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New UK fiscal metric paints a rosier picture of the national debt

May 17, 2023
The U.K. has adopted an additional fiscal statistic that suggests public finances are not in such a bad shape after all.
The U.K.'s new “public sector net worth” measure offsets debt by including government-owned infrastructure, such as railways.
Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images

Census undercount of Black, brown communities could ripple through economy

Apr 6, 2022
The bureau thinks it missed 3% of African Americans, 5% of Hispanics and 6% of Alaska Natives and Native Americans living on reservations.
The undercount of communities of color can influence political redistricting and the distribution of federal dollars.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Checking in on America’s “data infrastructure”

Feb 11, 2021
For everything you do, there's a statistic, and behind that number are federal statistical agencies in need of attention.
Whether it’s determining optimal highway width or the size of Social Security benefits, “there’s a stat for that,” says Robert Santos, president of the American Statistical Association.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The secret to a perfect basketball team is data

Mar 8, 2016
You don't come across a Steph Curry every day, but teams are trying to make their own.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder at ORACLE Arena on March 3, 2016 in Oakland, California.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

First U.S. data chief touts benefits of big data

Nov 12, 2015
DJ Patil was appointed as the White House's first Chief Data Scientist in February.

GDP revisions — Who cares? Why bother?

Sep 25, 2015
Growth estimates are tweaked twice, but the markets have long-since digested that old news.

The biggest, baddest black markets in the US

Apr 24, 2015
A snapshot of what the black market says about us.

For public good, not for profit.

Gini: the measure of inequality

Jul 10, 2014
The Gini Index is the most common measure of wealth distribution within nations

How putting a price on something can change everything

Jun 14, 2013
Why do Major League Baseball games take so long to play these days? Because the Oakland A's found that the best way to produce runs is to draw a lot of walks. So baseball became a game of hitters waiting out pitchers.

Statistics may sound boring, but they're everywhere

Feb 11, 2013
Charles Wheelan's new book "Naked Statistics" has fun with the serious subject of stats.