These neat numbers are in the news

85

Some 85 percent of Americans age 16 and up now use cellphones. Internet use is almost 70 percent. Most of those who use neither are age 65 or above.

15B

State lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow counties, school districts and municipalities to tax oil, natural gas and minerals. The bill is being championed by House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese. He estimates the assessed value of the oil and gas across the state is $15 billion.

"Gas operators have been drilling natural gas and methane gas wells with an unrestrained abandon and they do so virtually tax free," DeWeese said. He added that the exploration and production can damage roads and other property.

In December 2002, the Pa. Supreme Court ruled the minerals could not be taxed as real estate because the state's assessment law failed to explicitly cite them as taxable.

48

Ever notice how there are fewer kids walking to school?

For whatever reason -- safety concerns, laziness, catering or overprotective parents, etc. -- the number of U.S. students living within a half-mile of school who are walking has been dropping every year. It dipped below half, to 48 percent, last year.

In 1969, that figure was 90 percent.

15

Wal-Mart takes its lumps in the media, so you may not have read about the company's progress in energy conservation.

Among its changes is a switch to more energy-efficient trucks. Wal-Mart has cut its fuel consumption by 15 percent in two years. The company has a fleet of 7,200 semitractortrailers. Wal-Mart says the savings are equivalent to removing about 68,000 cars from U.S. highways.

314

Plans to install toll booths on Interstate 80 throughout its entire 314-mile east/west passage in Pennsylvania have met with some opposition in the U.S. Congress.

Last week, the House of Representatives blocked the use of federal funds for construction of the toll booths and related roadwork. That measure drew the ire of Gov. Ed Rendell and several state lawmakers who had approved the toll system to raise highway construction and maintenance funds for Pennsylvania.

Congressman John Peterson led the move to block federal funds, accusing state officials of exploiting Interstate 80 travelers to raise money for public transportation projects in Philadelphia.

State Senator Joe Scarnati defended the toll system on I- 80 as an alternative to higher gas taxes in Pennsylvania.

8

How long will you stay in your current job?

The national average for an adult holding a job (the "median job tenure") has been falling steadily for a quartercentury and is currently 8.0 years. In 1983, it was 15.1 years.

2.1

Teen pregnancies have been dropping for more than a decade. The teen birth rate (ages 15-17) has dropped to 2.1 percent, lowest rate since records have been kept. The figure reached a high of 3.9 percent in 1991.

The National Center for Health Statistics also reports that fewer high school students are having sex: from 54 percent in 1991 to 47 percent now. Also, more sexually active teens than ever (63 percent) are using condoms.