Data Vis Dispatch, November 3: Midterm elections, Halloween candies, and the #30DayMapChallenge

This week, we're kicking things off with the long-awaited U.S. midterm elections. From possible outcome scenarios and polling bias to vote shifts and standout midterm quotes, check out the various visualisations covering the topic. Furthermore, this campaign has seen an increase in Trump's comments about people’s physical appearance.

On a similar note, Elon Musk has spent vast sums on donations throughout this election campaign, while advertising spending has also skyrocketed. Ads opposing data centres have become more common on social media.

Following Israel's general election, the country now faces political uncertainty, as neither the Netanyahu-led bloc nor the Opposition bloc was able to secure the 61-seat majority required to form a government.

Demonstrations and riots have spread throughout Europe over the past few weeks, with the majority of tear gas being used against protesters occurring in France.

China has accelerated the mapping of waters near Taiwan, while the country's energy equipment is powering the AI boom. Additionally, thousands of economic statistics are no longer being published.

Last week, a train collision occurred south of Madrid, involving a high-speed train that struck the rear of a stationary train.

On the topic of war, while Russian strikes on Ukraine have intensified recently, the U.S. oil industry has reported billions of dollars in profits.

The start of November means it's time for this year's #30daymapchallenge! Check out the first batch of selected visualizations covering the terrain of Mayotte, street tree colors, a 3D map of the Matterhorn, and an interactive tool to explore Berlin's trees.

Moving on to health, increasing HPV vaccination rates could prevent thousands of cervical cancer cases every year, and the age at which mental health issues can develop varies. Meanwhile, premiums under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are increasing significantly.

We end this Dispatch with some other interesting topics: Anthropic's $40 trillion market opportunity, output and employment in different industries, life at various GDP per capita levels, Rade de Brest's currents, the expected impacts of El Niño in North and South America, the worst Halloween candies, a death anniversary calculator, and women in the lower house of parliament.