Understand the world (Aug 30)
We live in the golden age for interesting content from diverse voices that help us better understand the world. Finding these insights, however, requires wading through an overload of information, some of which is misleading, unnecessarily negative and sensationalist, and tribalistic.
This newsletter aims to deliver insights and updates about what’s important in the world - whether or not the topic is in the ‘news.’
Contents
Economics
US immigration
Social media
Trust in media in US
Public health
Hurricane Ida
Climate change
COVID-19
Afghanistan
Evacuations
Just for fun
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Economics
Economic growth over time and intergenerational wealth in the US:
Counterpoint to the above graph:
Hunger for kids in US drops following first month Child Tax Credit:
Water shortage (and rising prices) in Lebanon amongst economic crisis:
US immigration
Graphic showing gradual increase in immigration to the US from many regions between about 1950-2009, before a major slowdown in immigration from 2009-2013 (graphic ends in 2013).
Social media
Study suggesting online discussions seem more toxic because readers are exposed to more hostility directed to strangers, not because people are more hostile online than offline:
(Possibly contrary) study suggesting Twitter incentivizes expressing outrage, especially among those with moderate followers:
Trust in media in US
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Public health
Racial disparities in US mortality - click here for the article that from which the gif below is from.
Hurricane Ida
Climate change
Climate change impact on hurricanes:
Concern about climate change in Europe and US:
COVID-19
Possible peak of US cases:
Vaccines for kids:
Apparent impact of France’s vaccine requirement on increasing vaccine rates:
Delta may have cause hospitalization rates:
Vaccine incentive programs don’t seem to work:
4.5 million excess deaths in India:
Restaurant reservations back to more than 90% of 2019 levels, with only a slight dip since the rise of delta:
Afghanistan
Evacuations
Click the tweet below for a thread on the uncertainties, risks, and logistics of evacuating people from a war zone.
Just for fun
Wine-bottle tram in Bordeaux: