Current Facts 17

Sports Trading-Cards
Sports trading-card sales peaked in 1991 at $1.2 billion before falling to $250 million last year. Customs have apparently been put off by the many card sets on the market.-The Wall Street Journal.
The Week Magazine, May 26, 2006, Vol. 6, Iss 260, pg. 40.

Federal, State, & Local Corruption Cases
More than 1,060 federal, state, and local public officials were convicted of corruption in 2004 & 2005, the FBI reported. An FBI task force targeting government corruption currently has more than 2,000 active cases.-The New York Times.
The Week Magazine, May 26, 2006, Vol. 6, Iss 260, pg. 18.

Per Capita Income
According to the 2004 figures published by the World Bank, the United States ranks third in the world for per capita income, with an average of $35,400 per year. Number one is Norway at $38,730, and number two is Switzerland at $36,170. Three countries tie for last place out of 141 countries overall: Burundi, Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia, where the average per capita income is roughly $100 a year.
Fact or Crap Page-a-Day Calendar, 5.19.06

Potato Risk
According to Harvard researchers, people who eat one serving of potatoes 3 or 4 days a week have a 14 percent greater risk of diabetes.
Men's Health Magazine, June 2006, pg. 52.

Chocolate Milk Power Drink
According to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, chocolate milk is an effective postexercise drink that speeds recovery. The chocolate contains antioxidants, and the milk has carbs, protein, and fat, plus macro- and micronutrients.
Men's Health Magazine, June 2006, pg. 58.

Pollination Services
New research shows that bumblebees and other insects provide $57 billion in pollination services as well as other free labor in the US alone.
Scientific American, June 2006, pg. 6.

Pennies
The US Mint now churns out 9 billion pennies every year, twice the number of all other coins combined. This huge volume is necessary because so many of us don't use pennies, and simply throw them into jars, drawers and on the street. Rounding up to the nearest nickel (if pennies were eliminated) would cost the average consumer $14.60 a year.
The Week Magazine, Jun 9, 2006, Vol. 6, Iss 262, pg. 14.

Climate Leaders
Of the 74 companies that joined the Bush administration's voluntary Climate Leaders program, half have still not even set targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.-The Washington Post.
The Week Magazine, Jun 9, 2006, Vol. 6, Iss 262, pg. 18.

Vacation Days
A third of Americans don't take all the vacation days coming to them, according to a survey by Harris Interactive and Expedia. The average worker earned 14 days last year, and forfeited four of them.-CNNmoney
The Week Magazine, Jun 9, 2006, Vol. 6, Iss 262, pg. 37.