While the candidates are busy showing their primary colors in New Hampshire, here are some need-to-know numbers for the end of your day.
The first 2016 primary kicks off in New Hampshire on Tuesday, with Donald Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders favored to win on the Republican and Democratic sides, respectively. Trump has maintained a lead in New Hampshire polls for a while now, but fellow party candidates are hoping for a strong showing regardless. In fact, over at the New York Times, they’ve tracked just how much has been spent on attack ads meant to sway New Hampshire Republicans. The grand total: $30 million. So far, Jeb Bush takes the prize as the biggest spender.
Speaking of Tuesdays and parties (sorry, we tried), Mardis Gras kicked off on Tuesday. And one city bracing itself for an influx of tourists looking to celebrate: New Orleans. In fact, about a million visitors pour into The Big Easy to celebrate, which is a problem when you consider that the police force has been cut down in recent years due to budget constraints. So how does the city plan to keep revelers safe with a limited number of resources? In addition to the usual help provided by Louisiana state troopers, there’s a new private sector fund of $5 million to put towards added security.
Looking ahead to the end of the month, the Oscars are nearly upon us. Per usual, there are murmurs about who will win what, what Chris Rock might say, and if Leonardo DiCaprio will finally have a reason to celebrate. But don’t feel bad for the losers. Over at The Hollywood Reporter, they’ve got a list of the items in the schwag bag given to every nominated actor, actress, and director. The entire bag of goodies is worth a staggering $200,000. Consider this as you head off into Tuesday evening: even a loser at the Oscars gets a free trip to Israel.
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