Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen. – Wayne Huizenga

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 N95 masks, Daytona 500, unemployment claims, USA deaths from coronavirus, Montanans fully immunized, Rush Limbaugh, COVID-19 shots for military personnel, Donald Trump, beer & wine sales, Cascade County City-County Board of Health, and much more!

11,000,000

Federal agents have seized more than 11 million fake N95 masks designed to mimic those made by 3M, officials announced Wednesday. (The Hill)

If masks don’t work as many on the right seem to think, then how are these fake…

4,830,000

Sunday’s 2021 Daytona 500, impacted by a nearly six-hour rain delay, attracted an average of 4.83 million viewers. (CNBC)

When NASCAR started changing the rules and then not following them, they lost me. That was several years ago. I watched about 15 minutes of this year’s Daytona 500.

By the way, there were 96.4 million viewers of the Super Bowl.

861,000

In the week ending February 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 861,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 55,000 from 793,000 to 848,000. The 4-week moving average was 833,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 13,750 from 823,000 to 836,750. (DOL)

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

490,717

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 490,717 deaths and 27,827,801 cases across the country so far. The first death in the USA was reported on February 29, 2020. (Johns Hopkins)

Last week the death total was 471,764.

55,504

That’s how many Montanans have been fully immunized for COVID-19. (SOURCE)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Montana’s estimated population in July 2019 was 1,068,778.

That’s just a small percentage of Montanans immunized. We should be wearing masks until a higher percentage is fully immunized.

77.8

Life expectancy in the US dropped a full year in the first half of 2020, according to a report published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Experts say that Covid-19 was a significant factor contributing to the decline. The life expectancy for the entire US population fell to 77.8 years, similar to what it was in 2006, CDC data shows. (CNN)

Pro-Tip: We’re all gonna die…

70

Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a gleeful malice that made him one of the most powerful voices in politics, influencing the rightward push of American conservatism and the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70. (AP)

It was sad and somewhat concerning the hatred posted on social media when Limbaugh’s death was announced. We should be better than this. Cheering about death because the person differed with you on politics will never happen here. I did not agree with Limbaugh much, especially his support of Donald Trump.

Rest in Peace.

66-70

More than two-thirds of U.S. service members offered the COVID-19 vaccine have opted to receive it — but the high rate of troops turning it down has lawmakers voicing grave concerns. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Defense officials, including Air Force Maj. Gens. Jeff Taliaferro, vice director for operations on the Joint Chiefs, and Steven Nordhaus, director of operations with the National Guard Bureau, said the vaccine acceptance rate for troops is, on average, between 66% and 70%. (Military.com)

They need to make it mandatory. It’s the military, not summer camp.

54

According to a Morning Consult/Politico poll conducted at the conclusion of the Senate’s weeklong trial, a majority of Republican voters (54 percent) said they would support Trump in a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary election – matching the share who said the same in late November, before his standing dipped in a survey conducted shortly after the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. (Morning Consult)

There are lots of interesting numbers in this poll – click on the link to view.

6

Montana lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow stores to sell beer and wine earlier in the morning starting at 6:00 a.m. The Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee hosted a hearing Wednesday on Senate Bill 207, sponsored by Sen. JP Pomnichowski, a Democrat from Bozeman. (KTVH)

I tried to purchase some wine on an early morning shopping trip to a local grocery store. I did not realize it was too early (about 20 minutes). I thought I had committed a felony! Managers and supervisors came out of the walls to inform me it was against the law. I felt very small and like a closet alcoholic. Maybe I should have asked for it in a paper bag.

It’s kind of ironic there seems to be support to change the hours to make buying booze easier in Montana, but on the other hand, those on the wacky right want to make it harder to register and vote. #Priorities

5-2

The Cascade County City-County Board of Health voted 5-2 to implement a local health order that requires masks. (The Electric)

Thank you to the Cascade County City-County Board of Health for supporting the wearing of masks.

The two who voted against the wearing of masks are in competition for “Dumbass of the Week.” As usual, this award will be announced Friday.

## WEAR A MASK TODAY ##