Staff Directory 6370420

C.J. Sinner

Director of Graphics & Data Visuals | Newsroom
Phone: 612-673-4387

C.J. Sinner is the Director of Graphics and Data Visuals at the Star Tribune, managing a small team that works at the intersection of data and design to help enhance storytelling on all platforms through charts, maps and diagrams. 


Sinner is a central-Minnesota native with family roots in North Dakota. She previously worked in Bismarck, N.D., New York and around New Zealand before moving back to the Twin Cities. She's a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Columbia University, and taught at the U's journalism school for several years. She lives in St. Paul with her husband and enjoys being outdoors in all seasons.
Recent content from C.J. Sinner
Vikings bar finder: Updated list of where to watch games across the U.S.

Vikings bar finder: Updated list of where to watch games across the U.S.

With 83 verified Vikings bars in 27 states — a list that's been growing because of suggestions from readers — connecting with fellow fans may be easier than you think.
A snowplow pushed fresh snow from McAndrews Road on Nov. 29 in Apple Valley. Snowfall levels rose to 7 inches above normal for the year, led mostly by

Record warmth, a dry fall and a heckuva lot of snow ends 2022

Long warm periods with four record highs, a November heat wave and unusually windy days were the trend in Twin Cities area weather in 2022.
Tracking coronavirus in Minnesota

Tracking coronavirus in Minnesota

See how COVID-19 has spread in Minnesota and across the United States.
Voters in Minnesota on Election Day

Many Minnesota counties shifted right; why Walz still beat Jensen

Considering how many voters are in Ramsey and Hennepin counties alone, even a small shift can make a big difference.
The Attorney General’s race by precinct.

6 maps that take a deeper look at Minnesota's election results

From the attorney general race to a razor-thin upset of an incumbent in the Arrowhead, there were a few notable takeaways.
Most DFL incumbents running for statewide offices in Minnesota have significant cash advantages over their GOP opponents.

Jensen's fundraising jumps, but Walz still has far more

With six weeks until Election Day, most Democrats for statewide offices have more cash saved.
How the Vikings' defense will change under new coordinator

How the Vikings' defense will change under new coordinator

The Vikings are throwing back to the 1980s — the last time Minnesota's defense featured three down linemen and four linebackers — under a new coordinator.
Gaining a deep understanding of Justin Jefferson's early success

Gaining a deep understanding of Justin Jefferson's early success

Jefferson's path to 3,016 yards in two seasons requires a broad route range and skill set to shed defenders at all levels.
John Shuster directed his teammates after throwing a rock during the United State men’s curling opener against the Russian Olympic Committee at the

How to watch Olympic curling (and actually know what's going on)

We'll help you talk smart to your friends as the U.S. men's and women's teams look to medal.
Jessie Diggins competes during the FIS World Cup in Dresden, Germany on Dec. 18, 2021.

Why the Olympic sprint course Jessie Diggins will face is such a challenge

On a course few cross-country skiers have ever seen, Jessie Diggins of Afton has her work cut out for her as she tries to bring home more gold for the United States.
As the Greenwood Fire continues to burn, smoke from the blaze fills the air, almost obscuring the Bong Bridge and Denfeld Senior High School, bottom t

Drought, haze, tornadoes: Take a deeper look at Minnesota's bewildering 2021 weather

Smoky air from wildfires, a severe June heat wave and unusual snowmelt made for some strange weather extremes in 2021.
A look at the rent control vote in St. Paul

See where St. Paul's rent control vote drew strength, precinct by precinct

A precinct-by-precinct look at how the rent control vote highlights the differences in race, income and housing in the capital city.
Incumbent Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey hugged his father at his campaign’s election night party at Jefe Urban Cocina Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 in Minnea

How Jacob Frey won another term in ranked-choice votes

With only two tabulation rounds, 2021 looks a lot simpler than four years ago, but with way more votes.
Suni Lee performing her signature move, the Nabieva, in the beginning of her uneven bars routine at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team trials on June 27

Suni Lee's ultra-difficult Olympics bar routine is 'as cool as it gets'

The St. Paul's gold-medal winner had a lot riding on one big skill. Here's a step-by-step look at how her Olympic routine came together.
Kyra Condie is a Minnesotan who will compete in climbing at the 2020 Olympics. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com – Minneapolis, MN –

Climbing for gold: Shoreview's Condie one to watch in new Olympic sport

Sport climbing will be part of the Olympics for the first time this summer, joining five other new sports making their Summer Games debuts in Tokyo. Minnesota's Kyra Condie is a top challenger in the sport.
Sherry Johnson, a nurse practitioner, drew a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth on Dec. 18.

