National Debt Clock runs out of digits

Published: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT
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NEW YORK (AP) — In a sign of the times, the National Debt Clock in New York City has run out of digits to record the growing figure.

As a short-term fix, the digital dollar sign on the billboard-style clock near Times Square has been switched to a figure — the "1" in $10 trillion. It's marking the federal government's current debt at about $10.2 trillion.

The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits. That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.

The late Manhattan real estate developer Seymour Durst put the sign up in 1989 to call attention to what was then a $2.7 trillion debt.

Recent comments

Than buy a Timex.

OH PLEASE!!!!!!!! | Oct. 9, 2008 at 11:52 a.m.