The Week by the Numbers: January 12-18, 2014
By Matt Phifer
3 – Golden Globes for “American Hustle”
“American Hustle” led the way at the Golden Globes, collecting three prizes, “Best Musical or Comedy”, “Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy” for Amy Adams and “Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, Musical or Comedy” for Jennifer Lawrence. The movie “Dallas Buyers Club” and TV shows “Breaking Bad” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” all won two Golden Globes. “12 Years A Slave” won the Golden Globe for best drama.
85 – Age Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned on January 15th
Wednesday marked what would have been Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 85th birthday. The former civil rights leader who made his iconic “I have a dream” speech just over 50 years ago was remembered throughout the later part of the week in the lead up to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
$30.7 Million – Amount of money Clayton Kershaw will make per year according to his new contract
The Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed their ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw to a seven year deal worth a whopping $215 million. Kershaw’s contract, in which he’ll make an average of $30.7 million per year, is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher in Major League history. Kershaw won his second Cy Young Award in 2013 while leading the majors with a 1.83 earned run average and topping the National League with 232 strikeouts.
$765 Million – Concussion settlement by the NFL was rejected by a federal judge
U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody questioned whether the NFL’s $765 million settlement with more than 4,500 former players over concussions was enough compensation. She asked for detailed financial information on a plan that would cover over 20,000 players for 65 years. She wrote that she had concerns about the “fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of the settlement.” Brody was also concerned that not all players suffering from degenerative brain disease and similar ailments would receive help with their medical costs.
$1.1 Trillion – Spending bill approved by the House of Representatives
A $1.1 trillion spending bill for the fiscal year was approved by the House of Representatives in a 359-67 vote on Wednesday. The 1,582 piece bill was introduced on Monday night. Despite Tea Party and conservative groups such as Heritage Action and Club for Growth’s warnings, 166 House Republicans voted for the bill. The Democratic-controlled Senate will vote on the bill early this week.
The Week by the Numbers: January 5-11, 2014
By Matt Phifer
3 – Players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
On Wednesday afternoon the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its 2014 class of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. Maddux and Glavine both gained fame pitching (Maddux for the Braves and Glavine for the Braves and the Mets.). Thomas, who played with the A’s, Blue Jays and White Sox is the first player to spend most of his career as a designated hitter to be elected to the Hall of Fame. A player must receive 75 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in order to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
4 – Year extension of U.S. funding to the International Space Station
The White House and NASA announced on Wednesday that they would extend funding for the International Space Station four more years to 2024. This will allow the space station to continue conducting research, solidify the market for commercial space systems and lay the groundwork for deep space exploration. The extension will add four years to the working life of the station, but will require the budget approval of the president and Congress each year from 2021 to 2024.
74,000 – Jobs added in December
The December jobs report revealed that 74,000 jobs were added in the month of December, the weakest job growth since January 2011. The low growth was disappointing to economists who were expecting 193,000 additional jobs. The unemployment rate did fall in December to 6.7 percent, but that was mostly associated with people leaving the labor force.
At least 70 million – People affected by the Target security breach
On Friday, Target announced that more people than previously thought may have been affected by the security breach in which personal information was taken from customers’ credit and debit cards. The original number of 40 million was increased to at least 70 million with the possibility of as many as 110 million people being affected. The 70 million number represents around one-third of all American adults. Target discovered while investigating the security breach that data collected over time on 70 million people and stored separately from in-store data was also stolen. The stolen information could be used to set up counterfeit cards, withdrawal money from accounts or to make purchases.
The Week by the Numbers: December 29, 2013 – January 4, 2014
By Matt Phifer
Almost 30 – Percent gain in the stock market in 2013
2013 was the best year on Wall Street since 1997 with investors seeing a nearly 30 percent gain on investment. It was a record-breaking year with the Dow Jones closing on highs 52 times despite various issues like the turmoil in Egypt, the Boston Marathon bombings and speculation of a change in Federal Reserve policies. The Dow Jones closed the year with a new record high of 16,576.66. The S&P 500 saw 45 new highs and went up 29.6 percent, the biggest gain in 16 years. The Nasdaq returned to a level not seen since September 2000.
1,058 – Candidates have made the short list to be part of a Mars colony
Mars One, which launched in 2011 and has the goal of beginning a colony on Mars by 2025, has narrowed its candidate list to 1,058 possible Martian colonists from over 200,000 applicants. The applicants will have to undergo rigorous tests including simulations of life on Mars as well as isolation tests in order to determine who will make the final cut. Only 24 of the 1,058 will be selected to make the mission, which Mars One hopes to accomplish in 2025.
Over 1 million – People have signed up for Obamacare
Over 1 million Americans signed up for Obamacare in the month of December, pushing the total number of enrolled citizens to roughly 1.1 million by the end of 2013. The majority of those who signed up did so in the week before the deadline to have coverage in January. The numbers still fall far short of the Obama administration’s initial projections that 3.3 million people would be signed up for healthcare through the federal and state exchanges by the end of the year.
