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By the end of 2008, the United States will spend three-quarters of a trillion dollars on defense. Adjusted for inflation, the Pentagon's latest budget will be the highest since the end of World War II. Yet, over the past seven years, troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced equipment shortages and lack of proper armor.

The death toll from tornadoes that tore through the South continues to rise Wednesday, as authorities prepare to go door-to-door to search for victims. Fay Graves, who manages a McDonald's restaurant in Jackson, Tenn., describes the destruction.

Many speculated that Americans would be wearied by a two-year presidential campaign. But so far, the country remains hooked on the races — and so are TV news channels.

The winner of the Iowa caucuses just one month ago, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is now the clear underdog in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. He has spent much of the past week campaigning across the South, where he hopes the Evangelical base can give him a lift.

The candidates have differing positions on what to do going forward in Iraq. But much of their campaign rhetoric has been backward-looking — questioning each others' support for, or opposition to, the war.

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid by author and illustrator Jeff Kinney, the most mundane details of a middle school student's life are uproarious. Kinney's illustrated diaries remind readers about the dramas of junior high.

On Thursday, Microsoft announced a whooping $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, a merger that would give Google a run for the money. A deal that combines the second and third largest online search companies is likely to attract antitrust review. Greg Sidak, U.S. editor of the Journal of Competition Law and Economics offers some insight.

Microsoft has made a $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, an aggressive move by the software giant to gain market share on the Internet and compete with Google. Microsoft and Yahoo have talked about merging for years. This time, a hostile but very rich offer could seal the deal.

Presidential candidates are weighing in on how to address the subprime mortgage crisis. Hillary Clinton is calling for a freeze on adjustable mortgage rates. Barack Obama wants to eliminate predatory lending. And Mitt Romney wants the FHA to help more homeowners. But that's just one of the economic issues addressed by the candidates.

The Commerce Department says the U.S. gross domestic product grew at just 0.6 percent in the final quarter of 2007. That is the weakest growth rate in five years for the GDP.