Data Vis Dispatch, October 28: Cats, deals, and uncertainty

Welcome back to the 216th edition of Data Vis Dispatch! Every week, we’ll be publishing a collection of the best small and large data visualizations we find, especially from news organizations — to celebrate data journalism, data visualization, simple charts, elaborate maps, and their creators.

Recurring topics this week include behaviors of cats, business deals, and uncertainty.

This week, we start off with diagrams of business deals in the worlds of AI and banking.

The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/is-the-flurry-of-circular-ai-deals-a-win-winor-sign-of-a-bubble-8a2d70c5?mod=e2twg"><strong>Is the Flurry of Circular AI Deals a Win-Win—or Sign of a Bubble?</strong></a>, October 22 — The Wall Street Journal: **Is the Flurry of Circular AI Deals a Win-Win—or Sign of a Bubble?**, October 22

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-europe-bank-m-a-deals/"><strong>Europe’s Banks Are Finally Merging. Just Not as You Think</strong></a>, October 27 — Bloomberg: **Europe’s Banks Are Finally Merging. Just Not as You Think**, October 27

Russia's war in Ukraine continues to have consequences on both sides, with soldiers losing lives and civilians losing sleep.

SPIEGEL: Die Archivare des Todes [The archivists of death], October 23

Texty.org.ua: Як війна впливає на сон українців: наукове дослідження безсоння [How war affects Ukrainians' sleep: scientific research on insomnia], October 28

In South America, the headlines covered elections in Argentina, criminal gangs in the Amazon, and a decrease in deforestation.

LA NACION: Los resultados de las elecciones legislativas en todo el país [The results of the legislative elections across the country], October 27

InfoAmazonia: <a href="https://infoamazonia.org/2025/10/21/amazonia-sob-ataque-67-dos-municipios-tem-a-presenca-de-faccoes-criminosas/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=InfoAmazonia&utm_campaign=publer"><strong>Amazônia sob ataque: 67% dos municípios têm a presença de facções criminosas</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>Amazon under attack: 67% of municipalities have criminal gangs present</em>], October 21 — InfoAmazonia: **Amazônia sob ataque: 67% dos municípios têm a presença de facções criminosas** [*Amazon under attack: 67% of municipalities have criminal gangs present*], October 21

CarbonBrief: <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/un-report-five-charts-showing-how-global-deforestation-is-declining/?utm_content=buffer60976&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer"><strong>UN report: Five charts showing how global deforestation is declining</strong></a>, October 24 — CarbonBrief: **UN report: Five charts showing how global deforestation is declining**, October 24

U.S. cities deal with the carbon impact of diets, public transport solutions, and more military presence in the streets.

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2025/meat-beef-climate-impact/"><strong>Your diet’s impact on the planet depends on where you live. Look up your city</strong></a>, October 21 — The Washington Post: **Your diet’s impact on the planet depends on where you live. Look up your city**, October 21

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/26/upshot/fast-free-buses.html"><strong>Can Faster Buses Really Be Free?</strong></a>, October 26 — The New York Times: **Can Faster Buses Really Be Free?**, October 26

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/27/us/us-national-guard-deployments.html"><strong>How and Where the National Guard Has Deployed to U.S. Cities</strong></a>, October 27 — The New York Times: **How and Where the National Guard Has Deployed to U.S. Cities**, October 27

Meanwhile, China overtakes the United States in global trade and nuclear power.

Folha De S.Paulo: <a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mercado/2025/10/de-economia-fechada-a-fabrica-do-mundo-china-abocanha-fatia-dos-eua-no-comercio-global.shtml"><strong>De economia fechada a fábrica do mundo, China abocanha fatia dos EUA no comércio global</strong></a> [map description: <em>Expansion of Chinese trade over American trade in the last 25 years</em>], October 25 — Folha De S.Paulo: **De economia fechada a fábrica do mundo, China abocanha fatia dos EUA no comércio global** [map description: *Expansion of Chinese trade over American trade in the last 25 years*], October 25

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/22/climate/china-us-nuclear-energy-race.html"><strong>How China Raced Ahead of the U.S. on Nuclear Power</strong></a>, October 22 — The New York Times: **How China Raced Ahead of the U.S. on Nuclear Power**, October 22

While Europe is experiencing a solar power boom, the costs of climate change remain high.

Bloomberg: Europe’s Solar Boom Is Pushing Power Grids to The Limit, October 28

The European Correspondent: "Between 1980 and 2023, storms, floods, and heatwaves caused a staggering €738 billion in economic losses across Europe, €162 billion of that in just the past three years. [...]," October 24 (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQMIUpzE4od/"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>) — The European Correspondent: "Between 1980 and 2023, storms, floods, and heatwaves caused a staggering €738 billion in economic losses across Europe, €162 billion of that in just the past three years. [...]," October 24 (**Instagram**)

If you wonder how the world feels these days, two indicators (and charts) might help answer the question: uncertainty and emotion.

Not-Ship: <a href="https://www.not-ship.com/its-not-just-you-uncertainty-is-through-the-roof-2/"><strong>It's not just you. Uncertainty is through the roof</strong></a>, October 22 — Not-Ship: **It's not just you. Uncertainty is through the roof**, October 22

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/10/24/the-world-has-become-surprisingly-less-grumpy"><strong>The world has become surprisingly less grumpy</strong></a>, October 24 — The Economist: **The world has become surprisingly less grumpy**, October 24

Finally, we end on a cute note: behavior of cats, and Spanish birdsong.

Lisa Hornung: "Just launched Lazy Cats, a visual exploration of cat behaviour. Meet Lily + 27 other cats and find out what they do all day (spoiler: they mostly chill) 🐱🐾 Does your cat fit their profile?," October 22 (BlueSky, project website)

SUR: <a href="https://www.surinenglish.com/lifestyle/this-how-malaga-sings-the-sound-map-20251017125854-nt.html"><strong>An audio guide to birdsong in Malaga province</strong></a>, October 24 — SUR: **An audio guide to birdsong in Malaga province**, October 24

What else we found interesting

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/24/us/us-federal-agents-national-guard-ice-fbi.html?unlocked_article_code=1.v08.70ro.6f6EYwtnV3xq&smid=url-share"><strong>How to Make Sense of the Federal Forces on the Streets</strong></a>, October 24 — The New York Times: **How to Make Sense of the Federal Forces on the Streets**, October 24

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2025/animal-costume-contest-mimicry/"><strong>Costume contest: Vote for the best disguises in the animal kingdom</strong></a>, October 27 — The Washington Post: **Costume contest: Vote for the best disguises in the animal kingdom**, October 27

Applications are open for…

A professor for product and spatial practices at University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
A data visualization developer at SPIEGEL Gruppe
A graphics reporter (deleted data project) at the Guardian
Multiple roles on the board of the Data Visualization Society

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Data Vis Dispatch, October 28: Cats, deals, and uncertainty

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