The Week by the Numbers: December 22-28, 2013
By Matt Phifer
1 – Day extension to the deadline to sign up for Obamacare in order to be covered by January 1
On Monday December 22, the Obama Administration extended the deadline for people to sign up for Obamacare by one day to December 23. People who signed up by that date would be covered by January 1. This is the second extension to the Obamacare sign-up deadline after the original December 15 date was extended to December 22 following the issues with the HealthCare.gov rollout.
51 – Touchdowns thrown by Peyton Manning this season, a new single season NFL record
On December 21, Peyton Manning threw four touchdowns vs. the Houston Texans on his way to setting the new NFL single season passing touchdown record by one touchdown. Manning previously held the title from 2004 to 2007 when Tom Brady took the record with 50 touchdown passes. UPDATE: Peyton Manning threw four more touchdown passes in the last game of the season vs. the Oakland Raiders to finish the regular season with 55 touchdown passes.
71 Degrees – Temperature recorded in New York City’s Central Park on December 21, a new record
Sunday December 21 saw a myriad of weather across the United States including an ice storm in upstate New York and New England as well as powerful storms and tornadoes in the southeast. But in New York City and other Mid-Atlantic cities the story was the unseasonably warm weather. The weather service confirmed a high of 71 degrees in New York City’s Central Park, breaking a 1998 record of 63 degrees. It was the second straight day a record temperature was recorded in Central Park after the thermostat topped out at 65 degrees on December 20, breaking the 2011 record of 62 degrees. The warm weather was also felt in Philadelphia, where temperatures reached 68 degrees on December 21.
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.
The Week by the Numbers: December 8-14, 2013
By Matt Phifer
-135.8 Degrees Fahrenheit – Coldest Temperature Reading in Earth History
Over the past week NASA confirmed a new record for the lowest recorded temperature in Earth’s history of -135.8 degrees Fahrenheit, recorded in August 2010 by a NASA satellite. The record-breaking temperature was recorded on an ice plateau in East Antarctica. The record is not official because the World Meteorological Association, which keeps the official world weather records, only accepts temperature readings from on-site thermometers. The current record is -128.6 degrees in Vostok, Antarctica on July 21, 1983. The -135.8 degree temperature is 50 degrees colder than the lowest recorded temperatures in North America.
9 Percent – Drop in Homelessness across the United States since 2007
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress on Friday and it showed a nine percent decline of homelessness in the United States since 2007. The report also showed a 23 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness over the same time frame. The report says that more than half of the U.S.’s homeless population comes from five states: California, New York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts.
37 Years – China Achieved the First Soft Lunar Landing in 37 Years
China successfully landed its first lunar probe on Saturday, the first lunar probe to achieve a soft landing on the moon in 37 years. The unmanned Chang 3 lander contained a six-wheel robot called “Yutu” or “Jade Rabbit”. The rover will embark on a three month mission of scientific exploration. The Chang 3 lander will set up an antenna and transmit pictures back to Earth.
1,501 Votes – Jameis Winston’s Margin of Victory in the Heisman Race, the largest in history
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, at 19, became the youngest winner of the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award, on Saturday night. His 1,501 vote margin of victory over Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron is the largest in the award’s history. Winston wowed fans by throwing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading Florida State to an undefeated season, an ACC championship and a chance to play for the BCS National Championship. Winston’s Heisman win comes just days after the Florida state attorney’s office decided not to charge the quarterback with sexual assault in relation to a December 2012 incident in which a woman claims she was raped by Winston. State Attorney Willie Meggs told reporters there was not enough evidence for a conviction. Top-ranked Florida State will play #2 Auburn on January 6th in Pasadena, California for the national championship.
The Week by the Numbers: December 1-7, 2013
By Matt Phifer
7.7 Percent – November Unemployment Rate, the lowest since December 2008
The Labor Department revealed the November unemployment rate to be 7.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in October. It is also the lowest unemployment rate in four years. The economy added 146,000 jobs over the course of the month.
56 – More Countries now have access to iTunes
On Tuesday Apple made iTunes available in 56 more countries including Russia, Turkey, India and South Africa. The additions nearly doubles iTunes’ geographic footprint at 119 countries. More than 20 million songs will be available for users, including international stars and artists that will be of interest in individual countries. Pricing will vary by country.
82 mph – Speed of the Metro-North Train that derailed in the Bronx
Initial black box data from the Metro-North Train that derailed on December 1 show that the train was entering a 30-mph curve at 82 mph. Four people were killed and over 60 were injured when the train jumped the tracks in the Bronx. Engineer William Rockefeller later told investigators he was “in a daze” before the incident. Initial toxicology reports came back negative.
95 – Former South African President Nelson Mandela died at age 95
Former South African President and anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95 in Johannesburg on Thursday. Mourners gathered outside of Mandela’s home to create a makeshift memorial as leaders from around the world sent condolences to Mandela’s family and the people of South Africa. Mandela leaves a legacy of peace and forgiveness as well as a united South Africa, a concept that at one time was not considered possible.
