News in Numbers
The amount that the Biden administration will award, in grants, to nonprofit groups and state and local governments to better protect low-income families from household health risks, such as lead-based paint, mold and carbon monoxide.
The number of patients who were hospitalized this week, a new pandemic high driven by the omicron surge. Across the nation, approximately 30 percent of ICU beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.
The increase in the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 compared to the year prior. The use of coal-fired electricity increased 17 percent last year.
The increase in first-year Black medical students in 2021 as compared to the year prior, an unprecedented growth. Nationally, only 5 percent of the nation’s doctors are Black.
The number of inches of snow that Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass had received since the beginning of the season as of Jan. 3, the most snowfall since 2007.
The proportion of Chicago’s teacher union members that voted for remote instruction in public schools until “cases substantially subside” or until union leaders agree upon safety protocols with the district.
The proportion of Republicans who believe that the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol was not violent; and just 39 percent of Republicans recall the event as being violent or extremely violent.
The latest count of buildings that have been destroyed in Colorado from wildfires in suburban areas near Denver. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle warned that the tally was not final and more buildings may have been destroyed.
The proportion of Americans who say that they distrust Facebook, according to a recent poll. Fifty-six percent of respondents said that the social networking site had a negative impact on society and just 10 percent said it had a positive impact.
The least amount that the U.S. is predicted to spend on holiday retail sales in 2021; some estimates put this year’s holiday season spending up to $859 billion. Holiday retail spending has continued to rise – the nation only spent $416 billion in 2002.
The amount that the Department of Health and Human Services will dedicate to transitioning the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to the three-digit phone number 988 in July 2022.
The number of charges – five felony and three misdemeanor – against Oklahoma House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell for allegedly misusing his power to change state law to allow his wife to become a tag agent. O’Donnell and his wife, Teresa, who also faces three felony and one misdemeanor charges, were indicted by a grand jury last week. The most severe offense against the couple is conspiracy against the state.
The amount that Cary, N.C., paid to purchase and equip two Tesla Model Ys as police patrol vehicles as well as a charging station for the cars. The town paid about $10,000 more per vehicle than the Ford Explorers in the department’s current fleet, but officials are hopeful that the investment will end up saving them approximately $4,000 per vehicle by the end of their expected life span of five years.
The number of executions that were carried out by states and the federal government this year, the fewest since 1988.
The proportion of children who were underinsured in 2019, meaning they had health insurance but it was too expensive to use, an increase of 4 percent from 2016. The proportion of underinsured Pennsylvania children increased by 8 percent to 31 percent in 2019.
The new spending limit that the U.S. Senate has proposed for a vote, an increase in the nation’s debt limit by $2.5 trillion.
The number of hours certain federal agencies, such as national security and intelligence agencies, will have to assess and report a cyber attack if it rises to a major level of concern.
The proportion of Americans who say that the COVID-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs; six in 10 Americans say that no religious reason is a valid reason for not getting vaccinated. Nearly 60 percent of Americans say that too many people are using religion as an excuse to not get vaccinated.
The amount of Minnesota’s projected budget surplus for the current two-year budget cycle.
The amount that every driver in Michigan will receive for each vehicle they own with active insurance. Payments will begin in the second quarter of 2022.
The cost of Toyota’s electric vehicle battery plant that the company is preparing to build near Greensboro, N.C. The new plant will create at least 1,750 jobs.
The proportion of voters in the 2020 presidential election who believed the Supreme Court should overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, while 69 percent said the Court should leave it intact.
The number of U.S.-based employer layoffs that occurred in November, a decrease of 34.8 percent, the fewest since May 1993.
The amount in pounds of plastic that is produced by the U.S. each year and ends up in the world’s oceans. In total, the U.S. produces more than 46 million tons of plastic annually, making it the world’s top plastic waste producer.
The number of years by which California’s Sierra Nevada mountains could experience a snowless future, according to a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The number of states in which the Biden administration’s worker vaccine mandate has been blocked by a federal judge.
The proportion of American federal workers who are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19. The Agency for International Development has the highest partial vaccination rate at 97.8 percent.
The number of oil barrels that the United States plans to draw from its emergency oil reserves in the coming months to try and bring down high gas prices.
The amount, in federal Edward J. Bryne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced will be used to support the state’s criminal justice system via drug task forces, school resource officers, justice technology initiatives and more. Overall, 156 grants were awarded to 140 local agencies across 56 counties.
