Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
@cjsinner.bsky.social
1.3K followers 120 following 58 posts
director, grfx/dataviz @startribune.com • my team does mostly data-driven charts, maps & diagrams, but also reports and writes, collaborating across our newsroom to craft distinctive visual journalism.
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cjsinner.bsky.social
I was on vacation enjoying northern fall colors when this published, but I thought the tree species mini maps on this were so cute and interesting!
startribune.com
Finding great fall color doesn’t have to mean a road trip out of the Twin Cities.

To find the best urban fall colors, we looked at more than 340,000 trees and 342 species to find the highest tree density and species mix.
The best fall color in the Twin Cities? We mapped 340,000 trees to find it
Minneapolis and St. Paul’s tree inventory shows where density and color collide.
bit.ly
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
mattdelong.bsky.social
Despite seven mass shootings this year — four since August, including at Annunciation Church, and three others on or near a troubled stretch of Lake Street — Minneapolis remains on track to see a fall in all categories of major crime this year.

www.startribune.com/minneapolis-...
Minneapolis crime is falling in 2025, even amid high-profile violence
Most crimes are down in Minnesota’s largest city, continuing a pattern following a pandemic-era spike. That doesn’t alleviate concerns among wary residents after mass shootings.
www.startribune.com
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
atrupar.com
Q: Do you think it would've been fitting to lower the flags to half staff when Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Speaker, was gunned down by an assassin?

TRUMP: I'm not familiar. The who?
cjsinner.bsky.social
I used to love RSS (RIP Google Reader) but it does suck for people like me who traffic in visuals.
cjsinner.bsky.social
ICYMI, this fun catalog of the Fair smells is a delightful art map visual look at one of the senses we don't often talk about! It's usually all about sights, sounds, tastes. What about smells?

Smells of the Minnesota State Fair create a festival for the nose www.startribune.com/smells-of-th...
Smells of the Minnesota State Fair create a festival for the nose
From pleasant to powerful, a cornucopia of scents wafts over the fairgrounds in late August.
www.startribune.com
cjsinner.bsky.social
I generally stick (heh) with the classics but then discovered I have THREE ice creams on my receipt.
cjsinner.bsky.social
You on the Fair's first day: "It's so crowded, we'll definitely break a record."

Our tracker with new data just now: "Sorry, you're about 1,700 shy of last year's record"

www.startribune.com/2025-minneso...
2025 Minnesota State Fair attendance tracker
Check in throughout the run of the 2025 fair to see whether we're close to breaking records
www.startribune.com
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
cjsinner.bsky.social
We have a lot of fun Fair stuff to offer and more to come, but this is one of my favorites. It's *genuinely useful* in addition to being fun.

How far can you stretch $100 at the Minnesota State Fair?
www.startribune.com/how-far-can-...
How far can you stretch $100 at the Minnesota State Fair?
Use our tool to create and share your perfect fair itinerary on a budget.
www.startribune.com
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
jessicahuseman.bsky.social
I'm going to publish the entirety of an exchange I just had with the press office of the DOJ. I want you to see how they are talking about truth.
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
nytimes.com
Residents of Juneau, Alaska, have been urged to evacuate after an overflowing glacial lake sent water surging down the Mendenhall River, threatening homes and roads. Forecasters said river levels could break a record between 8 a.m. and noon local time on Wednesday.
Juneau Floods As Mendenhall Glacier Melts
The Mendenhall River in Alaska was at “major flood” stage as of Wednesday morning, with additional water expected from an overflowing glacial lake.
nyti.ms
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
cjsinner.bsky.social
The Athletic, but make it Minnesota high school sports
stribsports.startribune.com
Introducing Strib Varsity, your hub for all things Minnesota high school sports: bit.ly/41769jj
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
whetmoser.com
"The annual income needed to afford monthly payments on a median-priced home in the US was $126,670 in 2024—a 60% jump from $79,330 in 2021, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Meanwhile the US median household income was $80,610 in 2023"
Reposted by Courtney (C.J.) Sinner
mattdelong.bsky.social
This is very cool
startribune.com
More than 2,000 readers answered the question “Where is Uptown?” Responses were all over the map. Literally.

Generational differences became clear as readers defined the Minneapolis neighborhood beyond just its geography.
Where is Uptown? Here's what you said.
Generational differences became clear as readers defined the Minneapolis neighborhood beyond just its geography.
bit.ly
cjsinner.bsky.social
I was a little surprised that Frey's map went all the way to Franklin but NOT down to the cemetery!
cjsinner.bsky.social
We've solved it, and the argument shall never happen again, we declare.

This turned out so fun; come for the answer, stay for the pink and purple map at the end.
cjsinner.bsky.social
@dbrauer.net yeah the "breaking" tag is the default in this homepage layout, we cannot change it. If we want a lead story presented w a little more heft (like related links and summary text), it will have that tag. Some of us internally have raised it, and told developers don't have time to fix.
cjsinner.bsky.social
For sure. We have to make sure that it’s still legible on mobile and social screens so the day-separation is a bit of a lost cause, I think!

Always love to chat about this stuff with folks, thanks for the feedback!
cjsinner.bsky.social
he was 46 in this?!? lord almighty
cjsinner.bsky.social
And may it be snowier than the last two!
cjsinner.bsky.social
Interesting idea! I'd be worried about overlap making it hard to see enough detail, but if I smoosh 'em closer, I see what you mean! Doesn't leave much room for labels (and I prefer a direct-label solution over a separate legend generally) but it's a good thought!
cjsinner.bsky.social
in which I take @gretakaul.bsky.social's good data idea and spin it into a dot plot with emoji.

It's not just you -- this summer has kind of sucked!!!
www.startribune.com/this-summer-...