A Data Visualization Newsletter

The world reached a major milestone last week when, according to UN estimates, the world’s population reached a record 8 billion people. Collectively, that population is growing older, living longer, and having fewer children. This interactive experience from The Washington Post helps you visualize how many of those 8 billion people are at a similar life stage to you.

Unlike other billionaires like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, the name Mukesh Ambani might not ring a bell to many Americans. But with a net worth of $90.7 billion, Ambani is not only one of India’s richest men, he’s also been among the ten richest people in the world for the past three years. This article from Rest of World breaks down the incredible reach of his companies in India, touching everything from food, clothing, fuel, the internet, and much much more.

Qatar and Ecuador played the first match of the 2022 World Cup yesterday, kicking off this year’s edition of the highly anticipated global tournament. This year’s host, Qatar, has plowed $300 billion into the infrastructure needed to host the event, transforming Doha into a city that can accommodate more than one million fans and athletes. Bloomberg breaks down the extravagance and the controversies that have plagued this year’s World Cup.

The midterms may not have been the landslide that many expected, but Republicans were still able to win back control of the House. They did so by picking up seats across 13 states, more than offsetting the seats that Democrats picked up in seven. This article from The New York Times breaks down how, even if a red wave never materialized, Republicans still saw a broader shift towards their party.

As the ice caps shrink and new sea lanes open, the Arctic is becoming strategically more important. And since 2005, Russia’s behavior has reflected this; it has reopened many Soviet-era military bases in the Arctic, bolstered its navy, and developed hypersonic missiles designed to avoid detection. As Reuters shows, the West is still trying to play catch up and combat Russia’s dominance in the region.