Data Vis Dispatch, April 7: #30DayChartChallenge, spring, and Easter toast

To mark the arrival of April, we start this week with some spring-themed visualizations. The bloom patterns of cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., and of leaves across the United States are shifting due to warmer temperatures. The arrival of spring has also brought clouds of dust from the Sahara Desert to Europe.

Along with spring, Easter has also arrived, and with it, infographics portraying various Easter traditions!

And on top of spring and Easter, April has also brought the #30DayChartChallenge! We've collected a few from the first batch of visualizations.

Moving on to the topic of money, higher-income groups are growing in America.

Costs are still rising, affecting everything from pistachio imports to the price of cancer medicine in the European Union. The U.S. healthcare sector has also faced high costs due to administrative expenses.

The technology sector is booming, with the chip market projected to more than double in size. We've seen an increase in satellites in space, plus a proposal is underway to install a lunar telescope on the far side of the moon.

The U.S. is experiencing a decline in democracy. On the topic of immigration, the Department of Justice has rejected thousands of pending criminal cases at a record pace. Furthermore, counties cooperating with ICE tend to be whiter than average.

As the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, Lebanon is under Israeli occupation and facing evacuation orders. Iran has recorded the highest number of deaths and disappearances on migrant routes. Meanwhile, in China, safety measures appear to be taking place as a potential military base is being built in the South China Sea.

We end this Dispatch with two fascinating visualizations: a scan of an old Japanese chart and a map showing waterways categorized by the words we use to describe them.