— New HIV infections are on the rise among gays, drug users and prostitutes according to the U.N. AIDS agency. The increase is being seen worldwide. In the United States, there’s been a fast rise in new infections in people between the ages of 19 and 25. A U.N. official said not having information, access to protection and complacency are all to blame. Click here for more details.
— Last night, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty promised a crowd of people that the city will spend $10 – 20 million training unemployed residents to weatherize homes. The city plans to hire the trainees for home weatherization projects, but so far no details about the training or hiring have been revealed. Click here for more details.
— Maryland has fallen further behind when it comes to food stamp delivery. In December, a judge ordered the state to catch up with a backlog of food stamp requests, but an increase in applications at the end of the year put the state even further behind. The law requires that food stamp benefits be sent within 30 days of a request. Click here for more information.