Data Vis Dispatch, September 2: Life histories, Gaza, and politics of AI

Welcome back to the 208th 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 life histories, Gaza, and the politics of AI.

AI is by now a regular Dispatch topic. These three projects focused specifically on its political uses and misuses:

Texty: <a href="https://texty.org.ua/projects/115548/sho-dumaye-shi-pro-ukrayinu-doslidzhennya-uperedzhen-velykyh-movnyh-modelej/"><strong>Що думає ШІ про Україну? Дослідження упереджень великих мовних моделей</strong></a> [<em>What does AI think about Ukraine? Research on biases in large language models</em>], August 27 — Texty: **Що думає ШІ про Україну? Дослідження упереджень великих мовних моделей** [*What does AI think about Ukraine? Research on biases in large language models*], August 27

The New York Times:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/technology/elon-musk-grok-conservative-chatbot.html"><strong>How Elon Musk Is Remaking Grok in His Image</strong></a>, September 2 — The New York Times: **How Elon Musk Is Remaking Grok in His Image**, September 2

Columbia Journalism Review: <a href="https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/why-ai-models-are-bad-at-verifying-photos.php"><strong>Why AI Models Are Bad at Verifying Photos</strong></a>, August 26 — Columbia Journalism Review: **Why AI Models Are Bad at Verifying Photos**, August 26

Meanwhile in U.S. politics, approximately 0% of Democrats are satisfied with country's current direction (and Canadians tend to agree):

Gallup: <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/694370/trump-ratings-mood-stay-tepid-august.aspx"><strong>Trump Ratings and U.S. Mood Stay Tepid in August</strong></a>, August 26 — Gallup: **Trump Ratings and U.S. Mood Stay Tepid in August**, August 26

The Economist:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/08/26/have-foreign-tourists-really-avoided-america-this-year"><strong>Have foreign tourists really avoided America this year?</strong></a>, August 26 — The Economist: **Have foreign tourists really avoided America this year?**, August 26

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/us/politics/trump-cuts-national-parks.html"><strong>Trump Shrank Staffing of National Parks. See How Many Are Struggling</strong></a>, August 27 — The New York Times: **Trump Shrank Staffing of National Parks. See How Many Are Struggling**, August 27

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/27/business/india-tariffs-trump-russia-diamonds.html"><strong>How Russian Oil Could Make Americans’ Diamonds More Expensive</strong></a>, August 27 — The New York Times: **How Russian Oil Could Make Americans’ Diamonds More Expensive**, August 27

Two charts took a closer look at Trump's chaotic and lucrative immigration crackdown:

Financial Times: <a href="https://ig.ft.com/us-deportation-flights/"><strong>The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights</strong></a>, August 28 — Financial Times: **The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights**, August 28

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/aug/29/trump-immigration-ice-cbp-data"><strong>By the numbers: the latest Ice and CBP data on arrests, detentions and deportations in the US</strong></a>, August 29 — The Guardian: **By the numbers: the latest Ice and CBP data on arrests, detentions and deportations in the US**, August 29

For a break from political chaos, we shouldn't look to France:

Le Monde: <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2025/08/26/le-gouvernement-bayrou-va-t-il-tomber-explorez-les-differents-scenarios-avec-notre-simulateur_6635755_4355770.html"><strong>Le gouvernement Bayrou va-t-il tomber ? Explorez les différents scénarios avec notre simulateur</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>Will the Bayrou government fall? Explore the different scenarios with our simulator</em>], August 26 — Le Monde: **Le gouvernement Bayrou va-t-il tomber ? Explorez les différents scénarios avec notre simulateur** [*Will the Bayrou government fall? Explore the different scenarios with our simulator*], August 26

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-29/french-prime-minister-seeks-a-narrow-path-to-political-survival"><strong>French Premier Seeks Narrow Path to Political Survival</strong></a>, August 29 — Bloomberg: **French Premier Seeks Narrow Path to Political Survival**, August 29

Le Monde: <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2025/08/27/dette-la-situation-est-elle-aussi-preoccupante-que-le-soutient-francois-bayrou_6636484_4355770.html"><strong>Dette : la situation est-elle aussi préoccupante que le soutient François Bayrou ?</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>Debt: Is the situation as worrying as François Bayrou claims?</em>], August 27 — Le Monde: **Dette : la situation est-elle aussi préoccupante que le soutient François Bayrou ?** [*Debt: Is the situation as worrying as François Bayrou claims?*], August 27

Zeit Online: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-08/rechtsruck-politische-mitte-mehrheit-demokratie-daten"><strong>Die Mitte driftet nach rechts</strong></a> [<em>The center drifts right</em>], August 29 — Zeit Online: **Die Mitte driftet nach rechts** [*The center drifts right*], August 29

We'll take our pause for visualizations about the natural world instead — though not everything in it is so calming:

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/weather/northern-lights-aurora-tonight.html"><strong>Northern Lights Could Put on a Show for Large Sections of the U.S.</strong></a>, August 31 — The New York Times: **Northern Lights Could Put on a Show for Large Sections of the U.S.**, August 31

