That’s the number of states that will begin receiving royalties from oil companies drilling off their coasts under legislation passed by Congress in its closing days. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas stand to gain millions of dollars from the arrangement, which opens up 8 million more acres for new off-shore drilling.

That’s the percentage of married people who report being “very happy.” Married people are more likely than unmarrieds (24%) and all adults (34%) to say they are “very happy.”

That’s the number of Americans who favor a hefty increase in the federal minimum wage from its current level of $5.15 an hour to $7.15 an hour. The last time Congress raised the federal minimum was in 1997, but many states have now set minimum wage levels above the federal floor.

That’s the percentage of the U.S. public that prefers “Merry Christmas” to non-religious welcomes such as “Season’s Greetings.” However, given the choice, a 45% plurality says it does not matter much either way.

That’s the percent of online health seekers who do not consistently check the source and date of the health information they find online.

That’s the proportion of Americans who, in the wake of this November’s elections, want Democratic leaders rather than President Bush to take the lead in addressing national problems. Only 29% say the president should take the lead.

That’s the number of Americans familiar with Wal-Mart, who have a favorable opinion of the company according to a Pew survey. That high rating didn’t keep the nation’s largest retailer from suffering a 0.1% drop in same-store sales over the bellwether Thanksgiving shopping weekend, news of which led the stock market downward on Monday.

That’s the number of Americans who say they think Democratic leaders will be successful in getting their programs passed into law — about the same level of confidence that Americans voiced about GOP legislative prospects in December 1994.

That’s the number of American adults who look online for health information on a typical day.