5 Billion – Records of Cell Phone Locations Collected by the NSA
The Washington Post reported that the NSA is collecting nearly 5 billion records a day on the locations of cell phones worldwide. The information was discovered in the materials provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. According to the Post, the records feed a vast database of at least hundreds of millions of devices.
The Week by the Numbers: November 24-30, 2013
By Matt Phifer
109 Yards – Distance Auburn’s Chris Davis Returned a Missed Field Goal to Win the Iron Bowl
On Saturday, 4th-ranked Auburn knocked off their heated rival, #1 Alabama, in the Iron Bowl with one of the most dramatic finishes in the history of college football as Chris Davis returned a 57-yard field goal attempt that fell short 109 yards to give Auburn a 34-28 victory as time expired. The Auburn faithful stormed the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium as college football analysts and experts hailed the touchdown as one of the greatest moments in the history of the game. Auburn’s win insured a spot for them in the SEC Championship Game this week while dashing Alabama’s hopes of a third straight national championship.
$14.2 Million – Price Paid for one of the First Books Printed in America
One of 11 surviving copies of the Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in America, was sold at Sotheby’s New York for $14.2 million on Tuesday. The $14.2 million price tag is the most ever paid for a book at an auction, surpassing an $11.5 million winning bid for James Audubon’s “Birds of America” in December 2010. The book was one of 1,700 printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 and is considered one of the rarest books in the world. The Old South Church in Boston sold the book to fund building repairs and its ministry.
$48.5 Million – Value of Kobe Bryant’s Two-Year Contract Extension
On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Kobe Bryant to a two-year contract extension valued at $48.5 million. The amount of the contract was not publicly announced, but a source reported the figure to ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne. The deal will keep the 35-year-old Bryant as the highest paid player in the NBA as the 2007-08 league MVP will make $23.5 million during the 2014-15 season and $25 million in the second year of the extension.
$1 Billion – Amount of Money Spent Online on Thanksgiving, A New Record
Adobe Systems, which analyzes 180 million visits to over 1,000 U.S. retail sites, says that over $1 billion was spent online on Thanksgiving, the most ever. Internet shopping was bigger than ever this year with eBay reporting a 35% increase and Amazon.com reporting a 25% increase by noon eastern time on Black Friday. The big online numbers may be part of why the reports of store violence and overall ugliness were down this year.
The Week by the Numbers: November 17-23, 2013
By Matt Phifer
6 – Number of Times Jimmie Johnson has won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship
On November 17th, Jimmie Johnson won his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title with a ninth place finish in the season ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, edging Matt Kenseth by 19 points in the final points standings. Johnson, at 38, is the youngest six-time champion and trails only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in number of championships. (Petty and Earnhardt each won 7.) Johnson’s six titles also come within an eight season span. He won his first five consecutively from 2006-2010.
50 – Years since the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Friday marked the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas. Dallas marked the day with its first ever city-sponsored ceremony to pay tribute to Kennedy in Dealey Plaza, the place where Kennedy was gunned down 50 years before. Kennedy family members paid their respects at Arlington National Cemetery, where the president is buried under an eternal flame.
$13 Billion – JPMorgan Chase’s Settlement with the Justice Department
On November 19th, the Justice Department announced a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase over a number of lawsuits connected to its sale of troubled mortgages that helped lead to the financial crisis. The $13 billion amount is roughly half of the bank’s yearly earnings. The settlement includes a $2 billion penalty, $7 billion of compensatory damages that will be tax deductible and $4 billion that will go toward consumer relief. JPMorgan says they expect to meet their obligations by 2017.
The Week by the Numbers: November 10-16, 2013
By Matt Phifer
15 – Hawaii became the 15th State to Legalize Gay Marriage
A bill legalizing gay marriage passed Hawaii’s senate on November 12th by a vote of 19-4. Governor Neil Abercrombie called the special session in order to pass the bill, which he quickly signed into law a day later, making Hawaii the 15th state to legalize gay marriage.
1,776 Feet – The Height of One World Trade Center, Officially Denoted as the Tallest Building in America
The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat officially designated One World Trade Center, at 1,776 feet, as America’s tallest building. One World Trade Center’s official height includes the spire on top of the building, which was a source of controversy. Spires are allowed to be used in the measurement of a building’s height, but antennas are not. The council determined that the top of One World Trade Center is a spire, not an antenna. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel disagreed with the decision, saying that the spire is an antenna, which he believes should keep it from being ranked as taller than Chicago’s Willis Tower (Formerly known as the Sears Tower.).
About 106,000 People – Signed Up for Health Insurance Through the Federal and State Marketplaces Created by the Affordable Care Act in the First Month
The first statistics of the number of Americans who enrolled in health insurance through the federal and state marketplaces were released by the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and the numbers were very low. Only about 106,000 people had signed up for health insurance in the first month. Of that, only 26,794 signed up using Healthcare.gov, the problematic federal exchange website. That number is far short of the administration’s projections in an internal memo from September that said the administration expected 464,920 people would sign up in the first month.
