News in Numbers
The percent of Californians breathing in unhealthy air, according to state officials. A recent study suggests that most asthma attacks and respiratory emergency room visits would stop if everyone drove fuel-efficient cars by 2025.
The number of residents in Greenburgh, N.Y. who filed their own grievances in 2010 -- up from 449 the previous year. With home values plummeting in recent years, a record number of people have submitted property tax appeals.
The number of employees at the Detroit Public Library who have relatives as co-workers. The facility has recently come under scrutiny for nepotism, citing cases of high-paying jobs going to underqualified relatives of executives.
The number of Ill. state senators who voted for -- compared to 11 who voted against -- a bill to give privately-funded scholarships and financial aid to illegal immigrant children. The failed federal DREAM act would have relied on public funding.
The number of businesses that were not on the state tax roll until Washington instituted a three-month amnesty period allowing them to pay overdue taxes without penalty or fines.
The drop in paper and plastic bag usage at food and alcohol stores since Washington, D.C., implemented a bag tax in January 2010. Montgomery County, Md., just passed a similar tax.
The average number of people that Michigan Gov. Snyder reaches through his town hall meetings conducted by telephone. He's held four since taking office in January.
The hike in a NYC resident's rent, violating a 2009 court ruling limiting annual rent increases to a few percentage points. In contrast to the ruling, lawmakers have proposed allowing landlords to continue charging unregulated rates.
The number of subscribers to NY-alert, a free state-created system that sends people warnings in a variety of ways, such as texts or emails, when emergencies and threats arise.
The number of states considering using private-sector loans to pay back the federal government for lending billions of dollars for unemployment benefits.
The portion of votes cast in N.C. before Election Day in 2008. Lawmakers introduced a bill to shrink the early-voting period, which critics say would reduce voter turnout.
The portion of renters who spent more than half of their pre-tax household income on rent and utilities in 2009. Ideally, renters shouldn't spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
The frequency of state inspections of hospice providers that care for Iowans in the final stages of terminal illnesses. Much of Iowa's health care system is almost entirely unregulated.
The amont of money Ohio demanded back from an auto-parts supplier that received a $35,000 grant five years ago to employ 816 people. Only 445 have been hired so far.
The fine that Indiana state senators of the minority party would receive for each day they're out. GOP lawmakers proposed an "anti-bolting" bill to prevent Democrats from walking out and causing a future shutdown.
The amount of planned new spending on fighting prescription drug addiction in Ohio, where fatal overdoses more than quadrupled in the last decade.
The gallons of fracking fluids in Texas containing a carcinogen that can destroy red blood cells and damage internal organs and bone marrow, according to a Congressional investigation amid concerns of groundwater contamination.
The amount given to Tenn. candidates for state legislature and governor last year by the banking industry, which is now asking lawmakers to reduce the number of public notices required for foreclosures.
The amount of back rent that Brentwood, Md., Mayor Xzavier Montgomery-Wright, who was recently evicted, owes her landlord. Because she is no longer a resident, the mayor may be forced to resign.
The amount that nine Milwaukee County, Wis., employees allegedly stole from running a food stamp scam fraud ring from at least 2005 to 2010.
The average annual cost of treating a patient in N.H. state mental hospitals, compared to $44,000 in community health centers, according to a federal report calling for the latter to take on more cases.
The number of medication errors per 1,000 patients after the implementation of electronic medical records, compared to a rate of 27.89 five years ago, according to a study of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
The planned reduction in state aid to local governments for recycling in Wisconsin. Gov. Walker has also proposed to eliminate all recycling grants to municipalities.
The number of Medicaid patients who saw their coverage for organ transplants cut last year in Arizona. After criticism, Gov. Brewer retroactively restored funding for the life-saving operation last week.
The difference between last year's lowest and highest paid governors -- in Maine and New York, respectively.
The portion of Detroit that's empty, totaling 100,000 vacant lots. City officials are considering condensing the shrinking population into just a few neighborhoods.
The amount of electronics that Americans get rid of every year -- recycling less than 20 percent. The rest end up in landfills, creating health and environmental risks. More than 20 states have laws regulating e-waste.
The number of dropped 911 calls made from Verizon cellphones in Montgomery County, Md., on the night of a snowstorm. A commission found Verizon to be in violation of state law for failing to notify emergency call centers of network outages.
The approximate percentage of voters who no longer think NYC Mayor Bloomberg is doing a good job. According to a recent poll, just 40 percent of New Yorkers -- compared to 68 in 2008 -- view his performance positively.
The number of bridges in need of major repair or replacement nationwide, according to a Transportation for America report, which notes that the federal government does not provide sufficient funds for the fixes.
