numbers-racket

New report card grades Pa., states on their social distancing efforts | The Numbers Racket

BY: - March 26, 2020

New York-based data company Unacast is using its resources to track how Americans have responded (or not responded) to social distancing protocols and shelter-in-place orders from officials. 

Testing our national census knowledge | The Numbers Racket

BY: - March 16, 2020

In an effort to understand Americans’ census knowledge and participation methods, the Pew Research Center compiled the following data. 

Healthcare and insurance in Pa. | The Numbers Racket

BY: - March 10, 2020

To better understand what the health insurance and healthcare picture looks like for Pennsylvanians, let’s look at 2019 data from the Pennsylvania State Data Center.

What census mapping can tell us about the Keystone State | The Numbers Racket

BY: - March 4, 2020

Counting 327 million people is hard. It’s even harder when you think of how many of those people live in remote areas of the country, don’t have permanent homes, are small children, or belong to tough to count populations.

A look at homelessness in the Keystone State, by the numbers | The Numbers Racket

BY: - February 13, 2020

It’s difficult to get an accurate count of the nation’s homeless population because of its  transitory nature. But thanks to data compiled by the Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, we have a detailed estimate of what the issue looks like. 

What would a fair service for state police services look like? | The Numbers Racket

BY: - February 6, 2020

At Tuesday’s budget address, and for the third time during his administration, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a fair-service fee for local governments who are covered by the Pennsylvania State Police. 

Philadelphia: the reigning champ of MLK day in Pa. | The Numbers Racket

BY: - January 20, 2020

The holiday that falls on the third Monday in January was first celebrated on Jan. 20, 1986 after King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, and musician Stevie Wonder petitioned more than 6 million people to get then-President Ronald Reagan to sign off (signed in 1983) on making MLK day a federal holiday.

Cocaine, marijuana and heroin topped fourth quarter drug seizures | The Numbers Racket

BY: - January 16, 2020

This week, The Pennsylvania State Police released their drug seizure totals for the fourth quarter of 2019.  The numbers included the confiscation of illegal drugs from highways and communities across the state. Check out this week’s Number’s Racket:

COMMENTARY

Who you calling ‘socialist?’ Poll reveals sharp partisan, demographic splits on socialism and capitalism | The Numbers Racket

BY: - July 15, 2019

During his State of the Union address back in February, President Donald Trump vowed that “America will never be a socialist country.” And, indeed, there seems precious little danger of that ever happening. But that hasn’t stopped prominent progressive politicians from embracing the “Democratic Socialist” label, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. […]

COMMENTARY

New data shows Pa. doctors are writing far fewer opioid prescriptions | The Numbers Racket

BY: - June 11, 2019

Pennsylvania physicians have written fewer opioid prescriptions for five straight years and have seen the fifth largest percentage drop nationally, new national data shows.

COMMENTARY

This is what opioid abuse in Pennsylvania looks like | The Numbers Racket

BY: - May 13, 2019

From the courthouse to the halls of state government  -- and seemingly everywhere in-between -- Pennsylvania has made fighting the scourge of opioid abuse a priority over the last few years.

Brain drain is an old problem for Pennsylvania | The Numbers Racket

BY: - May 7, 2019

Brain drain refers to educated people in their 20s and 30s leaving their home state to find greener pastures elsewhere.