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The numbers for September 19, 2014

Tony Wagner Sep 19, 2014

Alibaba founder Jack Ma is having a great morning. After a record-breaking IPO, the Chinese e-commerce company began trading Friday at $92.70, the New York Times reported. That price values the company at more than $228.5 billion.

While we calculate just how much human hair you could buy with that, here are some other stories we’re reading — and numbers we’re watching — Friday.

55 percent

In a much more decisive vote than expected, the majority of Scots elected to keep the country in the United Kingdom overnight Friday. The full results show a huge turnout, and the BBC reported that the vote has resonated around the world, from secessionists in Spain to state media in China. 

23,000

That’s the number of people killed annually by issues stemming form antibiotic-resistance. The White House launched a new initiative to combat the public health threat Thursday, the Times reported, with a $20 million prize for the development of a better resistance test and a suggested $1.7 billion in funding for research and other initiatives.

$400 million

In an unprecedented sponsorship deal, Microsoft reportedly paid the NFL $400 million to get hundreds of its Surface tablets on the sidelines and in coaches booths for the next several seasons. But the Los Angeles Times reported that announcers keep accidentally calling the tablets “iPads,” showing just how much Microsoft’s key rival owns the tablet industry.

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