohibiting people from sleeping in their car, because they pose a nuisance to the community.
“The San Jose/Santa Clara County region's homeless population—about 7,600 on any given night, the fifth-highest among major metro areas—edged up in 2013, even as the number of homeless nationwide dropped, according to U.S. data. About 46% of the homeless here are living on the streets for the first time, while 48% previously rented or owned a home, according to a county survey. An ordinance passed by Palo Alto last year would punish people cited for living in a vehicle with as much as a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.''
“Homeless advocates say cities should do more to aid homeless people, rather than prosecute them. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, said that as homelessness increased during the recession, there has been a boost in "laws that criminalize it," such as bans on camping in public places and restrictions on sitting and lying on sidewalks.’’ http://goo.gl/R8tiz9
- Talking Points Memo: According to a new Suffolk University poll of Iowa voters released Wednesday, just 9.63 percent of those surveyed think Vice President Joe Biden would be their first choice if the Democratic Caucus for President were held today. By contrast, Hillary Clinton got 62.96 percent of those surveyed and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma) came next with 11.85 percent of those surveyed. http://goo.gl/jn5sho
- NYT's: Who decides who gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? “After 30 years of pop music splintering into ever more genres, the choices are no longer so evident, a situation that has led to an increasingly intense generational and stylistic debate about the selections and the process.'' http://goo.gl/hwWrAC
This and STAT
- WSJ INFOGRAPH: Nearly 40% of U.S. households now have no landline phone, and there are more wireless devices than people. http://goo.gl/NDXnYX
- Brigham and Women's Hospital: Last-Minute Tips for Marathon Runners: http://goo.gl/B1mIk7
- Pew Research: 20% of children live in a household with a married stay-at-home mother and her working husband. The share of mothers who do not work outside the home rose to 29% in 2012, up from a modern-era low of 23% in 1999, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. The broad category of “stay-at-home” mothers includes not only mothers who say they are at home in order to care for their families, but also those who are at home because they are unable to find work, are disabled or are enrolled in school. http://goo.gl/dZmcn7
- Cool Tool: Census Reporter: http://goo.gl/iJz2X5
- Forbes Magazine: 61% of American teens own an iPhone, up from 55% in the fall of 2013.
- Market Watch: 34% of couples spend over $20,000 on nuptials.
- Frontline INFOGRAPH: The federal prison population grew nearly 800% in 30 yrs. http://goo.gl/7tSfCA
- Economy Watch INFOGRAPH: 10 Jobs With Surprisingly Good Pay. http://goo.gl/Y3mJrr
- Forbes Magazine: 51% of Americans ages 55 to 64 don't have wills.
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