By DENISSE RAUDA, Scripps Howard News Service

Charlotte Felix has been on oxygen therapy for 13 years now.
The 43-year-old Abilene woman's scoliosis led to a restrictive lung disease that makes breathing assistance a necessity for her.

On a visit to China last year in preparation for the 2008 Summer Games, U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Hoff had an epiphany: she couldn't speak to the locals.In between practicing for the trials, and keeping up with her busy schedule, Hoff decided then and there that she would add the Mandarin language to her agenda."I really wanted to feel more prepared," Hoff said

In "My Mother Wears Combat Boots," a young girl awaits her mother's return from the war in Iraq.

WASHINGTON -- This week, three years after Hurricane Katrina, federal investigators charged five people with taking part in schemes to bilk the government for disaster-related benefits they didn't deserve.Andrew Ealy III, of Gonzales, La., was charged Wednesday with fraud for using false receipts and invoices to make claims for more than $200,000 in small business loans.

WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama is the overwhelming favorite of young people to win the coming presidential election, according to a study released Wednesday.A survey of 18 to 24 year olds conducted by Harvard University found that Obama commands a 26 percent lead over Republican candidate John McCain.