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News in Numbers

62
Percent of congressional staffers who believe that U.S. election votes are often counted fairly. Only a third of the general public agrees.
65
Percent of voters in Washington, D.C., who support Initiative 71, a measure on the November ballot that would legalize recreational marijuana in the District.
569
Pieces of underwear collected by the New York City transit system's lost-and-found so far in 2014.
Number of the 10 states that have reduced their carbon emissions by at least 30 percent since 2005 that also saw a decline in economic activity.
Tax revenues lost by the states in 2011 from corporations and rich people keeping money in foreign countries. The treasury secretary recently proposed reforms to stop the practice.
Range of percentage of land owned by the government in most cities.
62
Percent of Americans under age 30 who think there's “a lot of useful, important information that is not available on the Internet.” Over 30 years old, 53 percent agree.
100
Number of onions stolen from a school garden in Waterville, Maine that were to go to a local homeless shelter and the school's kitchen. Fifth grade teacher Mary Dunn then used the incident to give her students a lesson about "making mistakes, taking responsibility and coming together when things don’t go as planned."
Average per capita income within three miles of a major U.S. coal plant.
63
Percent of consumers aged 18 to 29 who don't have a credit card, compared to only a third of Americans over 30. About two-thirds of consumers with more than one credit card are over 50.
Average number of hours worked per week (which is the nation's highest) by private-sector employees in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La., metro area in July.
40
Percent of the U.S. electrical power supply that comes from coal.
Number of people identified by two conservative advocacy groups as registered to vote in both Maryland and Virginia. The groups say at least 164 voters cast ballots in both states in the 2012 election.
Amount in grants awarded to states by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 2006 and 2012 that remain unspent.
Amount it cost Arlington, Va., to buy a new Macbook Air for every freshman in three of the county's high schools. The district aims to provide every student with a laptop by 2017.
30
Number of researchers worldwide working on "rebalancing" urban bike-share stations. Computer scientists and mathematicians are testing new algorithms to ensure riders don't face too-full or empty stations.
U.S. school superintendents who approve of physically restraining children as punishment.
Time of day middle and high schools should open, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which claims schools with later start times see improvements in student attendance and performance.
7
Number of protesters arrested (out of 163) in Ferguson since a police officer's fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown who are actually from Ferguson, Mo.
Percent of New York City "stop-and-frisk" stops in which police recovered a gun during the 12 years Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in office.
Settlement approved by the L.A. City Council for the family of an unarmed National Guard veteran who was fatally shot by police 21 times. It's the city's largest payout in a fatal police shooting case in at least a decade.
Number of birds killed annually by a solar installation in California. The birds ignite in mid-air because of the plant’s hyper-concentrated solar rays.
100
The number of streets in Providence, R.I., that share part of their name with others (like Grand Street, Grand View Street and Grand Broadway), spurring the city to rename some streets to reduce confusion for police officers and firefighters.
20
The percent of students in California's public universities that are from out of state, which is a record high and has resulted in an extra $400 million in revenue.
6
The number of times Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., according to a private autopsy.
$1
The going rate for a vacant home in Buffalo, N.Y., which is bucking the trend across of the country of demolishing abandoned structures.
13%
The amount of land that California needs to build a 29-mile high-speed rail system that it has actually acquired from farmers, homeowners and businesses. The state has yet to start heavy construction of tracks and train stations.
12
Number of people in Utah who have tested positive since the state started drug screening all welfare applicants. The program has cost more than $30,000 so far.
Number of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents in high-poverty metro areas across the United States, compared to 5.3 deaths per 100,000 residents in more affluent areas.
Percent of homeless people living on the street that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development characterizes as "severely mentally ill."