News in Numbers
The portion of state and local officials who support background checks on all gun sales, according to a Governing Index survey.
The decrease in median net worth for members of Generation X between 2005 and 2010, making them the hardest-hit age group during the recession.
The amount of money lawmakers in New Jersey have proposed paying toward recent graduates' student loans if they live for two years in urban areas needing revitalization.
The collective cost of invasive species -- such as the Burmese python, Asian carp and yellow star-thistle -- to U.S. taxpayers each year.
The portion of state and local government officials who approve of President Barack Obama -- down from 54 percent last summer, according to a Governing survey.
Miles of bike paths that have been installed in San Francisco in the last three years. More lanes are in the works, but public resistance to them is growing.
The initial deposit that Cuyahoga County, Ohio, will make into college savings accounts for every kindergartener next fall. San Francisco was the first jurisdiction to implement such a program, and other localities are starting to take notice.
The projected cost for an ounce of recreational marijuana, including taxes, in the state of Washington.
The new fine drivers and passengers who "door" a cyclist -- causing an accident by opening a door in the path of the bike -- would face under changes proposed to Chicago's bike ordinance.
The total amount that states spent trying to recover fraudulent Medicaid payments in 2011. The total amount recovered for that year was $1.7 billion.
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money they have set aside to pay these bills as of 2010.
Americans that believe gun crime is worse today than 20 years ago yet the rate of gun homicides has actually dropped 49 percent from 1993 to 2010.
The amount the state of Kansas has spent to restore its capitol building. The 12-year long project has cost more than other capitol renovation in the nation.
The gallons of wastewater that Hurricane Sandy spewed into waters and streets -- 3.5 billion gallons of which were completely raw sewage and more than 50 times the size of the BP oil spill.
The portion of road trips taken in the United States that are less than three miles.
The number of states -- Idaho, Michigan and Vermont -- that do not require legislators to disclose their sources of income.
The current national youth unemployment rate, which is more than double the national rate of 7.6 percent.
The portion of U.S. households in which no member has a bank account through an insured institution.
The gallons of water lost through leaking pipes from the Lake Michigan distribution system every day.
The number of states that lack a universal helmet law. Motorcycle fatalities have increased in 14 out of the last 15 years.
The drop in the value of one ounce of gold in the last six months. Coupled with a weakened dollar, Arizona is poised to follow Utah in becoming the second state to add gold and silver to its legal currency.
The number of states with renewable portfolio standards that are considering legislation to reduce requirements for wind and solar power since the price of natural gas has dropped sharply.
The age that people would have to be to buy cigarettes in New York City if a proposal to raise it from 18 years old passes.
The public's approval rating for the federal government -- the lowest ever recorded by the Pew Research Center. State governments, however, are enjoying their highest rating since 2008.
The number of jobs the state of Ohio lost in March, which was the highest in the nation. Midwestern states were especially hard-hit as the economic recovery stalled.
The average cost of a vaginal birth at a birthing center, compared to $10,166 for hospital deliveries. Home births -- partially due to their lower cost -- are on the rise, and so are bills to ease the restrictions on midwives.
The decline in chronic homeless in the United States between 2011 and 2012.
The portion of law firms located in rural America, which is home to 25 percent of the U.S. population.
The United States' share of the worldwide prison population, though its home to less than 5 percent of the global population.
