I haven’t seen any new Bigfoot pictures in a while…I hope he’s okay. – Unknown

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you are 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 voting records, unemployment, Montana votes, USA deaths from coronavirus, a coronavirus record, Madison Cawthorn is going to Washington, Big Sky football, the “squad” reelected, Trump campaign lawsuits, and much more!

72,182,312

As of 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning, that’s how many votes Democrat Joe Biden has received for President of the United States – the most in history! (AP) Republican Donald Trump has received 68,825,841 votes. (Yahoo News)

We need a uniform way of counting votes – like being able to let officials count ballots as they are returned.

751,000

In the week ending October 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 751,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 7,000 from 751,000 to
758,000. The 4-week moving average was 787,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 3,250 from 787,750 to 791,000. (DOL)

*Note: On Thursdays, my column is not published until right after 6:30 a.m. (Montana time) so I can post the latest unemployment numbers.

604,314

As of 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning, that’s how many people had voted in Montana which is a record (MTN). (MT SOS)

I guess more people showing up to vote was good for the Republicans in Montana…

233,734

That is how many people have died in the United States from coronavirus, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 233,734 deaths and 9,488,875 cases across the country so far. The first death in the US was reported on February 29. (Johns Hopkins)

Last Thursday, there were 227,703 deaths.

104,429

Although Trump and many Republicans said the coronavirus coverage would end after the election, the number of new coronavirus cases recorded in a single day in the United States topped 100,000 for the first time Wednesday, setting a record in the months-long pandemic. According to the data, there were 104,429 new cases, breaking the single-day record of 98,583 new cases set last week. (NBC News)

Since the election is over, maybe officials will get the guts to make some tough decisions to fight the pandemic…

25

When Madison Cawthorn joins the North Carolina delegation in the House of Representatives in January, he will become the youngest member of Congress and the youngest Republican ever elected to the House. The 25-year-old will also likely be a lightning rod for controversy. He has already drawn allegations of racism and positioned himself as highly conservative on issues ranging from abortion to racial justice. (WaPo)

He may be a train wreck waiting to happen…

6

The Big Sky’s spring 2021 football schedule will feature 12 teams playing six conference games over an eight-week period, the Presidents’ Council approved earlier this week. The 58th season of Big Sky football will kick off on Saturday, February 27, and conclude on Saturday, April 10. Two open dates are placed inside the schedule – March 20 and April 17 – to provide opportunities if needed for rescheduling games postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Press Release)

The Cat-Griz game is scheduled for March 27.

4

All four members of the Democrat’s progressive “Squad” have won reelection to Congress, the Guardian reports. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have all secured second terms in the House. (Source)

Seems as though their constituents believe they are doing a good job. Their reelection may send some wackos on the right over the edge…

3

The Trump campaign filed lawsuits in three states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia). The Associated Press reported:

As Democrat Joe Biden inched closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, President Donald Trump’s campaign put into action the legal strategy the president had signaled for weeks: attacking the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean his defeat.

I would expect nothing less from Trump and his team.

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