You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the telling numbers tucked inside the news.
28 months
That’s how long the House select committee’s investigation into the 2012 Benghazi attacks lasted, exceeding the amount of time high-profile congressional committees spent digging into Watergate, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Sept. 11 attacks and Pearl Harbor. [AJC]
37 orbits
NASA’s Juno probe traveled through our solar system for nearly five years and arrived Monday at its destination: Jupiter. It will spend about 18 months carrying out 37 orbits to figure out the gas giant’s deal. [NBC News]
Between 64 and 116 civilians
Number of civilians that have been inadvertently killed during the U.S. drone and air war against terror suspects in “non-war zones,” according to the Obama administration. Watchdog groups place that figure higher. [The Washington Post]
70 hot dogs
Joey Chestnut won this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest after eating 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Last week, I looked at the evolution of that competition and how it transformed from a charming contest in which people consumed a lot of hot dogs into an event where victory is ensured only by a self-imposed 10-minute meat-and-bread waterboarding session. [ESPN, FiveThirtyEight]
440 death sentences
Just five prosecutors are responsible for putting a huge chunk of people on death row in the U.S. over the last several decades, a Harvard Law School investigation found. These five head prosecutors (only one is still in office) put 440 people on death row. Keep in mind: There have only been 8,038 death sentences since the reinstatement of the death penalty 40 years ago. [The Guardian]
20,000 pounds of cheese
Crime of the century in Wisconsin: 20,000 pounds of cheese from U.S. Foods, en route from Green Bay to New York, was stolen. Anyone with information is encouraged to call me. [The Associated Press]
You really need to sign up for the Significant Digits newsletter.
And if you see a significant digit in the wild, send it to @WaltHickey.