Data & Eggs
Volume 254
In this week’s edition: why daylight saving time is worse, how Russia pays for war, and where midterm donations are coming from.
01
)
Why daylight saving time is worse for your body than standard time
On Sunday morning, the United States once again changed its clocks and fell back into standard time. From a health standpoint, most sleep and circadian experts say we should stay here. That’s because early-morning sunlight is key to maintaining good sleep cycles and overall health. This piece from The Washington Post explains why just one hour can make all the difference.
02
)
How Russia Pays for War
After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, countries around the world imposed sanctions that were intended to cripple Russia’s economy. But country-level trade data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity shows that, so far, many countries have found it incredibly difficult to live without Russian materials. The value of Russian exports to countries like China, Turkey, Germany, and Brazil has actually increased since the invasion.
03
)
Feelings at Work
The American Time Use Survey asks people to score their feelings about their work, including whether it produces happiness, sadness, stress, or meaningfulness. On the whole, 60% of Americans say that their work doesn’t make them sad, and 30% rate their work as very meaningful. But responses vary dramatically by profession. This visualization from FlowingData examines which occupations are associated with the best — and worst — feelings.
04
)
Out-of-State Money Is Flooding Midterm Races — and Drowning Out Local Issues
Nearly two-thirds of donations to U.S. Senate candidates in this election cycle have come from out-of-state donors, not from potential constituents, a significant increase relative to the 2018 midterms. That number is even higher in highly competitive Senate races in Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia. It’s a reflection of a new political fundraising ecosystem in which super PACs and online donation platforms have made it easy to pour money into any race.
05
)
How Halloween revelry turned to disaster in South Korea
On the night of October 29th, a celebration in Seoul’s Itaewon district turned deadly, as Halloween partygoers became trapped in a crowd crush that left more than 150 dead. South Korean officials have already acknowledged that the crowd control was inadequate and vowed to improve emergency response protocols. Reuters used testimony from more than 15 witnesses, police transcripts, and visual evidence to piece together this timeline of the events.