Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ― Voltaire
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 unemployment, USA deaths from coronavirus, Mount Everest, highest daily death toll, the Affordable Care Act, vaccinations, suing Facebook, Texas lawsuit, death row, and much more!
853,000
In the week ending December 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 853,000, an increase of 137,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 4,000 from 712,000 to 716,000. The 4-week moving average was 776,000, an increase of 35,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 1,000 from 739,500 to 740,500. (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.
289,450
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 289,450 deaths and 15,392,579 cases across the country so far. The first death in the USA was reported on February 29. (Johns Hopkins)
Last week, there were 273,847 deaths.
29,031.69
That’s the new standard height of Mount Everest, which is two feet higher than before. (AP)
I’m waiting until it gets to 30,000 feet before I climb it…
3,054
The coronavirus pandemic pushed the U.S. past another dire milestone Wednesday, the highest daily death toll to date, even while the mortality rate has decreased as health experts learn more about the disease. The Covid Tracking Project, which tracks state-level coronavirus data, reported 3,054 COVID-19 related deaths — a significant jump from the previous single-day record of 2,769 on May 7. (NPR)
We can save lives by wearing masks and social distancing.
55
Americans’ support for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has increased to a record-tying high of 55% after averaging 51% from 2017 through 2019. The act was less popular when President Barack Obama was in office, averaging 44% and never reaching 50%. (Gallup)
I think 55% is higher than Donald Trump’s favorable ratings…
47
According to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, that’s the percentage of people who say they plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Another 27% are not sure and 26% say they won’t get vaccinated. (AP)
I was in the military and was on call to deploy anywhere in the world. I’ve had every shot you can imagine. I’m still living!
I bet if they paid people they would take the shots…
46
The federal government and 46 state attorneys general are suing Facebook, accusing the social media giant of using illegal tactics to maintain its dominance. The states’ lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Facebook squashed potential rivals by buying up smaller competitors and closing off its platform to developers of apps it perceived as a threat. In the process, it weakened privacy protections for its users, she said. (CBS News)
These states are going to fool around and get unfriended by Facebook…
17
President Donald Trump and 17 U.S. states, including Montana, on Wednesday, threw their support behind a long-shot lawsuit by Texas seeking to overturn his election loss by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the voting results in four states. (Reuters)
They will lose. They look foolish. What a waste of taxpayer money…
8
This year, the federal government put eight people to death, including the only Native American on federal death row, ending a 17-year hiatus on the federal level. Of the next five scheduled executions, four involve Black men; the fifth person would be the first woman to be executed by the federal government in nearly 70 years. (NBC News)
I don’t know all the cases, but this seems a little odd.
The Western Word 
Imagine the outrage from the politicians of Montana if some state like New York or California was to sue Montana because they didn’t like the outcome of our election after Gov. Bullock’s expansion of mail-in voting led to a Republican sweep that would negate their Dem votes in Congress.
And over 3,000 coronavirus deaths in one day? It’s more than 9/11. A new 9/11 every day courtesy of current leadership. Four more years for the architect of that disaster. Take it to court.
Terry – good comments. I agree. Thanks , JmB