The Week by the Numbers: November 3-9, 2013
By Matt Phifer
21 Percent – Chris Christie’s Margin of Victory in the New Jersey Governor’s Race
Chris Christie further bolstered his 2016 resume with a resounding defeat of Democratic challenger Barbara Buono in the New Jersey gubernatorial race 60 percent to 39 percent. Christie won re-election with majority support from men, women, independents and even three out of every ten Democrats.
1,500 – Pieces of Artwork taken by the Nazis Discovered in Munich
The German media revealed on November 3rd that 1,500 pieces of art looted by the Nazis was discovered in Munich during a 2011 tax evasion investigation of Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of an art dealer. The investigators found the paintings, including some by Matisse, Picasso and Chagall, in darkened rooms in the basement. Gurlitt supposedly sold some pieces when he needed money. International warrants have been issued for at least 200 more works.
204,000 – Jobs Added in October
The Labor Department announced that 204,000 jobs were added during the month of October. The number was better than expected and shows that the government shutdown did little to slow down job growth. Despite the better than expected jobs numbers, the unemployment rate also rose, to 7.3 percent.
4.4 Billion – Earth-like Planets in Habitable Zones Orbiting Sun-like Stars
Scientists have estimated that there are 4.4 billion planets like the Earth in habitable zones orbiting sun-like stars, which means that Earth-like planets that support life could be quite common. The estimate is based off information gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope and other telescopes in Hawaii. The study said that of the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, about 20 percent of those are similar to our sun. Of those stars, 22 percent have Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone.
The Week by the Numbers: October 27-November 2, 2013
By Matt Phifer
2 Years – Amount of Time Served by Michael Jackson’s Former Doctor, Conrad Murray
Conrad Murray, who was sentenced to four years in jail for contributing to Michael Jackson’s death by prescribing him the powerful anesthetic propofal as a sleeping aid was released from jail after serving only about two years of his sentence. A change in California law allowed the duration of Murray’s incarceration to be decreased. Murray has appealed his conviction. His medical license has been revoked or suspended in three states.
6 Weeks – Extension to the Obamacare Sign-Up Deadline
The Obama administration announced that uninsured Americans will have six more weeks to sign up for Obamacare. That means that Americans will have to possess health insurance by March 31, 2014 or pay a tax for failing to be covered by health insurance. The administration admitted that it would be unfair to penalize people using the original deadline after the Healthcare.gov technical glitches that have caused problems for Americans trying to sign up for health insurance.
100 Feet – The Estimated Height of the Wave Ridden by Surfer Carlos Burle
On October 28th, Brazilian surfer Carlos Burle rode what some believe to be the largest wave ever ridden off the coast of Portugal. Burle rode a wave estimated by some to be over 100 feet. The current world record is held by Garrett McNamara, who rode a 100 foot wave off the Portuguese coast in January.
$59.7 Million – Total of Penn State’s Settlements with 26 of Jerry Sandusky’s Victims
On October 28th, Penn State University announced that it had reached settlements with 26 men who say they were sexually abused by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The total of the settlements paid will be $59.7 million. Sandusky is currently serving a 30 to 60-year sentence for abusing at least 10 boys.
The Week by the Numbers: October 20-26, 2013
By Matt Phifer
$17-20 – The Initial Public Offering of Shares of Twitter
Twitter announced that it would sell about 70 million shares of the company between $17 and $20 when it IPO’d. This would raise up to $1.6 billion and value the company at $11 billion. Twitter’s modest IPO price was chosen to avoid what happened to Facebook during its IPO in May 2012 when the company’s shares fell below their offering price.
35 – World Leaders’ Calls were Monitored by the NSA
Previously classified documents released by Edward Snowden show that the NSA was monitoring the calls of 35 world leaders. According to memos, the NSA encouraged workers in agencies such as the State Department and the Defense Department to “hand over their rolodexes.” The identities of the 35 leaders are not known, but the revelation comes not long after German chancellor Angela Merkel accused the United States of tapping her cell phone.
58 – Percentage of Americans Who Support Marijuana Legalization
On October 22nd, Gallup revealed that according to its polling, 58 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization. This is the first time in the poll’s history that a majority of Americans favored marijuana legalization. That is an eight percentage point jump from just two years ago and a drastic increase from the results of Gallup’s initial poll on the issue in 1969, when only 12 percent of those questioned favored legalization. In the past year, Washington and Colorado became the first two states to legalize marijuana.
148,000 – Jobs Created in September
The Labor Department’s delayed September jobs report showed that the U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in September. The unemployment rate dropped to 7.2 percent.
The Week by the Numbers: October 13-19, 2013
By Matt Phifer
1.5 Percent – The Estimated Increase of Government Benefits in 2014
An AP Analysis has shown that the increase in government benefits could be one of the smallest in four decades. The AP estimated that the increase for social security beneficiaries, disabled veterans and federals retirees could only be 1.5 percent. The exact increase amount will not be revealed until the Labor Department releases its September inflation report.
16 Days – Duration of the Government Shutdown
Late on the night of October 13th, Congress voted to end the government shutdown and avoid a default, which could have put the nation’s credit rating and the world economy in danger. The total time of the government shutdown was 16 days. The Republican party failed in its attempt to halt the rollout of Obamacare and now finds itself with low approval ratings just a little over one year from the 2014 midterm elections. The resolution extends federal funding for government agencies through January 15th and delays enforcement of the debt limit until February 7th.