The New York Times: How a Beautiful Summer Day on Lake Tahoe Suddenly Turned Deadly, August 27

Le Monde: <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2025/08/26/une-annee-2025-deja-record-pour-les-feux-de-forets-en-europe_6635754_4355770.html"><strong>Une année 2025 déjà sans précédent pour les feux de forêts en Europe</strong></a> [<em>2025 is already an unprecedented year for forest fires in Europe</em>], August 26 — Le Monde: **Une année 2025 déjà sans précédent pour les feux de forêts en Europe** [*2025 is already an unprecedented year for forest fires in Europe*], August 26

Diario Sur:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/balance-final-incendios-seis-graficos-entender-2025-20250902132412-ntrc.html"><strong>El balance final de los incendios: seis gráficos para entender un 2025 fatal</strong></a>, September 2 — Diario Sur: **El balance final de los incendios: seis gráficos para entender un 2025 fatal**, September 2

After nearly two years of killing in Gaza, journalists are still looking for ways to humanize the scale of the suffering:

Tages-Anzeiger: <a href="https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/gaza-neue-zahlen-zur-hungersnot-und-humanitaerer-katastrophe-123839745866"><strong>210’000 Menschen tot oder verletzt – und 2,1 Millionen in der Hungerzone: Wie der Gazastreifen zur Todesfalle wurde</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>210,000 people dead or injured – and 2.1 million in the hunger zone: How the Gaza Strip became a death trap</em>], August 27 — Tages-Anzeiger: **210’000 Menschen tot oder verletzt – und 2,1 Millionen in der Hungerzone: Wie der Gazastreifen zur Todesfalle wurde** [*210,000 people dead or injured – and 2.1 million in the hunger zone: How the Gaza Strip became a death trap*], August 27

The Guardian:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2025/sep/01/israel-gaza-war-media-palestinian-journalists-killed-cpj"><strong>The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war</strong></a>, September 1 — The Guardian: **The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war**, September 1

Charts on having children in Switzerland and Brazil — from far too early to just at the right time:

<span style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 1px 4px; border-radius: 4px;">Tages-Anzeiger:</span><a href="https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/die-haeufigsten-familienmodelle-junger-menschen-in-der-schweiz-552710313293"><strong>Kind, Heirat, Scheidung? So vielfältig sind die Lebenswege junger Menschen in der Schweiz</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>Children, marriage, divorce? The diverse life paths of young people in Switzerland</em>]<em>,</em> September 2 — Tages-Anzeiger:**Kind, Heirat, Scheidung? So vielfältig sind die Lebenswege junger Menschen in der Schweiz** [*Children, marriage, divorce? The diverse life paths of young people in Switzerland*], September 2

Gênero e Número: <a href="https://www.generonumero.media/reportagens/indigenas-gravidez-na-infancia/"><strong>Crianças indígenas têm as maiores taxas de gravidez na infância do país</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>Indigenous children have the highest rates of childhood pregnancy in the country</em>], August 28 — Gênero e Número: **Crianças indígenas têm as maiores taxas de gravidez na infância do país** [*Indigenous children have the highest rates of childhood pregnancy in the country*], August 28

Other visualizations this week covered everything from whale oil to the rent in Greece:

Our World in Data: "From candles to electrons: changing lighting sources in the United Kingdom," August 29 (Bluesky)

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/upshot/tsa-precheck-how-long.html"><strong>Does T.S.A. PreCheck Save Much Time at the Airport? We Looked at the Data</strong></a>, August 29 — The New York Times: **Does T.S.A. PreCheck Save Much Time at the Airport? We Looked at the Data**, August 29

The European Correspondent: "Housing struggles are not unique to a single European country. However, some regions struggle more than others [...]," September 1 (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DODjSJKDuy5/"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>) — The European Correspondent: "Housing struggles are not unique to a single European country. However, some regions struggle more than others [...]," September 1 (**Instagram**)

Zeit Online: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/arbeit/2025-08/gehaelter-berufe-vergleich-deutschland"><strong>Wie viel verdienen Sie im Vergleich zu anderen?</strong></a>, August 27 — Zeit Online: **Wie viel verdienen Sie im Vergleich zu anderen?**, August 27

What else we found interesting

NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/nx-s1-5507128/hear-new-orleans-rising-temperatures-in-music"><strong>Hear New Orleans' rising temperatures in music</strong></a>, August 26 — NPR: **Hear New Orleans' rising temperatures in music**, August 26

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/29/world/middleeast/syria-sednaya-prison-assad.html"><strong>Inside Syria’s Most Fearsome Prison</strong></a>, August 29 — The New York Times: **Inside Syria’s Most Fearsome Prison**, August 29

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2025/nfl-player-rankings/"><strong>Ranking the best players in the NFL</strong></a>, August 29 — The Washington Post: **Ranking the best players in the NFL**, August 29

The New York Times: Finding beauty, August 29

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Data Vis Dispatch, September 2: Life histories, Gaza, and politics of AI

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