A Data Visualization Newsletter

With coronavirus cases surging in America, health officials urged citizens to cancel their Thanksgiving travel plans and stay put. But despite these warnings, many Americans still opted to head out of town. Travel was higher than Thanksgiving 2019 in 80% of U.S. counties, many of which were already Covid-19 hotspots.

Newly released federal data on intensive care unit bed capacity has revealed another detailed picture of America’s health crisis. Analysis by The New York Times shows that hospitals serving more than 100 million Americans reported having fewer than 15 percent of I.C.U beds available. To make matters worse, 1 in 10 Americans — a large portion in the Midwest, South, and Southwest — live in areas where fewer than 5% of beds are open.

The FDA’s approval for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is imminent, having recently cleared another major hurdle. In a clinical study of nearly 44,000 people that began in late July, the vaccine proved effective in protecting those who received the vaccine against the virus. The FDA’s review, which was released last Tuesday, indicated that they now believe the vaccine meets the standard for emergency use authorization.

California’s epic wildfires not only burned more than 4 million acres, they devastated the trees that define the American West. The state’s redwoods, sequoias, and Joshua trees are among the world’s oldest living things and increasingly at risk due to the global climate crisis. In this piece, The New York Times explores the threat to many of California’s majestic forests.