You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the numbers tucked inside the news.
6 quarters
Whole Foods is closing stores in several states after six consecutive quarters of declining sales. The issue? In part, it’s because other super markets have begun to imitate what people liked about Whole Foods. No matter the cause, foot traffic is down, and some analysts see an acquirer in the company’s future. [The Guardian]
8 years
The alleged mastermind behind a Canadian maple syrup heist has been sentenced to eight years in prison with a $9.4 million fine. I envy what the rest of the continent is reading as their front-page news these days. [CBC]
15 no’s
A bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act is in its last-ditch push before the GOP loses the ability to pass it by majority vote in the Senate. In the U.S. House, over 15 G.O.P. lawmakers have said they would not vote for the current bill, and Speaker Paul Ryan can only afford to lose 22 votes in total. [POLITICO]
19 pounds
Amidst food shortages, civic unrest and a catastrophic economic collapse, the average Venezuelan adult lost 19 pounds last year. [Bloomberg]
352 people
Since operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria began in 2014, at least 352 civilians have been killed in U.S.-led strikes. That’s the Pentagon’s tally; outside groups place the number of deaths an order of magnitude higher. [Reuters]
$1 trillion
A bipartisan agreement over a $1 trillion U.S. budget bill was reached over the weekend. The budget does not contain any new funding for a wall along the Mexican border, a blow to President Donald Trump’s policy priorities. [The Guardian]
If you see a significant digit in the wild, send it to @WaltHickey.