More than 250 Million Per Year – Rate at which the NSA Collects E-Mail Address Books
Government officials and previously top-secret documents released by Edward Snowden have revealed that the NSA collects hundreds of millions of e-mail address books and buddy lists from live chat services. Based on what the documents describe as a typical daily intake, the NSA collects more than 250 million e-mail address books per year. Analysis of the data allows the NSA to map relationships and search for hidden connections. The collection takes place overseas, but senior intelligence officials told the Washington Post that the program also sweeps in the contacts of some Americans.
The Week by the Numbers: October 6-12, 2013
By Matt Phifer
13 – Fans injured by debris from an accident at the Grand Prix of Houston
Thirteen fans were injured when Dario Franchitti’s car flew into the catch fence on the last lap of October 6th’s Grand Prix of Houston, sending debris into the grandstands. Eleven of the thirteen were treated on site for minor injuries, while two were taken to a nearby hospital. Franchitti suffered two fractured vertebrae, a broken ankle and a concussion in the accident. He was released from the hospital just a few days later.
28 – Year sentence for ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in prison for corruption on October 10th. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said the sentence was intended to send a message that corruption would not be tolerated. Prosecutors said that Kilpatrick extorted bribes from contractors who wanted contracts to do business or continue doing business in the city.
The Week by the Numbers: September 29-October 5, 2013
By Matt Phifer
1 – Apple was ranked the #1 Most Valuable Brand in the World
Interbrand, a brand consultancy firm, which has been releasing its Best Global Brands report since 2000, named Apple the most valuable brand in the world. The previous leader, Coca-Cola, dropped to third on the list. It is the first time in the list’s history that Coca-Cola has not been ranked first. The report estimates Apple’s brand value at $98.3 billion and Coca-Cola’s at $79.2 billion.
800,000 – Federal Employees furloughed because of the Government Shutdown
About 800,000 federal workers were furloughed starting on October 1 as the federal government was partially shutdown. Republican and Democratic members of Congress could not agree on a spending bill as Congressional Republicans attempted to defund the Affordable Care Act.
$1 Million – Dropped out of an Airplane over Bolivia
Bolivian anti-drug police recovered a bag thrown from an airplane containing $1 million in cash, all U.S. currency. The money was thrown out of a plane by suspected members of a drug trafficking gang. The money was possibly going to be used to build a cocaine production center or set up a fake commercial enterprise in Bolivia.
The Week by the Numbers: September 22-28, 2013
By Matt Phifer
7.7 – Magnitude Earthquake that hit Pakistan
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook Pakistan on Wednesday, killing over 300 people. The earthquake was so strong that a new island rose out of the sea off the coast of Gwadar. Many scientists believe the roughly 100 foot wide island may be a mud volcano.
21 Hours 19 Minutes – Length of Ted Cruz’s Speech on the Senate Floor
Texas Senator Ted Cruz spent over 21 hours on the floor of the Senate speaking out against the Affordable Care Act. Cruz’s stated goal was to block debate on legislation that would defund Obamacare. Cruz did not accomplish this, but did raise his profile as a possible 2016 presidential contender. Cruz even took time during his speech, which was technically not a filibuster, to read Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” to his children from the Senate floor.
70 – Fewer Calories in Burger King’s New Satisfries
Burger King unveiled news Satisfries on their menu on Monday September 23. The new fries are supposed to be a healthier alternative to the chain’s typical french fries, which contain 340 calories and 15 grams of fat. The new alternative only contains 270 calories and 11 grams of fat.
$40 Million – Payout by EA Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Company to former College Athletes
EA Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Company agreed to a $40 million settlement with former college players suing the company for using their likeness in college football and basketball video games. Between 200,000 and 300,000 players will receive compensation for the use of their likeness. Current college players will also be eligible for the payments, although it is unknown how the NCAA, which prohibits players to accept financial compensation, will rule on that issue. EA Sports has also announced that it will not produce its NCAA Football franchise in 2014.
The Week by the Numbers: September 15-21, 2013
By Matt Phifer
12 – People killed when gunman Aaron Alexis opened fire in the Navy Yard
September 16th was stained by another shooting rampage. This one occurred at the Washington Navy Yard. Twelve people were killed when Aaron Alexis, a government contractor and former Navy reservist, opened fire with a Remington 870 shotgun. Authorities have found that Alexis was delusional and believed that he was being controlled by low-frequency radio waves.
40 – Years Sweden’s King is celebrating on the throne
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrated 40 years on the throne on September 15th. The King celebrated with a dance party in the Stockholm Palace courtyard on Sunday as well as a service in the palace church. He received the heads of state of Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. King Gustaf told Swedish radio he plans to stay on the throne as long as he is healthy.
