Monday, Mar. 22, 2004

Numbers

17% Proportion of Americans who think it's O.K. to cheat on their income tax, up from 11% five years ago

$300 billion Annual amount owed by taxpayers for under-reporting, nonfiling, and nonpayment of balances

234 Number of complaints to the FCC over Bono's use of the F word during last year's Golden Globe Awards

237,215 Number of letters received by the FCC after it ruled that Bono did not violate broadcast-decency standards

$43.1 billion U.S. trade deficit in January, a record high

44% Amount by which the dollar has declined in value against the euro in the past two years; such weakness drives down the price of U.S. products overseas and should have reduced the trade deficit

400,000 Number of U.S. deaths in 2000 caused by poor diet, mainly overeating, making it the No. 2 killer, after smoking

90% Proportion of Americans who agreed with a House of Representatives vote last week to block obesity lawsuits against food manufacturers

Sources: USA Today (2); Wall Street Journal (2); New York Times; Wall Street Journal; New York Times; U.S. Newswire