Expect an Improved Economy
That’s the number of Americans, about one-in-five, who think the economy will be better off a year from now, while 18% say it will be worse off, and most Americans (56%) say it will be about the same as now.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
That’s the number of Americans, about one-in-five, who think the economy will be better off a year from now, while 18% say it will be worse off, and most Americans (56%) say it will be about the same as now.
Massachusetts has accomplished the improbable: It got Democrats and Republicans to agree on how to provide nearly every resident with health insurance. And it did so without boosting taxes or pushing aside private health plans. Other states – from Vermont to California — are also trying to close the uninsured gap.
Statehouses awash in surpluses ventured into new projects in 2006, from first-in-the-nation preschool for all 3-year-olds in Illinois to a space pad in New Mexico plus advances on such issues as health care, immigration, the minimum wage and global warming that stymied Congress.
That’s the average number of additional words in the White House press briefings given by Press Secretary Tony Snow compared with his relatively laconic predecessor Scott McClellan. As a result, the typical briefing now lasts about 10 minutes, or 30% longer than under McClellan.
That’s the number of Americans who say that things will be better in the new year — though only 28% are satisfied with current national conditions.
That is the percentage of home broadband users who get news online on a typical day. Those who used broadband were much more likely to include online news in their daily media diet than were dial-up users. Just 26% of those with dial-up service get news online on a typical day.
Governors spiced up their annual greeting cards with a mix of sacred and secular themes, personalizing holiday messages with family recipes, Bible verses and even some original artwork.
Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years — notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress.
That’s the percentage of e-caregivers — those using the internet to search for health information during a loved one’s illness — who report that the internet helped them find advice or support from other people.
That’s the percentage of Americans who now support allowing gay persons to serve openly in the U.S. military. Only 32% are opposed.This represents significantly broader support for this inclusive policy than in 1994, when 52% favored allowing gays to serve openly and 45% were opposed.
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