You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the numbers tucked inside the news.
25 percent
President Trump said on Twitter yesterday that the U.S. tariffs on China will increase from 10 percent to 25 percent “on Friday.” The threat comes as the two countries prepare for trade negotiation talks in Washington this week. [Bloomberg]
5 movies
In its second weekend, “Avengers: Endgame” joined the $2 billion club at the box office, alongside “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Not only that, it is now the movie that reached that milestone most quickly, “obliterating” the old record. [Variety]
From ABC News:
‘Avengers: Endgame’ reaches $2 billion globally in less than two weeks
20-minute period
Over a 20-minute period on Saturday, reportedly personally overseen by a binocular-clutching Kim Jong Un, North Korea fired rocket launchers and guided weapons off its coast, including a short-range ballistic missile. While the tests were apparently not in violation of its self-imposed ban on inter-continental ballistic missile tests, the exercise “clearly raises tensions with Washington and Seoul,” writes the Post. [The Washington Post]
From ABC News:
Surprise launch from North Korea to the Sea of Japan
Nearly 22 minutes
In a similarly tense period thousands of miles east, under the twin spires of Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby stewards on Saturday debated the fate of the horse Maximum Security, who, by all initial accounts, had just won the most famous race in the sport. However, Maximum Security “had jumped a puddle on the rain-soaked track and slid to the outside,” impeding its equine competitor War of Will. Eventually, after a 22-minute replay review, Maximum Security was disqualified, and Country House, a 65-1 long-shot, was declared the winner. [The New York Times]
From ABC News:
Kentucky Derby champion jockey reacts to controversial win
4.3-mile journey
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, crowned this weekend, made a grand public appearance yesterday, carried on “a golden palanquin by soldiers in ancient fighting uniforms.” He was carried on a five-hour, 4.3-mile journey, to be exact, visiting three prominent Buddhist temples before being carried back to the Grand Palace. While the king wore heavy gold vestments and a feathered hat, onlookers favored yellow shirts, “a color closely associated with the monarchy.” Criticism of the king is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the AP reports. [Associated Press]
3 spinoffs
According to author George R. R. Martin, HBO is working on three “Game of Thrones” spinoffs. He wrote that there had been “five different ‘Game of Thrones’ successor shows in development (I mislike the term ‘spinoffs’) at HBO, and three of them are still moving forward nicely.” I mislike the term “successor shows,” but I do look forward to forgetting who the thousands of new characters are. [CNN]
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