The Week by the Numbers: June 16-22, 2013
By Matt Phifer
Sometimes the real story is in the numbers.
0 – Men on George Zimmerman’s Jury
Last week the six person jury was assembled for George Zimmerman’s trial in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. All six jurors are women and none of them are black. Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder. He claims he was acting in self defense when he killed the Florida teenager. Martin’s murder set off a firestorm concerning race and Florida’s stand-your-ground law.
3 – Charges against NSA leaker Edward Snowden
Late Friday afternoon it was revealed that the Justice Department was charging NSA leaker Edward Snowden with one count of theft of government property as well as two counts under the Espionage Act, including “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person.” Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Over the weekend the United States unsuccessfully tried to extradite Snowden from Hong Kong. According to the latest reports Snowden is currently in Moscow seeking asylum in Ecuador.
+13 – Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open Score, his worst 72-hole score in a major as a pro
Tiger Woods ended the U.S. Open with a final round score of 74 en route to a final score of 293, 13-over-par. Woods’ 13-over-par finish is his worst in 72 holes at a major tournament in his professional career.
14 Years – Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling’s New Sentence
Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling’s was re-sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday as part of a court-ordered reduction of his original sentence. Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2006 for his part in the collapse of energy company Enron, but a federal appeals court vacated the original prison term in 2009, stating that the sentence was improperly applied. The re-sentencing was delayed as Skilling appealed the charges against him. In addition to his prison time, $40 million of Skilling’s earnings will be distributed to the victims of Enron’s collapse. Skilling was originally found guilty of 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors in trying to make Enron look like a success while the business crumbled.
Over 50 – Terrorist Attacks Thwarted by the NSA
On Tuesday, General Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Administration, told the House Intelligence Committee that over 50 terrorist attacks had been thwarted by the two now controversial programs that monitored cell phone and internet data. Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce revealed that one of these plots was to blow up the New York Stock Exchange.