Sunday6: Flu Season - TitleMax - Car Deaths and more...

1. It’s a bad flu season out there.  Stay safe folks!

Source: Vox.

2. Also – drive carefully…  “In 2021, nearly 43,000 people died on American roads, the government estimates… Much of the familiar explanation for America’s road safety record lies with a transportation system primarily designed to move cars quickly, not to move people safely… That culture is baked into state transportation departments that have their roots in the era of Interstate highway construction (and through which most federal transportation dollars flow).”

Source: New York Times.

3. Rise in interest rates means it’s cheaper to rent than buy a house these days.

Source: Wall Street Journal.

4. Pro Publica reports on the high interest rates charged by TitleMax.  FWIW, TitleMax doesn’t have any registered lobbyists in Missouri, but they do make some campaign contributions.

Source: ProPublica.

5. “As solar prices have fallen and options for investing in clean energy have expanded, the number of commercial solar installations has grown rapidly across the country. From rooftop systems on local businesses, to solar parking canopies supporting a corporate headquarters, to large off-site installations powering data centers, these projects are as diverse and varied as the companies themselves.”

Source: 2022 Solar Means Business Report.

6. Missouri makes this map thanks to the influx of Bosnian refugees in the 1990s

Source: Conrad Hackett.