usa – Deena Zaidi

Why the Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most critical oil chokepoint

February 28, 2026March 1, 2026Deena ZaidiChina, United States of America, World economy, World Economy, World trade

Following series were published in June, 2025 and is being republished due to the recent shift in geopolitics around the Strait

Virginia and Texas Lead U.S. Data Center Growth as AI Demand Surges

February 21, 2026February 24, 2026Deena ZaidiAI, Graphs, Graphs, Infographics, Technology, United States of America, World Economy

Northern Virginia and Texas have emerged as the core hubs of America’s data center boom. As demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services accelerates, data centers are becoming critical infrastructure — and a major new source of energy demand.

U.S. Inflation Rises 2.9% in August: Food and Gas Prices Lead the Surge

September 11, 2025September 11, 2025Deena ZaidiAsia-Pacific, Brazil, Graphs, Graphs, Inflation, Markets, Trade and tariffs, United States of America, World economy, World Economy, World trade

The August inflation data overlaps with President Trump’s latest round of tariffs on major U.S. trading partners. But while the direct impact is up for debate, beef’s surge suggests tariffs may already be filtering into consumer prices.

G7 inflation mapped on one graph

May 23, 2025May 23, 2025Deena ZaidiAsia-Pacific, Europe, Inflation, Japan, World Economy, World economy

In Japan, the only Asian economy in G7, core inflation rose at its fastest annual pace in over two years, climbing to 3.5% in April, according to data released Friday. I mapped the inflation (with some caveats) to look at the overall inflation trend in G7 economies.