Numbers: Dec. 5, 2005

40 million Estimated number of people infected with HIV worldwide, double the number a decade ago, according to a new U.N. report

40,000 Americans who acquire HIV each year, nearly half of them African American

373 Registered sex offenders from Louisiana who sought federal assistance in Texas after hurricanes Katrina and Rita

255 Louisianans with outstanding arrest warrants who did the same

$17.6 billion Estimated revenues generated this year by for-profit higher-education companies, up 71% from 2001

9% Percentage of U.S. college and graduate students attending for-profit schools, where enrollment is growing four times as fast as at traditional colleges

13,000 Free passes offered online last week for the public debut of the adorable giant-panda cub Tai Shan at Washington's National Zoo

2 Hours it took for all the tickets to be snapped up

Sources: USA Today (2); Fort Worth Star-Telegram (2); Wall Street Journal (2); Washington Post (2)