The Week by the Numbers: December 15-21, 2013
By Matt Phifer
2 – Winning tickets sold for the $636 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot
There were two winning tickets in Tuesday December 17th, Mega Millions lottery worth $636 million. One ticket was sold in a small newsstand in Atlanta, while the second was sold in California. The $636 million prize is the second largest lottery jackpot in American history. The largest jackpot was worth $656 million. The winning numbers were 8, 14, 17, 20, 39; Mega Ball: 7. The winners can receive their money in two ways, either getting $318 million over time or $170 million in cash one time.
64 – Senators voted to pass a budget deal
In a 64-36 vote, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan budget deal that would fund the government through 2015. What the deal does not address is the debt limit, meaning a debt ceiling fight could still be on the horizon in late February or early March. President Obama signed the bill into law on Thursday December 26th.
40 Million – Credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a security breach at Target
On December 19th, Target confirmed that information from up to 40 million credit and debit cards may have been stolen in a period between the day before Thanksgiving and December 15th. The cards affected include Target cards as well as cards issued by other companies. The Secret Service is investigating the incident. The breach means the thieves could in theory make counterfeit cards, withdrawal money from accounts or make purchases using the stolen accounts.