News in Numbers
Florida's nationwide transparency ranking, according to the State Integrity Investigation report. The state is typically known for being one of the most transparent, but critics contend that its loose policies regarding lobbyists dragged its ranking down.
The portion of U.S. teachers -- down from 28 percent in 2010 -- who believe tying their pay to student performance is "absolutely essential" or "very important" to keep good teachers, according to a recent survey.
The rise, per gallon, in the price of gas in Maryland since January when Gov. Martin O' Malley first proposed increasing the state's gas tax. As the cost of gas has gone up, the support for his proposal has gone down.
The number of states that let some lawmakers change their votes after a bill has passed or failed. A switched decision, however, doesn't alter a bill's original outcome.
The annual amount it would cost small towns in California's San Joaquin Valley to clean up its drinking water, which a new study shows is contaminated due to farm fertilizers and dairy waste. The four counties studied are among the nation's top five farming counties.
The increase in the number of trips taken on public transportation last year compared to 2010. This is the highest level of public-transit use since 2008.
The rise in the rate of speed-related traffic deaths since 2000, contrasting the 3 percent drop in drunk-driving deaths and 23 percent drop in deaths that resulted from someone not wearing a seat belt.
The year that Kansas outlawed happy hour. The state House recently passed a bill to allow bars, restaurants and clubs to sell alcohol at different prices at different times of the day again.
The drop in salmonella infections in New York City from 2010 to 2011 -- the first full year the city gave letter grades to restaurants based on their sanitary conditions.
The number of female mayors in the nation's 100 largest cities. In state legislatures, women make up 23 percent of elected representatives.
The number of delegates at stake in today's GOP presidential primaries in Virginia, Vermont, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Idaho, Georgia and Alaska. 1,144 are needed for the nomination.
The number of states considering bills to ban the use of foreign laws in U.S. courtrooms. Critics say it's a response to a made-up threat of Shariah law, the Islamic legal code.
The number of jobs that could be lost by 2016 if paid sick leave legislation is passed in Massachusetts, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.
The strength of the tornado that touched down in Harrisburg, Ill. An EF4 rating is the second strongest rating a tornado can get based on damage. The tornado, killing six, had winds up to 170 mph according to scientists.
The number of delegates at stake in the Michigan and Arizona Republican primaries Feb. 28.
The rise in methamphetamine lab seizures from 2010 to 2011. Clandestine meth labs are most common in the Midwest and the South.
The portion of adults who had a bachelor's degree as of last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The country's rate of college-educated adults is a record high, but the U.S. still dropped in global rankings.
The amount of money Pennsylvania has made from selling items, such as pocket knives and scissors, that the Transportation Security Administration confiscated from airline passengers since 2004.
The amount of money unions are planning to spend this year to help re-elect President Barack Obama. They spent $400 million during the 2008 election, but are expected to spend more during this race.
The portion of waste that San Francisco diverts from landfills through recycling and composting. San Francisco was the first major U.S. city to require composting in 2009.
The number of states that received waivers from the federal health law's medical loss ratio, which requires insurers to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care or give customers rebates. The Department of Health and Human Services denied waivers to ten states.
The number of prisoners per 100,000 residents in Louisiana in 2010 -- the highest imprisonment rate of any state that year. Maine had the lowest with 148.
The average number of days it takes for the Pennsylvania Police's Bureau of Forensic Services to return a DNA sample that only takes 1-2 days to process in the lab. Officials say the long wait -- caused by a backlog of more than 1,700 cases -- jeopardizes and delays investigations.
The current number of registered voters in Chicago -- the lowest since 1942 when the city began keeping such records.
The minimum retirement age that the firefighters union in St. Louis has proposed under a pension reform plan that would make deep cuts to future employees' benefits but leave current employees' benefits intact. The union announced its plan before the mayor.
The amount of money that Oregon agencies have saved on travel costs by using web conferencing for just 18 months.
The number of major environmental or safety violations that oil and gas companies that drill on public lands received from 1998 to 2011, according to a new report, which also shows that only 6 percent of the more than 2,000 total violations during that period resulted in monetary fines.
The portion of public universities that require students to have health insurance. At the end of February, Michigan State will start automatically enrolling uninsured freshmen in the school's health plan.
The number of District of Columbia government employees that were suspended for receiving unemployment benefits while working for the city. Each may be fired and/or prosecuted for fraud.
The number of offenders -- about 5,600 of whom are violent -- who are currently off Florida's radar. Most fled work camps or release programs or stopped calling probation officers.
