Quote for today…
Open-minded people don’t care to be right; they care to understand. There’s never a right or wrong answer. Everything is about understanding. – Unknown
Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you are a first-time visitor, this is the weekly column where I look at the numbers in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm and humor.
This week’s topics include deaths from coronavirus, fully vaccinated Montanans, new unemployment claims, Texas is for idiots, TWW poll results, Senate Republicans, Summer Olympics & time difference, January 6 investigation, plus much more!
609,870
That is how many people have died in the United States from coronavirus, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There have been 34,229,841 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 608,115.
438,652
That is how many Montanans have been fully immunized for COVID-19. That is just 48% of the eligible population. (Source)
Last week the number of fully immunized Montanans was 435,241.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Montana’s estimated population in July 2019 was 1,068,778.
Find COVID-19 Vaccines Near You by clicking HERE.
419,000
In the week ending July 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 419,000, an increase of 51,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 8,000 from 360,000 to 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 385,250, an increase of 750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 2,000 from 382,500 to 384,500. (DOL)
Note: On Thursdays, this column is published right after 6:30 a.m. (Montana time), so I can post the latest unemployment numbers.
8,787
Of the 8,787 people who have died in Texas due to COVID-19 since early February, at least 43 were fully vaccinated, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. That means 99.5% of people who died due to COVID-19 in Texas from Feb. 8 to July 14 were unvaccinated, while 0.5% were the result of “breakthrough infections,” which DSHS defines as people who contracted the virus two weeks after being fully vaccinated. (Texas Tribune)
Texas is for idiots! If you’re not vaccinated by now, you just might be a dumbass…
57
This week’s poll question asked, “Who is your favorite Democratic U.S. House candidate so far?”
Here are the results:
MONICA TRANEL: 57%
UNDECIDED: 27%
CORA NEUMANN: 13%
LAURIE BISHOP: 3%
Thanks to all who participated.
51-49
Senate Republicans rejected an effort Wednesday to begin debate on the big infrastructure deal that a bipartisan group of senators brokered with President Joe Biden, but pressure was mounting as supporters insisted they just needed more time before another vote possibly next week. The party-line vote blocked the bill from advancing, 51-49, and fell far short of the 60 votes required under Senate rules. Schumer switched his vote to “no” at the end, a procedural step that would allow him to move to quickly reconsider. (AP)
Maybe next week…
15
With the summer Olympics being held in Tokyo, Japan, it’s important to remember that Japan is 15 hours ahead of the Mountain Time zone. That kind of sucks for live events.
Here’s a handy-dandy website to help you.
2/5
House Republicans balked at participating in the House committee that’s investigating the January 6 insurrection on Wednesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of the five Republicans House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had tapped for the panel. Pelosi’s decision to reject the two Republicans — and McCarthy’s response to pull the rest of his members — injected new fuel into the partisan fight over the select committee that’s been raging since Democrats created the panel last month to investigate the circumstances surrounding the January 6 attack on the Capitol. (CNN)
Things are pretty much broken in Washington, D.C.
The Western Word 