Data Vis Dispatch, February 4: Aviation, mayors, and dinosaurs

Last Wednesday night, an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter collided in mid-air over the Potomac River in Washington, DC. More than 60 people died, leaving many to wonder why and how it happened:

Aviation also came up in Argentina, where the government is pushing for an open skies policy, in the U.K., where the expansion of Heathrow Airport is raising concerns about emissions targets, and practically anywhere birds might fly:

From the sky to the seas:

This week’s health topics were an emotional roller coaster: maternal mortality has fallen but is still way too high; measles vaccines are very effective; people in the UK are left waiting for emergency care:

On to politics, where Germany is an uproar over the vote on a bill for stricter migration policy. Ahead of February’s election, Germans are also concerned about social justice:

Across the ocean, immigration is also one hot topic among many in the chaos of the Trump administration’s first weeks:

The U.S. Senate has begun voting on cabinet nominees:

And in smaller-scale politics — the mayors of San Francisco and Málaga:

On to the big numbers — Wall Street bonuses, imprisoned journalists, and a massive survey of national health in India:

We all love a good dose of entertainment — in bookstores, watching Oscar-nominated movies (that a lot of people apparently don’t like), and while digging up dinosaurs:

Let’s keep the fun going with a few (slightly cursed) visualizations via Bluesky: