A Data Visualization Newsletter

The energy sources that the United States uses to generate electricity have shifted significantly over the last 15 years. Natural gas has edged coal as the country’s leading generation source, while renewables have made sizable gains. Yet, each state’s story is different — wind power has taken off in Iowa, while coal remains entrenched in West Virginia. See how your state stacks up.

In The Pudding’s latest story, Russell Goldenberg combs through over 700,000 section headlines from the New York Times archives to understand which countries captured America’s collective consciousness through the years. The visualization makes evident certain chapters in world history — from our battles with Germany in WWI and WWII to our recent fixation on China’s economic growth.

Turnout in midterm elections is traditionally low in the United States; just over one-third of eligible Americans cast a ballot in 2014. This year, however, that number skyrocketed — over 118 million ballots have already been certified, meaning that more than half of eligible Americans voted in 2018. It’s the highest turnout in a midterm election in a century.

Back in October, a report from the UN warned that we have just 12 years to mitigate irreversible damage to our climate. Yet, the effects of climate change are already being felt worldwide, with extreme weather events causing more than 5,000 deaths and affecting millions of others in 2018. The Guardian walks us through the most notable disasters of the past year.

During the holidays, FiveThirtyEight traditionally publishes a round-up of its best charts and maps from the previous year. 2018’s list doesn’t disappoint, with graphics about curling, prime numbers, Nicolas Cage movies, and much more. And if you’re dying for more 2018 recaps from other graphics teams, check out the ones that The Economist, Reuters, and Bloomberg released last week.