News in Numbers
The amount of money that Oregon agencies have saved on travel costs by using web conferencing for just 18 months.
The number of major environmental or safety violations that oil and gas companies that drill on public lands received from 1998 to 2011, according to a new report, which also shows that only 6 percent of the more than 2,000 total violations during that period resulted in monetary fines.
The portion of public universities that require students to have health insurance. At the end of February, Michigan State will start automatically enrolling uninsured freshmen in the school's health plan.
The number of District of Columbia government employees that were suspended for receiving unemployment benefits while working for the city. Each may be fired and/or prosecuted for fraud.
The number of offenders -- about 5,600 of whom are violent -- who are currently off Florida's radar. Most fled work camps or release programs or stopped calling probation officers.
The number of failing schools that Newark, N.J., Superintendent Cami Anderson plans to close next school year -- a potentially controversial move after talk of school consolidation spurred outrage last year. She also wants to expand access to the city’s exclusive magnet schools.
The estimated amount of state income and sales taxes that Alabama is losing because of its controversial immigration law that caused illegal immigrants to flee the state, according to a cost-benefit analysis.
The number of states without an income tax. Republican lawmakers in seven other states are trying to reduce or eliminate the tax.
The number of children who died from abuse or neglect after entering Colorado's child welfare program. Each case was riddled with a possible policy violation on the part of county social workers.
The estimated savings that states could achieve over five years from proposed regulations on Medicaid prescription drugs, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The number of tacos that immigration reform advocates sent East Haven, Conn., Mayor Joseph Maturo after he remarked that he "might have tacos" to support the Latino community. The mayor's comment sparked calls for his resignation from media and the city's Democrats.
The maximum fine that, if an Illinois bill passes, online-dating services like Match.com would face if they failed to post prominently and repeatedly on their websites whether they do background checks on users.
The number of states that automatically give teachers tenure. In recent years, eight states have started factoring student performance into the decision to award a teacher tenure.
The amount of natural gas, in cubic feet, that the U.S. Energy Department estimates is in the Marcellus Shale -- down from 410 trillion cubic feet last year. Gas production in the region doubled in 2011.
The age of John Campbell, the new treasurer for Pennsylvania's virtually bankrupt capital city. Campbell is currently studying for dual bachelor's degrees in business administration and economics.
The portion of Ohioans who oppose fracking in their state until the controversial drilling practice is studied further, according to the first statewide poll on the issue.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed cut in state funding to public colleges and universities to which higher education leaders said would almost certainly force tuition hikes.
The number of states, most recently Utah, using Google’s cloud-based email for all state government employees. Wyoming was the first to use Google Apps for Government.
The drop in serious crimes in Lancaster, Calif., from 2010 to 2011, which the mayor partly attributes to the sounds of chirping birds that play over 70 speakers along a half mile stretch of the city five hours a day.
The price of a Master of Arts in teaching from the American Museum of Natural History. The New York State Board of Regents is giving $30,000 stipends and health benefits to 50 students who commit to four years of teaching earth science in a high-needs public school.
The number of public comments, which are the most that New York officials have ever received on any issue, about the proposed regulations to allow hydrofracking of natural gas in the state.
The number of New York City subway riders who were fined $50 for taking up more than one seat last year. Some were putting their feet up, while others were punished for putting a bag on another seat.
The most that people in Pennsylvania can have in savings and assets before becoming ineligible for food stamps as of May 1. Pennsylvania will be one of only 11 states with the low-threshold $2,000 asset test.
The amount of state funding that the Tucson Unified School District could lose if it doesn't revamp or end its controversial Mexican-American studies classes. A new state law bans classes that promote the overthrow of the government, encourage resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed solely for students of a certain ethnic background and advocate ethnic solidarity.
The number of people who registered last year for North Carolina’s free, statewide commuter-matching program for drivers interested in joining or starting a carpool or vanpool. SharetheRideNC now has 31,326 registered users.
The amount of time each day that Detroit police stations will soon be closed to the public. They will now be opened from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The number of people allowed in the Indiana Statehouse under new rules that caused public outrage and led Gov. Mitch Daniels to rescind them hours after they took effect.
The projected cost of resurrecting and fixing the nation's water and sewer systems, which are in urgent need of repair and replacement.
The number of new laws that all 50 states and territories passed in 2011.
The record portion of Florida residents on food stamps in September. The state's number of food-stamps users has nearly tripled since the Great Recession.
