Numbers: Apr. 10, 2006

$853.7 billion China’s foreign-currency reserves, which surpassed Japan’s as the world’s largest

$202 billion China’s 2005 trade surplus with the U.S., a record high that is partly fueled by Beijing’s booming reserves

259 Katrina-damaged school buses that New Orleans hopes to sell on eBay to raise money for its public-school system. Bids on one hit $5,500 within 29 hours

23 Public schools in Orleans Parish–out of 117, pre-Katrina–that have reopened

5 Contestants, of 6 million in three major pools, who correctly chose the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament

26 Years since the Final Four last had no top-seeded teams

8.1% Government-mandated improvement in fuel efficiency for new SUVs from 2008 to ’11

10.7 billion gal. Expected total fuel savings over the life of vehicles in those model years–less than the U.S. now uses in one month

Sources: New York Times; www.census.gov AP (2); New York Times (2); Department of Transportation (2)