The Star Tribune is dialing back COVID-19 data tracking. Here's what that means.

We will be making some changes to our Minnesota COVID-19 tracker on July 1.
Archive: Tracking coronavirus in Minnesota

Archive: Tracking coronavirus in Minnesota

Elizabeth Santoro, left, and Kristin Anderson, medics with the Minnesota Air National Guard 133rd Medical Group, sanitized and prepared for their next

Where are the COVID-19 cases in Minnesota? Here's a look by ZIP code

The Minnesota Department of Health releases weekly data on COVID-19 cases by ZIP code each Thursday. See where new cases are appearing in the state, and which areas have been hardest hit over the pandemic.
People picked up literature at an early voting celebration on Oct. 29, 2020, at the American Indian OIC in Minneapolis. Organizers helped boost Native

Native American voters across Minnesota turned out to oust Trump

Vote totals were up around Red Lake, and 90% for Biden.
Kanye West looks on in the Oval Office of the White House during a meeting with President Trump on October 11, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

Wait, so where in Minnesota did Kanye get all his votes?

Mr. Kardashian pulled in more than 7,000 votes from around our fair state.
This combination of pictures created on October 22, 2020 shows US President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice

Biden recaptures lost ground as many Minnesota counties move left

Despite several visits from President Donald Trump hoping to win Minnesota, the electorate favored former vice president Joe Biden, delivering him the win in a handful of counties that evaded Hillary Clinton in 2016. Where Trump prevailed, his win margin was tighter in regional population centers, while it grew in some of the most rural parts of the North Star State.
Election worker Kristen Mun from Portland empties ballots from a ballot box at the Multnomah County Elections Division, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 3030 in Portl

Biden wins Minn., Wis., Mich.; presidency hangs on battleground races

Voters have cast their ballots after a long, divisive presidential campaign between Republican President Donald Trump and former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. In addition…
Todd Gallagher prepares mail-in ballot envelopes including an "I voted" sticker in Minneapolis in July. Absentee ballots are being requested at a reco

An election like no other: Tracking Minnesota's early voting

With nearly 2 million absentee votes already accepted, Minnesotans are trending well ahead of previous election early voting.
Minnesota election results 2020: Presidential race by precinct

Minnesota election results 2020: Presidential race by precinct

Minnesota election results 2020: Courts and local races

Minnesota election results 2020: Courts and local races

Minnesota election results 2020

Minnesota election results 2020

Tom Stellar, a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, looked up at broken windows while cleaning up damage outside Nordstrom Rack at the IDS Center in Mi

Map of Minneapolis businesses damaged, looted after night of unrest

Fire officials are investigating the apparent torching of four retail outlets overnight that expanded the destruction well beyond the city's core.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi campaigned for her mother at the corner of Broadway Street and Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis.

See which neighborhoods carried Ilhan Omar to victory in DFL primary

She pulled in strong support from most precincts in Minneapolis, but newcomer Antone Melton-Meaux managed to earn more than 60,000 votes in the race.
A deeper look at areas most damaged by rioting, looting in Minneapolis, St. Paul

A deeper look at areas most damaged by rioting, looting in Minneapolis, St. Paul

Twin Cities restaurants and retail stores were hit the hardest in the rioting following George Floyd's killing.
360 deaths or 22,000? Why Minnesota's COVID-19 models are so different

360 deaths or 22,000? Why Minnesota's COVID-19 models are so different

How can scientists looking at the same data come up with such different estimates? And who's right?
An emergency medical worker arrives at Cobble Hill Health Center, Friday, April 17, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The despair wrought on

In Minnesota and across the U.S., virus death toll keeps climbing

As of Monday, 143 Minnesotans had died from COVID-19, with more than half of those fatalities occurring since April 14. The virus has now claimed more lives in the U.S. than anywhere in the world.
The city of Minneapolis could use up to 100 snowplows at a time during "peak" plowing.

Wrap your head around these Minnesota snow stats

As Minnesotans, our reputations precede us as conquerors of the ice and snow. But while we shrug, “it could be worse,” we also complain about…
Today’s University of Minnesota student is paying 500% more for a bachelor’s degree than a student in the late 1960s. Wages for low- and middle-cl

Why is it so much harder for U students to graduate debt free compared to the '60s?

Fall college tuition bills are coming due, and if the number behind that dollar sign seems high, well, it is.
Perched safely on his grandpa Kevin Hoeschen’s shoulders, 2-year-old Eddie Hoeschen of Duluth peered out at maybe more people than he’s ever seen.

We hit 2 million at State Fair again. Here's what made the difference this year.

