News in Numbers
The number of states that allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots before Election Day, in hopes of speeding up the determination of a winner as millions more Americans are predicted to vote by mail this year. But “processing” means different things to different states.
The net worth of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, which is equivalent to 1 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Even when adjusting for inflation, nobody has ever reached this milestone before.
The amount that the Trump administration has promised for research in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The money will be distributed to seven institutes for artificial intelligence and five for quantum computing across the next five years.
The value of Customs and Border Patrol’s newly signed contract with Venntel, a company that collects and sells people’s phone location data. The contract states that the agency purchased Venntel software, but there is no explanation as to how the software is planned to be used.
The number of laptops that the three biggest computer companies are short and are therefore unable to provide schools for distance learning.
The amount that the state of Michigan will pay to more than 25,000 victims of the Flint water crisis. The settlement stipulates that nearly 80 percent of the funds would go to children exposed to the contaminated water, amounting to $45,000 per child.
The percentage of people who said they have not taken a ride-hailing trip since March, according to a new poll. The survey also found that 54 percent of respondents felt uncomfortable using a ride-hailing service during the coronavirus pandemic.
The proportion of Americans that agree that “a well-functioning United States Postal Service is important to having a smooth and successful election during the coronavirus pandemic,” according to a new poll. The support was bipartisan, with 92 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans in favor of spending more money on helping the country’s mail system.
The proportion of students in Louisiana that do not have the Internet access necessary for remote learning. Overall, 42 percent of Louisiana households lack high-speed Internet access that would allow multiple users in a home to simultaneously participate in virtual learning.
The Los Angeles Unified School District will test nearly 700,000 students and 75,000 employees as the district awaits permission from public health authorities to resume in-person instruction.
The number of miles Michigan is dedicating to automated vehicles on a stretch of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The number of unemployment benefit claims that were processed for the week ending on Aug. 8, the lowest amount of claims since the pandemic hit in mid-March. However, claim numbers are still far above the 695,000 peak of the Great Recession.
The number of posts containing hate speech that Facebook removed from its site during the second quarter of the year. The figure was a significant increase from the first quarter’s 9.6 million posts that were removed.
The proportion of daily COVID-19 cases in the Americas that are from the United States, amounting to 50,000 cases each day.
The number of states and Washington, D.C., that enacted eviction moratoriums to assist renters during the coronavirus pandemic; 24 of those states’ moratoriums have expired. As of July 29, 43 percent of renters were unable to make rent, putting them at risk for eviction.
The amount that the U.S. Postal Service has lost from April to June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials predict that the service could see a total loss of $20 billion over the next two years.
The number of lawsuits and other legal actions that the ACLU has filed against the Trump administration, 174 of them dealing with immigrant rights.
The proportioned decrease of daily COVID-19 testing over the past two weeks. Coronavirus testing has fallen in 22 states even though the U.S. is still seeing more than 1,000 deaths each day.
The number of people across the nation who are at risk of losing their home once the eviction moratoriums expire.
The number of student laptops that have gone missing from South Carolina’s Greenville County school district, amounting to $1.2 million. Since the end of the school year, the district has made multiple attempts to retrieve the missing Chromebooks, but have been largely unsuccessful.
The volume of 311 calls New York City received in a single day at the height of the pandemic. On average, the city takes 25,000 calls for assistance.
The decrease in American GDP during this year’s second quarter, the sharpest decline since 1947.
The number that the U.S. coronavirus death toll surpassed on Wednesday, the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in the world, amounting to 23 percent of the virus deaths, globally. The U.S. also ranks sixth in deaths per capita, with 4.5 deaths per 10,000 people.
The amount of California’s proposed economic stimulus plan which would rely on what lawmakers call “future tax vouchers.” The state is developing its own plan because of the uncertainty of whether or not more federal stimulus money will get approved.
The number of Americans who will receive a shot, either placebo or an experimental COVID-19 vaccine that was created by the U.S. government, for the largest COVID-19 vaccine trial yet.
The proportion of families that experienced layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic that now believe their jobs are lost forever. In April, 78 percent thought that their job loss would be temporary.
The average number of new coronavirus cases every hour in the United States, the highest rate in the world.
The amount that Florida will put towards new fast electric vehicle charging stations that will be built this summer and will span over 1,200 miles. The stations will increase the number of publicly available EV chargers in the state by more than 50 percent.
The proportion of Hispanic Americans that have had to delay bill payments during the coronavirus pandemic. By contrast, only 14 percent of white Americans have had to delay their payments.
The number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who have been fired over their participation in Facebook groups that contained racist and sexist content. Dozens of others have been suspended.
