Quote for today…

We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon. ― Konrad Adenauer

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” If 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.

Topics include – Mega Millions, COVID numbers, unemployment, greatest TV shows, House/Senate projections, Biden approval, Kyle Young, Montana suicide rates, monkeypox, gas prices, and more!

355,000,000

The Mega Millions lottery jackpot is still growing! The estimated jackpot for Friday’s drawing is $355,000,000. (Mega Millions)

Good luck!

1,058,505

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 96,249,182 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 1,055,196.

193,000

In the week ending September 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 193,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised down by 4,000 from 213,000 to 209,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,000, a decrease of 8,750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 1,000 from 216,750 to 215,750. (DOL)

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

100

Rolling Stone has ranked the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.

Some of my favorites that made the list are Band of Brothers, West Wing, The X Files, Lost, MASH, The Americans, and Breaking Bad.

Click HERE to see the list.

69

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, the Republicans currently have a 69% chance of winning the majority in the House. (Source)

Last week the chance of Republicans winning the House was 72%.

69

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, currently, the Democrats have a 69% chance of keeping the majority in the U.S. Senate. (Source)

Last week the chance of Democrats winning the Senate was 70%.

42.2

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, that is President Joe Biden’s current approval rating. (Source)

Last week, Biden’s approval rating was 42.4%.

7

A Donald Trump fan, Kyle Young, 38 — an HVAC worker from Iowa, who took his teenage son along as he assaulted Mike Fanone, then a Washington, D.C., police officer, and another officer at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison Tuesday. (NBC News)

I don’t think seven years is enough punishment. He should have received 10 years just for being from Iowa!

5

According to the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services, Montana has ranked in the top five for suicide rates in the nation for the past 30 years. (MTN News)

This is a very serious problem. Our leaders need to devote more attention and resources to this issue.

1

The City-County Health Department in Great Falls has confirmed its first case of monkeypox. The agency said in a news release on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, that the patient is a man aged 20-29. (MTN News)

0.084 – 11.13

That is the range of the price per gallon of gas around the world as of September 26, 2022. (Source)

In the USA, the average price per gallon of gas on September 26 was $3.98. Last week (Sept. 19), the average price in the USA was $3.92.

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