It doesn’t matter what’s been written in your story so far. It’s how you fill up the rest of the pages that counts. – 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 coronavirus stimulus plan, unemployment claims, USA deaths from coronavirus, my Spotify this year, many columns, Biden/Trump favorability rating, NBA players & COVID-19, Trump’s Facebook speech, Trump’s 2021 calendar, youngest/oldest Presidents, Wednesday NFL games, plus much more!
908,000,000,000
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use a $908 billion bipartisan coronavirus stimulus plan as the basis for relief talks as Congress scrambles to send aid to Americans before the end of the year. (CNBC)
There are a lot of people and businesses that could use the help.
712,000
In the week ending November 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 712,000, a decrease of 75,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 9,000 from 778,000 to
787,000. The 4-week moving average was 739,500, a decrease of 11,250 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 2,250 from 748,500 to 750,750. (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.
273,847
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 273,847 deaths and 13,925,990 cases across the country so far. The first death in the USA was reported on February 29. (Johns Hopkins)
Two weeks ago, there were 250,548 deaths.
14,588
That’s how many minutes of music I listened to on Spotify this year. My top five songs were:
- The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley
- Roll with the Changes by REO Speedwagon
- Time for me to Fly by REO Speedwagon
- Surrender by Cheap Trick
- Never Been Any Reason by Head East
471
This is the 471st “Thursday Numbers” column.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, there will not be a parade…
55
President-elect Joe Biden’s favorability rating has risen six percentage points to 55% since the election compared with his final preelection reading. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s favorability has edged down three points to 42%. (Gallup)
48
Forty-eight NBA players tested positive for COVID-19, the league said on Wednesday, as players returned to their team’s home markets for the start of the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22. (Reuters)
The NBA tested 546 players.
46
President Donald J. Trump released a 46-minute speech Wednesday that was posted on Facebook. The subject was, you guessed it, a rigged election. (NY Times)
I am betting that Facebook and Twitter will ban Mr. Trump after January 20.
30
That’s the cost of the 2021 Donald Trump calendar. (Trump-Pence)
I heard it only goes to January 20…
10
Click HERE for a list of the 10 youngest Presidents.
The youngest President was Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was sworn in after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, making John F. Kennedy the youngest president actually voted to the office. At 70, Donald J. Trump was the oldest president to take office. At 78, Joe Biden will assume the title of oldest president at inauguration.
2
The NFL played a game on a Wednesday for just the second time since 1949, between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, after a COVID-19 outbreak spread throughout the Ravens organization. (USA Today)
The Steelers remained undefeated, beating the Ravens 19-14.
The Western Word 