Should we get used to 2 million? Or was the 2019 Great Minnesota Get-Together a particularly good year? Three observations show how we got there this time.
Crowds are huge part of the State Fair. See how they've grown over the years.

Crowds are huge part of the State Fair. See how they've grown over the years.

The state's largest gathering got rolling just after we became a state and has changed with the times. In 2019, will fair magic again conspire to haul in the population of several Minnesota cities each day?
Democratic presidential candidates, author Marianne Williamson, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pet

What the candidates said during Thursday's debate

On the second night of debates in Miami, 10 more candidates sought to set themselves apart from the crowded field.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) speaks during the first Democratic presidential debate in Miami on Wednesday night, June 26, 2019. From left: Sen. Cory B

Democratic debate: What the candidates said

Democratic presidential candidates tried Wednesday to elbow their way into the spotlight in a debate that kicked off the 2020 primary season.
MNDOT data collection supervisor Mark Resemius and transportation specialist Dave Larson headed out with the road and pavement survey vehicle.

Gov. Walz's team points to state's future needs with gas-tax plans

The first-term Democrat cites inflation and road repairs. Republican leaders say the increase is not needed in a time of surplus.
Vermont coach John Becker celebrates their 66-49 win over Maryland-Baltimore County in the championship of the America East Tournament. Last year, UMB

Which underdog will reach Minneapolis for the Final Four?

Nearly every year in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, it seems, there's an unforeseen underdog that finds its way into the Final Four. But it wasn't always like this.
Michael Mueller snow blows the sidewalk near his house Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, in Rochester after heavy snow overnight. Joe Ahlquist / jahlquist@postbu

Not many places in U.S. got more snow than the Twin Cities did in February

Yes, Minnesotans, February was as snowy as you thought. In fact, when it comes to snowfall last month, we had more in common with Jackson, Wyo. than we did with our typical winter brethren in Chicago and Milwaukee.
2018 Minnesota midterm election results

2018 Minnesota midterm election results

Results for key state races, the legislature, Congress' balance of power and local Minnesota municipal contests.
2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: Local

2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: Local

2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: Legislature

2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: Legislature

2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: State

2018 Minnesota Midterm Election Results: State

iStock
A hand casting a vote in a ballot box for an election in Minesota, USA.

Minnesota Election Guide: Where major candidates stand

With the governor's office, both U.S. senators and all eight U.S. House seats on the ballot in November, Minnesota is shaping up to be Ground Zero in this year's high-stakes midterm elections.
Walz carries cash advantage into race's final days

Walz carries cash advantage into race's final days

DFL gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz enters the final days of the election season with a nearly two-to-one cash advantage over Republican Jeff Johnson, according to pre-election campaign finance reports filed in late October.
Contested congressional races bring national focus, millions in spending

Contested congressional races bring national focus, millions in spending

No state is home to more toss-up congressional races than Minnesota. The Third District has already surpassed the $6M mark for fundraising, and the suddenly-open Fifth is heating up.

Who's running for major political offices in Minnesota's primary?

These are the candidates running in Minnesota's gubernatorial, congressional and state office primary races.
In Senate races, Smith, Klobuchar fundraising juggernauts in full swing

In Senate races, Smith, Klobuchar fundraising juggernauts in full swing

It's rare to have two Senate seats on the ballot in a single year, but it's one of the reasons Minnesota is a state to watch come November.
Prince investigation documents: Moline, Ill., emergency landing, treatment

Prince investigation documents: Moline, Ill., emergency landing, treatment

These pages have been extracted from files released by Carver County on April 19, 2018.
A Minneapolis police officer investigated the scene of a homicide earlier this year.

Crime rate in Minnesota hits a 50-year low, new BCA data show

Serious crimes in Minnesota dropped by more than 3 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the FBI.
Tim Ludwig illustration.

Minnesota ranks near top of best states for working moms

An analysis by personal finance website WalletHub found that Minnesota ranked as the second best state in the nation for working mothers.
During lunch, Jose Quiroz Cantoran, left, and Candida Mendez, talked and watched CNN in Spanish as they listened to news regarding President Trump's e

Trump's immigration order covers homelands of thousands of Minnesotans

It's yet to be seen how these tough-on-immigration policies will play out nationally, but they're almost certain to have dramatic implications for Minnesota's increasingly diverse population.

8 charts that show changes in Minnesota's gun culture

Seventeen years of firearm background check data illustrates a move toward handguns, while numbers on rifles and shotguns hold steady.
Hiking in Boulder's Flatirons range in March meant that few others shared the trail.

