Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause. – President Joe Biden

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 in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm and humor.

This week’s topics include Mega Millions, Powerball, unemployment, deaths from coronavirus, clemency, U.S. Senate, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Amanda Gorman, AFC/NFC Championships, and much more!

970,000,000

That’s the estimated lottery jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing Friday evening. (Mega Millions)

You could do a lot of good things with this jackpot.

730,000,000

A ticket sold in Maryland won the $730 million Powerball drawing Wednesday evening. (Fox News)

Someone will have a lot of new friends. 

900,000

In the week ending January 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 900,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised down by 39,000 from 965,000 to
926,000. The 4-week moving average was 848,000, an increase of 23,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 9,750 from 834,250 to 824,500. (DOL)

*Note: On Thursdays, this column is published right after 6:30 a.m. (Montana time), so I can post the latest unemployment numbers.

406,162

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 406,162 deaths and 24,439,427 cases across the country so far. The first death in the USA was reported on February 29. (Johns Hopkins)

Last week there were 384,784 deaths.

143

President Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 143 people, using a final act of presidential power to extend mercy to former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon, well-connected celebrities and nonviolent drug offenders — but he did not preemptively pardon himself or his family. (WaPo)

I guess Joe Exotic did not get one, but he had a limo on standby outside the prison if he did. (CBS News)

50-50

Democrats claimed control of the Senate by the thinnest possible margin Wednesday as Vice President Kamala Harris swore in three new Democratic senators, bringing Republicans and Democrats to an even 50-50 split in the chamber.
Harris, appearing in her role as Senate president just hours after her inauguration as vice president, will serve as the tiebreaker, giving her party a one-vote majority – and thus the power to set the agenda in Senate committees and on the Senate floor. (WaPo)

The Vice President will need to stay close to D.C. for some close votes…

49

Kamala Devi Harris was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States on Wednesday. Harris is 56 years old. (White House)

She is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President.

46

Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday. Biden is 78 years old. (White House)

22

The country has a new president and a new literary star. In one of the inauguration’s most talked about moments, poet Amanda Gorman, age 22, summoned images dire and triumphant Wednesday as she called out to the world “even as we grieved, we grew.” (AP)

Watch poet Amanda Gorman read “The Hill We Climb” HERE.

4

Four teams are playing in the NFL Conference Championship games this weekend. The games will be played on Sunday. Check out the schedule HERE.

In the first contest, Tampa Bay travels to Green Bay (battle of the bays). In the second game, the Buffalo Bills travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.

Go Chiefs!

## WEAR YOUR MASK ##