$2,600 – Possible highest price of the tickets to this year’s Super Bowl
The NFL is looking to approve a plan to raise the price of the best seats for the upcoming Super Bowl to be held in Metlife Stadium with the club-level mezzanine seats possibly costing $2,600. That’s over a thousand dollars more expensive than the highest priced seats for the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, which cost $1,250. The lower bowl seats could cost up to $1,500, another price rise from $950 last year. But don’t worry, the cheapest tickets in the upper bowl have dropped in price to just $500, a $100 decrease from last year.
$800 Million – The estimated cost to raise the Costa Concordia
Over the week crews worked to raise the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground and partially sank off the coast of Giglio Island, Italy at a whopping price tag of close to $800 million. The cruise ran aground on January 13, 2012, killing 32 people.
The Week by the Numbers: September 8-14, 2013
By Matt Phifer
12 – Years Since the September 11th Attacks
The 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was marked with memorials across the country. The names of victims were read at the site of the World Trade Center while President Obama spoke at the Pentagon. On September 10th, workers broke ground on the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
17 – Grand Slam Singles Titles Won by Serena Williams
On September 8th, Serena Williams won the U.S. Open for the fifth time, marking her 17th Grand Slam singles title. She beat Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 to secure the title. Williams is now tied with Roger Federer on the all-time Grand Slam singles title list.
$9 Billion + – Estimated Valuation of Twitter, while has filed to IPO
On Thursday, Twitter announced that it had filed paperwork to IPO. Twitter filed confidentially, which is legal for U.S. companies defined as “emerging growth companies” that meet certain criteria, including having less than $1 billion in revenue. People familiar with employees’ private sale of Twitter stock to BlackRock Inc. have estimated the company’s value at more than $9 billion.
11.7 Billion Miles – Distance Voyager 1 is from the Earth
On Thursday, NASA announced that the Voyager 1 space probe had become the first manmade object to leave the solar system. Voyager 1, which was launched in 1977, was intended as a four-year mission to Jupiter, but 36 years and 11.7 billion miles later, the little probe with one-240,000th the memory of a low-end iPhone keeps moving. After months of analyzing the plasma around the probe, NASA decided that Voyager 1 left the solar system and entered interstellar space on August 25, 2012. Voyager 1 is expected to keep sending back data until 2025.
9/11’s Impact: How 9/11 has influenced young people who were in middle school 12 years ago
By Matt Phifer
The pile of presents sat on the table untouched. No special dinner was served. Grandma and Grandpa didn’t come over to celebrate. That’s what Lauren Nugent remembers about her twelfth birthday, which happened to be on September 11, 2001.
“My birthday ceased to exist,” Nugent said as she reflected in an edit suite in 30 Rock.
Nugent, a native of Babylon, New York, is one of a group of Americans who experienced 9/11 in a unique way. As a middle school student she was old enough to realize something terrible had happened, yet was too young to fully comprehend the concepts and magnitude of the day.
But 9/11 has become an important part in the lives of young Americans such as Nugent, who will turn 24 on September 11th. For many of these young men and women their life and career choices have been influenced by that day. For Nugent, 9/11 has made her put things like family first.
September 11th has had a major impact on many young people, influencing their life and career decisions. (Photo by Matt Phifer)
“On my 21st birthday, I was a senior in college and my friends were trying to throw this huge [party],” Nugent recalled, “and I said ‘no’, I’m going to visit my dad in the hospital.”
Nugent’s father, who was recovering from knee surgery, resisted, telling his daughter to go out with her friends and have the fun she never got to have on her birthday.
“I was like ‘nope’, going into the city. I was like, ‘I’m coming to see you.’ In the back of my mind I was a little bit like, ‘if there ever were an anniversary attack and my dad was in the city and he couldn’t walk I’d want to be there,” Nugent said.
That day Nugent’s father went into cardiac arrest. She and her sister, who were the only other people in the hospital room, screamed for help. Their quick action helped save their father’s life.
“My mom said ‘had you not had those values that seeing your father is more important than going out to party on your 21st birthday, your father wouldn’t be alive.”
Andrew Catalano remembers 9/11 as one of his first days in middle school in Roslyn, New York. At the time his immediate feelings were that of confusion.
“I didn’t understand the hatred. I wasn’t able to put things into context. I didn’t understand why people would hate America. I didn’t realize what separated us from other people. I was just an 11-year-old kid,” Catalano recalled. “My biggest challenge was figuring out where my locker was and how to negotiate a day-to-day schedule let alone comprehend the biggest terrorist attack in mankind.”
Catalano remembers being told about the attack on the World Trade Center in class, then being called to the office to be told that his parents were ok.
“When I went into the office I saw through a doorway a couple of teachers watching a TV and those looks,” Catalano remembers, “It was just like this open mouth, jaw on the floor, eyes can’t believe what you’re seeing look.”
When school was let out both of Catalano’s parents met him at the bus stop, a rare occurrence since both worked fulltime. He said the rest of the night was spent watching TV coverage of the attacks with his family and various friends who visited.
“It really did change the course of my life,” Catalano says, “because I went around thinking I’m not invincible. My country is not invincible. We were susceptible to attack like anybody else. Nothing had ever happened on American soil. This was like, the first time something had happened on American soil, in New York City, that was just a few miles down the Long Island Expressway. So it definitely made me more conscious of who I am and how people perceive me and then just realizing how fragile life is that you can leave home that day. You can get hit by a car. You can get struck by lightning. Anything can happen on any day.”
