Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008

Numbers

IMMIGRATION

19% Projected percentage of U.S. population in 2050 who will be foreign-born

1910 Year the percentage of immigrants in the U.S. last reached its highest recorded point--15%

GENDER DIFFERENCES

40% Percentage of women who closely followed March 2007 news stories on tornadoes in the South and Midwest, compared with only 25% of men. A new study finds that women focus more on stories about weather, health and safety

40% Percentage of men who closely followed February 2007 stories on tension between the U.S. and Iran; 27% of women tuned in. Men generally favored sports, politics and international affairs

COMMUNICATION

8 million Number of North American BlackBerry customers whose service was disrupted for more than three hours on Feb. 11

$1.12 Decrease that day in extended-trading stock price for Research in Motion Inc., BlackBerry's maker

LAW

$100,000 Bail set for Florida lawyer Kathy Brewer Rentas after she was charged with assault for vigorously shaking the hand of a fellow attorney. An official claims she almost ripped the prosecutor's arm out of its socket

90 Number of days of house arrest given to Rentas' husband--for violating his drug probation--just before she shook the prosecuting attorney's hand

Sources: Pew Research Center; New York Times; Pew Research Center (2); Bloomberg (2); BBC (2)