News in Numbers
The amount that could be raised if Minnesota imposed a tax on social media platforms...
The loss this year in public equity investments among the top 25 state and local pension funds. Over the four trading days between April 3 and 8, the funds lost $169 billion. The funds may face cash flow problems if the economy heads into recession.
The share of Pennsylvania school districts that report they have teacher slots open. The number represents a decline from the previous school year...
Amount a diner paid for a reservation for four via a third-party reservation website at Antoine’s restaurant in New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend. Republican state Rep. Troy Hebert has introduced legislation to ban companies such as Appointment Trader, Dorsia and Wuw Wuw from offering or arranging reservations at restaurants that have not agreed to the service through a contract. Proponents of the practice say that when done properly it benefits both diners and restaurants.
The approximate number of tornadoes reported in the U.S. during the first three months of the year. That is nearly double the 164 that were reported during the same period last year.
Baltimore’s budget shortfall. Mayor Brandon Scott unveiled a budget plan that would address the shortfall ...
The amount that would be devoted to public schools under a budget plan from Ohio House Republican leaders...
The number of students, some as young as 5, who were abused by staff members at a Pennsylvania charter school. Twenty staffers have been charged with inflicting painful punishments including “shoulder work"...
The amount of federal money New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul assumed her state would receive when putting together her budget. That’s 36 percent of her proposed $252 billion budget...
The amount of state aid being sought by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The request calls for $638 million for city services and $700 million for updating the electrical grid in the Pacific Palisades...
The minimum hourly wage sought by home health-care workers lobbying in Nevada. Two years ago, home health-care workers convinced legislators to set their minimum wage at $16 an hour...
The number of years a lightbulb has been illuminating a firehouse in Livermore, Calif. The Centennial Bulb, which earned that nickname in 2001 ...
The increase in firearm deaths among children and teens between 2019 and 2023. Firearms have been the leading cause of deaths for American youth for three years running, followed by vehicle accidents. Black children were more than eight times as likely to die due to weapons than white kids; firearms have been the leading cause of death for Black youth since 2015.
The amount of funding the Trump administration has stripped from the University of Pennsylvania for allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, to compete on its women’s swimming team. The White House made an announcement on social media, but Penn said it has received no official notice, pointing out that it has followed NCAA guidelines.
The number of employees left at the National Center for Education Statistics. The center, part of the federal Department of Education, used to have 100 employees but was among the hardest hit by last week’s employee purge. NCES administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, which is also known as the Nation’s Report Card. Only one of the three left is a testing expert and none of them works directly with NAEP.
The typical number of laying hens at a Canadian poultry farm. By contrast, many farms in the U.S. have more than 1 million. Putting so many chickens in one basket, so to speak, is one reason why avian flu has been a bigger problem in the U.S. than in Canada, which is not seeing the same sort of price spikes for eggs.
The amount of money raised by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the first two weeks since officially launching his campaign for New York City mayor. Along with earlier fundraising and public matching funds, his total for the first quarter will likely be $4.1 million, putting him well ahead of any other Democrat in the money chase.
The number of pounds of dye used to turn the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. Since 1962, the Chicago plumbers’ union has used two boats to dye the river, switching to an environmentally friendly vegetable-based dye from an oil-based dye used in the past.
The amount of growth in Dawson County, Ga., between July 2023 and July 2024, making it the nation’s fastest growing county. The 10 fastest-growing counties were all in the Sunbelt, including four in Texas. Metropolitan counties are growing faster than the nation as a whole, driven by international migration.
The increase in energy prices in February. Gasoline prices were down but electricity and natural gas both increased. Inflation, which ticked down to 2.8 percent last month, was driven largely by higher prices for shelter, which accounted for half the overall increase.
The risk of a recession in the coming year, according to Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. Zandi is a prominent forecaster who has consulted with politicians from both parties. “The economy will likely suffer a downturn if the Trump administration follows through on the tariff increases it has announced and maintains those tariffs for more than a few months,” Zandi says.
The share of Indiana counties that are expected to lose population over the next 30 years. Many smaller counties in the state are actively seeking grants for programs to reverse this trend, largely by improving local quality of life.
Number of historic photos and online posts marked for purging from the Department of Defense as part of its effort to remove materials related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Many of the images feature women and minorities. “In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ‘gay,’” according to the Associated Press, “including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.”
The salary and bonuses earned by Salvador Cavazos, superintendent of Valere Public Schools, a small network of charter campuses in Texas. The network serves fewer than 1,000 students. That’s more than double the compensation for Melissa Aviles-Ramos, chancellor of New York City schools, which serve nearly 1 million students.
The share of the vote taken by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in Tuesday’s primary. Jones finished well behind Cara Spencer, a former alderwoman who was her opponent four years ago and took 68 percent on Tuesday. Jones and Spencer will proceed to a runoff next month.
The number of days per week that California state employees will have to work in their offices, beginning July 1. In issuing the order, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the return to in-person work will help restore trust with the public and also be more fair to employees who already have to work in person, including custodial staff.
The number of babies whose health was protected by James Harrison. The Australian railway clerk had rare antibodies in his blood that, when administered during pregnancy, help prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn, a condition that can cause stillbirth and neonatal death. Harrison, who died last month, donated blood every two weeks for more than 60 years. “There are so many people walking around with a little bit of James,” said a spokeswoman for American Red Cross Lifeblood.
The number of measles cases in Texas, as of Friday. One child has died and 20 more are hospitalized. The outbreak, the worst in the state in decades, has grown from two cases a month ago.
