Quote of the day:

You never know what I have up my sleeve. Today, for example, it was a dryer sheet…

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm and humor.

This week’s topics include federal debt, unemployment, COVID-19 deaths in the USA, Junior’s hunting trip, Trump’s approval/disapproval ratings, 2020 Census, Cops canceled, satisfaction ratings, DUI charges, Trump plans rallies, and much more!

26,003,751,512,344.91

The debt of the federal government topped $26 trillion for the first time on Tuesday, when it climbed from $25,960,547,920,986.11 to $26,003,751,512,344.91, according to data released today by the Treasury Department. (CNSNews.com)

Great googly moogly…

1,542,000

In the week ending June 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 1,542,000, a decrease of 355,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 20,000 from 1,877,000 to 1,897,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,002,000, a decrease of 286,250 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 4,250 from 2,284,000 to 2,288,250.  (DOL)

112,133

As of Wednesday evening, the U.S. had recorded 1,973,797 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 112,133 deaths. That is according to the CDC. (CDC)

Last Thursday the deaths numbered 106,202.

76,859.36

The Secret Service protection for Donald Trump Jr.’s trip in August 2019 to Mongolia, where he reportedly hunted a rare breed of sheep, cost taxpayers $76,859.36, according to documents published Wednesday by a Washington ethics watchdog. (USA Today)

For these trips, Junior should reimburse the government.

54.9

That is President Donald Trump’s disapproval rating. His approval rating is just 41.1%. (FiveThirtyEight)

Last week his disapproval rating was 53.6%.

45

That’s Montana’s rank in the 2020 Census self-response, which is the same as last week. Montana has a 51.8 response rate that makes it rank #45. Last week Montana had a 51.6% response rate. Minnesota leads the nation with a 70.5% rating. The national average is 60.8%. (Census)

Fill out your damned forms…

39

According to Gallup polling, President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has fallen to 39% amid nationwide protests about racial injustice. His ratings this year had been the best of his presidency but are now back near his term average of 40%. (Gallup)

That’s pretty bad…

33

Paramount Network has pulled the plug on the television show “Cops” for good. The show’s 33rd season had been scheduled to premiere on Monday, but no episode has aired on Paramount Network since at least June 1 as protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement continued across the country. (Hollywood Reporter)

Now I won’t be able to keep track of my relatives in the Kansas City area…

20

Four months after hitting a 15-year high, Americans’ satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. has dropped 25 percentage points to 20%, a level last seen in 2017. The decline since February came in two waves. The first occurred as the coronavirus spread across the country, and the second — a 12-point drop from May — followed the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody in Minneapolis. (Gallup)

Will there be enough satisfaction regained by October/November to help Trump?

5

Darryl Duane Omsberg is facing his fifth charge of driving under the influence in Great Falls. MTN News reports that when Omsberg stepped out of the car to perform maneuvers, he did not adjust the waistband of his sweatpants and his genitals were exposed. The Trooper asked him to correct the issue, and he only pulled up the back of his pants, leaving his genitals exposed until the Trooper asked him to cover himself.

MTN News also reported that a breathalyzer test indicated a blood-alcohol content of .122. A driver’s history check revealed Omsberg has four DUI convictions, from 2002, 2006, 2009, and 2012.

Why is this man allowed to roam free?

1

President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first rally of the coronavirus era on June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And he says he’s planning more events in Florida, Texas, and Arizona as well. (AP)

Some expect him to come to Montana to help Daines, Rosendale, and Gianforte. If he does, I expect it to be early because he will need to concentrate on the battleground states later in the summer.

 

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