A Data Visualization Newsletter

President Biden has a big decision on his hands. After numerous extensions to the pause on student loan repayments amid the pandemic, Biden has finally promised to decide by August who (if anybody) will be eligible for loan forgiveness. Some Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren are advocating for up to $50k in relief per borrower, but Biden himself seems to favor a more restrained approach.

As we approach the 2022 midterm elections, it’s important to know which issues are likely to influence the outcome. That’s why FiveThirtyEight will be conducting six polls between now and Election Day, aimed at identifying the biggest challenges facing the country. For now, inflation seems to be top of mind for most Americans; it was the most-cited concern in FiveThirtyEight’s first poll across most demographic groups.

Ever wonder which fictional character your personality is most similar to? Us too. But this isn’t some simple, Buzzfeed-style quiz; it’s a comprehensive, 36-question test based on rigorous statistics and data from more than three million volunteers. Take the quiz and find out if you’re more similar to Dr. Strange or Sherlock Holmes.

Over one million Americans have now died from covid-19. To commemorate those lost, The Washington Post created this data visualization as a touching tribute. For each week of the pandemic, they’ve highlighted one person’s story: the things that brought them joy and what they wanted to do next.

For major metros around the country, local budgets are often in the billions of dollars. But most of the time, these budgets can feel opaque and difficult to interpret. Luckily, Moksha Data Studio built this tool in conjunction with ACLU Texas, which centralizes information about Houston’s budget and makes it easier to navigate. Here’s to hoping they do this for other cities next!