Boulder's biggest surprise? Doses of Minnesota Nice

This Rocky Mountain retreat is the place to go for mountain hikes, cozy cottages and a surprising dose of Minnesota Nice.
How was Minnesota voter turnout by county? Here are the results

How was Minnesota voter turnout by county? Here are the results

The largest increases in percentage of voting-age residents casting ballots were in central Minnesota, counties that supported Trump, according to a Star Tribune analysis.
Courtney Carter, 12, received two vaccinations from LPN Kathy Schwalbe at Park Nicollet Clinic—Brookdale in Brooklyn Center. On the left is brot

How common are vaccination exemptions for Minnesota's kindergartners?

Less than 2 percent of Minnesota's kindergartners get vaccination exemptions, the vast majority of which are for non-medical reasons. But that rate is much higher in some districts and schools.
The Dixie Chicks, from left, Emily Robison, Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire performed at Madison Square Garden in 2003.

How the Dixie Chicks helped me become a creative, independent woman

They were one of my favorite acts in the late '90s and early aughts. And the Dixie Chicks played an important role in my young life.
An encounter with mountain lion in North Dakota's Badlands still resonates.

Wild looks different after close encounter with mountain lion

Last time I camped in the North Dakota backcountry, a mountain lion wandered into our camp at dusk. Even five years later, I still fear spending a night outside the relative safety of the campground.
Hospitals scorecard screenshot

Which Minnesota hospitals get fined by Medicare?

Data show which hospitals have been penalized for problems like hospital-acquired infections and too many readmissions -- but they can also get rewarded.
Is St. Paul really the greenest? We map where Minnesota's Irish live

Is St. Paul really the greenest? We map where Minnesota's Irish live

Everyone is honorary-Irish on March 17, donning green clothing and swigging green beers. But how many Minnesotans actually have Irish ancestry?
10 charts explain the economic status of Minnesota's cultural groups

10 charts explain the economic status of Minnesota's cultural groups

A data-driven look at why broad statistics for racial groups can hide the stories of success or struggle in smaller populations.
Tracy Claeys during a press conference at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., on October 28, 2015.

How does Tracy Claeys' salary stack up to other Big Ten football coaches?

How the new Gophers football coach, Tracy Claeys, stacks up against Big Ten competition.
John Oliver takes aim at North Dakota and doesn't hold back

John Oliver takes aim at North Dakota and doesn't hold back

HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" spent more than 19 minutes on Sunday night skewering our northwest neighbors.
data thumbnail.

4 charts that help explain the prevalence of rare parasite nationwide

Exactly how common is primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)? We gathered national data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find out.
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Minnesota is best state for working dads, analysis says

A state-by-state analysis of work-life balance, health, financial well-being and more from personal finance website WalletHub found that Minnesota leads the nation for working dads.

Census data show Minneapolis, St. Paul continue steady growth

Population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show steady growth across cities in the metro area since 2010, particularly the core cities. Percentage change in population between 2010 and 2014.
Dr. Shruti K. Gohil, associate medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention at UCI Medical Center, holds a dose of MMR, the vaccine agai

Look up your school's unvaccinated kindergartner rate

Search for your school or district to see what percent of last year's kindergartners were not vaccinated due to a legal exemption.

Look up your school's unvaccinated kindergartner rate

Search for your school or district to see what percent of last year's kindergartners were not vaccinated due to a legal exemption.

Look up your school's unvaccinated kindergartner rate

Search for your school or district to see what percent of last year's kindergartners were not vaccinated due to a legal exemption.
A 1965 review of Bob Dylan's show in Minneapolis.

Star Tribune critic thought Dylan was 'a scarecrow' in '65

A 1965 Star Tribune review of Bob Dylan's Minneapolis concert says the singer had "ratted hair." Eleven years later, a critique of his NBC special called him something else entirely.
Look it up: How many mistakes has your hospital made?

Look it up: How many mistakes has your hospital made?

Search for your hospital to see data on how many medical mistakes they've made in the past decade. Read our story on the new challenges facing doctors who try to keep these numbers down.
What's your school's 2014 grad rate? Look it up in our database

What's your school's 2014 grad rate? Look it up in our database

Statewide, the rate of Minnesota high school students who graduated on time increased in 2014 to 81 percent. Look up your school -- search by county, district or school name -- to find its graduation rate.
School suspensions database: Find your school district

School suspensions database: Find your school district

Every year, the Minnesota Department of Education reports how many students each district suspended for at least one full day. Have your district's suspensions been growing since 2010? Read the story: School suspensions down, state ed officials say.
At the Freehouse Pub in the North Loop downtown Minneapolis, a group of friends including enjoyed happy hour.

Minneapolis is third-best city for single ladies, report says

Minneapolis is among the best cities in the nation for single women looking for mates, according to a report from NerdWallet, a data-driven personal finance…