21.   A growing number of experts say describing crime in terms of an epidemic is more than just a handy metaphor.

22.   A growing number of people say they are working more and enjoying it less, struggling to squeeze family life into a day that begins earlier and ends later.

23.   A growing number of advertisers say that their wares can be exhibited only alongside inoffensive copy.

24.   A hunger strike has been spreading in India among Tibetans, a number of whom say they have waited long enough for action.

25.   A growing number of economists say yes, though there is reason for Congress to move cautiously, perhaps even creatively.

26.   A number of analysts said piecemeal efforts in the United States to reduce the number and proportion of people without health insurance have failed.

27.   A number of critics say the contract violates the separation of church and state.

28.   A number of experts say that Homo sapiens is becoming increasingly disengaged from the forces of natural selection and speciation, the key processes that brought humankind into existence.

29.   A number of lawmakers said they will postpone overseas travel until the budget stalemate is resolved.

30.   A number of patients said the grueling operation had little or no effect on their paralysis.