News in Numbers
The percent of eligible schools that opted into Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell's merit-pay program for teachers, citing concerns about the criteria used to judge teachers, the sustainability of the initiative and the accelerated implementation timeline.
The number of feet above sea level that the Souris River was expected to crest at the Broadway Bridge, which would be the highest level ever recorded for the river in Minot, N.D.'s, history. say city officials. Residents in evacuation zones had until 6 p.m. June 22 to leave homes and businesses.
The estimated costs of the death penalty per year in California. This estimate comes from an examination of state, federal and local expenditures for capital cases, conducted over three years by a senior federal judge and a law professor.
The number of living victims of state-sponsored sterilization in North Carolina -- the most of any state. Because of its association with Nazi Germany, most states stopped sterilization efforts post-WWII, but N.C. expanded them and is now trying to compensate its victims.
The maximum payout a new Tennessee law allows a person to get from a lawsuit involving serious spinal cord injuries, severe burns or the death of a parent of minor children.
The amount that the NYC Department of Education is cutting from its custodial budget. A representative for school custodian engineers says it will inevitably lead to dirtier schools.
The maximum annual salary -- down from the current $24,645 -- a family of three could earn to qualify for Medicaid under N.J. Governor Chris Christie's proposal to tighten the program's eligibility.
The percent of public schools that would be classified as failing and face sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act, according to Ed Secretary Arne Duncan's predictions. If Congress doesn't change the law, he may grant states waivers from it.
The financial impact that Bonnaroo, a four-day summer music festival, had on the local economy of its host -- Coffee County, Tenn. -- last year.
The gallons of radioactively contaminated water in Nevada from years of the federal government using it as a test site for nuclear weapons. The state is now trying to seek compensation for the loss of its resources.
The difference between the cost of a red-light ticket issued by a camera and a police officer. Citing the price gap as the reason, a Broward County, Fla., judge recently ruled police-issued tickets unconstitutional.
The number of Latin American countries that have filed legal briefs opposing Utah's enforcement-only immigration law in federal court, arguing that it will damage international relationships.
The portion of revenue that Jefferson County, Ala., lost when a jobs tax was ruled unconstitutional. To avoid filing for U.S. history's largest municipal bankruptcy, the county may lay off one-third of its workforce.
The number of states -- up from two -- that can send their low-level nuclear waste for burial to Texas under a bill passed by the state legislature.
The age that Warren, Mich. Mayor Jim Fouts filled in on paperwork to run for reelection. Three candidates have filed suit to bar him from running for failure to give his age, which Fouts says is ageism and not a requirement by law.
The actual savings -- lower than the projected $3 million -- that Utah got from moving to a four-day workweek in 2008. Gov. Herbert recently ordered government employees to return to the five-day schedule.
North Dakota's unemployment rate as of April, which is the lowest in the country. The state is also one of only three to see its portion of food-stamp users drop in the past year.
The annual medical cost to California for a quadriplegic inmate, who was recently denied medical parole as the first to seek release based on a state law, which assumes that certain conditions would no longer make a prisoner a public threat.
The amount of gifts, including concert and sporting event tickets, that elected California state officials accepted from companies last year. The state Senate recently rejected a ban on such offerings.
The fine -- originally $7,500 -- a NYC government official had to pay for falsifying time sheets, which resulted in more than $22,000 in unearned salary. The fine dropped because she said she had no savings.
The amount an Ohio family paid for their children to attend one year of public school. The price includes fees for extracurricular activities and individual classes, which schools nationwide have imposed on parents.
The extra warning time that a new tornado-detection radar could give those in its path to prepare and seek shelter. A Colorado State University engineer developed the system, which will be tested in Dallas-Forth Worth.
The increase in the number of people who bike to work from 2000 to 2009, according to the Census Bureau. In response, states have enacted laws to make the roads safer for cyclists.
The number of voters in Florida that updated their address from one county to another on Election Day 2008. Under a new state law, this group will be forced to cast provisional ballots.
The individual price of some chairs and trash cans in a newly renovated Detroit library, as the city plans to layoff 82 of the library system's 376 workers.
The portion of Texas' wildfires, which have burned 1.5 million acres so far this year, that were caused by human activity. State officials are now putting restrictions on outdoor smoking, campfires and grilling.
The age of New York's new education chief, John B. King Jr., who will be one of the nation's youngest education leaders and also the state's first African-American and first Puerto Rican commissioner.
The approximate number of local governments that got rid of their D.C. lobbyist last year.
The savings that Wash. state, which faces its worst budget deficit in 80 years, will get from suspending its 2012 presidential primary election.
The salary set for the new Miami-Dade County, Fla., mayor, which candidate Jose "Pepe" Cancio pledges to cut in half, if elected. He also said he would refuse a pension or a car allowance.