Since that day Catalano has made an effort to always treat people like he will never see them again.
“I don’t want to leave on bad terms with somebody because you can really set yourself up to feel immense amounts of guilt,” Catalano says, “You’ve got to live every day like it’s your last day on Earth. And you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘am I making a positive impact on the people around me? Am I doing something that if I were to die today would I be happy with the way I lived my life?’ And if your answer to that is ‘no’, then you’re doing something wrong.”
Tyler Limeberry, a native of Easton, Pennsylvania, who was also in his first weeks of sixth grade on 9/11 answered the call to public service in response to the attack. In the years after 9/11 Limeberry became a volunteer firefighter in order to help people who have experienced catastrophic events.
“That point in time is probably that person’s worst life event,” Limeberry explains, “I like being the person that’s there to help them through that situation.”
Limeberry pursued a criminal justice degree in college and is now awaiting openings in several police departments. In January he also joined the Pennsylvania National Guard, a decision he says is a direct result of 9/11 and the wars that followed.
“I want to protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic,” Limeberry says, “I don’t want that [9/11] to ever happen to my family.”
Andrew Hardgrove was a seventh grader in Delaware County, Ohio, who watched the first tower fall on television during study hall. Hardgrove remembers thinking “how could this happen in New York?”
“My grandma, she’s from Germany. She would tell stories about war and World War II and you know growing up in this time we had no wars,” Hardgrove recalls, “It was pretty surreal when you found out this was an attack on our nation as big as, bigger than what Pearl Harbor was.”
Hardgrove’s parents have owned a fire protection business since 1997 that provides services such as cleaning hoods and grease traps in restaurants and servicing fire extinguishers. Hardgrove says 9/11 had a big effect on his decision to join the family business aimed at preventing fires and saving lives.
“It’s the next best thing from joining the army, in my opinion,” says Hardgrove, “to kind of be able to help and prevent things from happening.”
Hardgrove admits that the fire protection industry can do nothing to prevent a terrorist attack, but he gets satisfaction knowing that he is helping others.
“What happened on that day kind of reinforced what I wanted to do,” Hardgrove says, “It’s not exactly a glamorous or money-making industry, but it’s that sense of accomplishment, that sense of help, that sense of you’re basically helping the community.”
These four young people all have had their lives changed by 9/11. None lost a direct relative, but the day impacted the decisions they’ve made and in some cases, even the careers they followed.
And as September 11 approaches again, so does another birthday for Lauren Nugent. But don’t look for her to be partying.
“I’ll just be going home for the night,” Nugent says admitting she’d feel guilty if she celebrated on the anniversary of the day that changed her life.
The Week by the Numbers: September 1-7, 2013
By Matt Phifer
4th – Ranking of the Rim Fire in California
On September 1st, the Rim Fire was officially denoted as the fourth largest wildfire in California’s history as it reached a whopping 351 square miles, bigger than the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose combined. California starting ranking the size of wildfires in 1932. The fire started August 17 in Stanislaus National Forest and has also affected Yosemite National Park.
7 – Touchdowns thrown by Peyton Manning in an NFL Record Tying Performance
The new NFL season started with a bang Thursday as Peyton Manning threw an NFL record tying seven touchdown passes in the Denver Broncos’ 49-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Only six other quarterbacks in pro football history have thrown for seven touchdowns, the last one being the Minnesota Vikings’ Joe Kapp in 1969, making Manning the first to accomplish the feat since the NFL-AFL merger.
52 Hours, 54 Minutes and 18.6 Seconds – Diana Nyad’s time swimming between Cuba and Florida
On September 2nd 64-year-old long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad became the first person to ever complete the 111-mile swim between Cuba and the Florida Keys without a shark cage. It took her 52 hours, 54 minutes and 18.6 seconds to complete the swim. This was Nyad’s fifth attempt at the swim. Her previous attempts were cut short due to shoulder pain, an asthma attack and on more than one occasion, jellyfish stings. This time Nyad wore a mask to protect her from jellyfish stings. Nyad addressed the crowd gathered at the shore to greet her saying, “I’ve got three messages: One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is you never are too old to chase your dreams. Three is, it looks like it’s a solitary sport, but it’s a team.”
169,000 – Jobs added in the U.S. in August
Friday’s jobs report showed that the U.S. added 169,000 jobs in August and that the unemployment dropped from 7.4 percent in July to 7.3 percent. Part of the lower unemployment rate can be accredited to nearly 312,000 people who dropped out of the labor force.
$130 Billion – Amount Verizon Wireless will pay Vodafone for its U.S. wireless business
On September 2nd Verizon Wireless announced that it would buy Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion, the third largest corporate deal in history. Vodafone will return $84 billion of the proceeds including stock to its shareholders and ramp up its investment in its networks.
The Week by the Numbers: August 18-24, 2013
By Matt Phifer
3 Hours – Roughly the time that the Nasdaq was down on August 22
The Nasdaq halted trading for nearly 3 hours on Thursday due to what the Nasdaq called a “connectivity issue.” Nasdaq OMX, which runs the Nasdaq Exchange has always tried to be innovative as the “high-tech” market, but the Nasdaq has been plagued by a number of problems, including Facebook stock opening late when it was to IPO in May 2012.
35 – Number of Years Bradley Manning has been sentenced to Prison
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison, reduced a rank and dishonorably discharged from the military for leaking thousands of government documents to Wikileaks. Manning’s document release was the largest leak of classified documents in American history. Prosecutors originally requested that Manning be sentenced to 60 years in prison. The 25-year-old Manning will get credited for the time he served plus 112 days. Manning, who says he is a woman and asks to be referred to as Chelsea Manning, will be eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence.
40 – Number of Years After their Perfect Season that the ’72 Dolphins were honored at the White House
It had been 40 years since the 1972 Dolphins achieved a 17-0 record, the only time an NFL team has ever gone through a Super Bowl winning season unscathed. Finally, four decades later the team was recognized at the White House by President Obama. The tradition of honoring professional sports champions at the White House did not yet exist in 1972 and even if it had, the Nixon Administration was probably too preoccupied with Watergate to worry about sports champions.
300 – Metric Tons of Highly-Radioactive Water leaked from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Over 300 metric tons of highly radioactive water has recently leaked out of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The water is said to be radioactive enough that a person standing half a meter away would be exposed to five times the average annual global limit of radiation for nuclear workers.
340 – Hours of the Nixon Tapes Released
The final 340 hours of Nixon tapes were released by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. These tapes include detailed conversations involving Watergate as well as conversations with future presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The tapes also include a leadership summit with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in June 1973. The final release caps a 17-year release of about 3,700 secretly recorded interactions during the Nixon Administration.
The Week by the Numbers: August 11-17, 2013
By Matt Phifer
4th – Anthony Weiner’s is polling 4th in the NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary
Anthony Weiner’s post-Congress indiscretions have not helped his campaign for mayor of New York. A New York Times/Siena College poll shows Wiener fourth in the Democratic primary polls behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, former city comptroller Bill Thompson and public advocate Bill de Blasio. Despite the setback, Weiner vows to continue his campaign.
11 – Murders “Whitey” Bulger in which “Whitey” Bulger was found Guilty
On August 12th, James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious gangster who ruled Boston’s underworld, was found guilty in a Boston federal court of 11 murders as well as racketeering. The 83-year-old Bulger evaded capture for 16 years after being tipped off to his imminent arrest in 1994. Bulger was discovered in June 2011 living in a seaside apartment in Santa Monica, California. Bulger’s sentencing is scheduled for November 13. He is expected to spend the rest of his life in jail.
30 – Months Jesse Jackson Jr. has been sentenced to Prison
Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. was sentenced to 30 months in prison in a federal court in Washington, D.C. August 14 for using $750,000 in campaign funds for personal reasons. Jackson’s wife, Sandi, was also sentenced to 12 months in prison for not reporting $580,000 of income in the couple’s tax returns. Jackson Jr., the son of former presidential candidate and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, represented Illinois’ 2nd District from 1995-2012.
123 – Age of the Oldest Man in the World?
According to Bolivia’s public records the small South American country is the home of the oldest documented person in the history of the world. Their records say that Carmelo Flores Laura is a whopping 123 years old. If this is true, that would make Flores is the oldest documented person in history. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the oldest person in history whose age could be verified was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122 years, 164 days. The oldest currently living person whose age can be verified with birth documents is 115-year-old Japanese woman Misao Okawa.
The Week by the Numbers: August 4-10, 2013
By Matt Phifer
16 – Medal of Freedom honorees announced
The White House announced 16 people who will be honored with the Medal of Freedom, the highest award that can be bestowed upon a civilian. Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Arturo Sandoval, Ernie Banks and Richard Lugar will be among the 16 who receive the award, which was started 50 years ago by President John F. Kennedy.
18 – States saw significant declines in obesity among low-income preschoolers
According to a CDC report there were declines in childhood obesity among low-income preschoolers in 18 states. The states with the largest absolute decreases in obesity were in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and South Dakota, all of which had decreases of at least one percent. The data was determined by collecting the height and weight data from 11.6 million children in federally-funded maternal and child nutrition programs.
$250 Million – The price Jeff Bezos is paying to buy The Washington Post
Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced on August 5th that he would be buying The Washington Post and its affiliated newspapers for $250 million. The Washington Post reported that the company’s own newspaper division lost 44 percent in its operating revenue over the past six years.
$448.4 Million – Powerball jackpot that will be split among three winners
$448.4 million will be split among three winners in the third largest jackpot in Powerball history. One ticket was sold in Minnesota, while the other two were sold in New Jersey. The winning numbers were 05, 25, 30, 58 and 59. Sixteen workers from New Jersey bought one ticket together, while Paul White, a project engineer from Ham Lake, Michigan bought the Minnesota ticket.