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Mother Jones

I Read Everything Elon Musk Posted For a Week. Send Help.

Last January, not long after agreeing with an actual Nazi that western Jews have brought antisemitism upon themselves by welcoming “hordes of minorities” to their countries, Elon Musk took a quick trip to Poland. The billionaire chief of SpaceX, Tesla, and X laid a wreath at Auschwitz and then preceded on to a symposium in […]

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Why Are Some Latinos Drifting to the Right?

On January 6, Gabriel Garcia—a first-generation Cuban American and former member of the Proud Boys—livestreamed his attempt to breach the Capitol. “How does it feel being a traitor to the country?” he screamed at police officers as he entered the building. Once inside the Rotunda, Garcia yelled, “Nancy, come out and play!” as insurrections searched for […]

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Mother Jones

Why Are Some Latinos Drifting to the Right?

On January 6, Gabriel Garcia—a first-generation Cuban American and former member of the Proud Boys—live-streamed his attempt to breach the Capitol. “How does it feel being a traitor to the country?” he screamed at police officers as he entered the building. Once inside the Rotunda, Garcia yelled “Nancy, come out and play!” as insurrections searched for House Speaker […]

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Democratic Lawmakers Blast Fossil Fuel Industry’s “Denial” and “Duplicity”

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The fossil fuel industry spent decades sowing doubt about the dangers of burning oil and gas, experts and Democratic lawmakers testified on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The Senate budget committee held a hearing to review a report published on Tuesday with the […]

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The Governor of Kansas Vetoed Four Anti-Abortion Measures. Republicans Rammed Them Through Anyway.

On Monday, Kansas Republicans voted to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of four anti-abortion measures. Three bills—which will require doctors to gather and report information from patients about why they are getting an abortion; make it a crime to force someone to obtain an abortion; and allow people to receive tax credits for donations to […]

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This Anti-Trans, Pro-Life Activist Was Pardoned by Donald Trump. Now She’s Working for RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is best known for his famous family name, his anti-vaccine activism, and his unexpected third-party run for president. He’s not particularly well known for his passion for criminal justice reform. And yet, next month, he’s scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Detroit stop on the New Dawn for Justice […]

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Feds Get a Guilty Plea From Aide to Chinese Mogul Guo Wengui. That’s Bad for Steve Bannon.

A longtime lieutenant and criminal co-defendant of far-right Chinese fugitive mogul Guo Wengui has agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges ahead of their upcoming trial. This development strengthens the position of federal prosecutors in a case in which they have called Steve Bannon, a vocal Guo ally, a “co-conspirator.” Yvette Wang, Guo’s former chief […]

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The NYPD’s “Outside Agitators” Narrative Is an Excuse for Force

The morning after the New York Police Department arrested pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University, the city’s mayor appeared satisfied. “This is not a department that was dealing with one production at a time,” Mayor Eric Adams said, flanked by top police officials, during a press conference on Wednesday. “You have to be a well-organized professional […]

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Trump Will Likely Face More Fines for Violating Gag Order

Former president Donald Trump will likely face additional sanctions for violating the gag order in his criminal case in New York City after a brutal contempt hearing Thursday morning. He had already been fined $9,000 on Tuesday for nine violations. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his role in a […]

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Cities Scramble for Trees That Can Adapt to a Changing Climate

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Last fall, I invited a stranger into my yard. Manzanita, with its peeling red bark and delicate pitcher-shaped blossoms, thrives on the dry, rocky ridges of Northern California. The small, evergreen tree or shrub is famously drought-tolerant, with some varieties capable […]

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United Methodist Church Repeals Ban On LGBTQ Clergy

On Wednesday, the United Methodist Church repealed its 1984 ban on LGBTQ clergy with an overwhelming 692–51 vote by church leaders at its general conference. The conference, which ends on May 3, has also resulted in the church rolling back several other anti-LGBTQ policies, including bans on performing gay marriage and funding queer-friendly ministries. The […]

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Catching Up With Columbia’s Student Radio Station After a Historic Broadcast

The student-run radio station at Columbia, WKCR, has been praised widely for its coverage of campus protests. The station’s popularity even led the website to, briefly, crash. And some have said the students should win a Pulitzer Prize. (This point helped poke at an irony embedded in such a situation: The prizes are given at […]

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Mother Jones

Donald Trump Will Speak at the Libertarian Convention. It’s Not as Weird as It Sounds.

On Wednesday, the Libertarian Party revealed a special guest speaker at its convention in late May. Surprise! It’s former President Donald Trump. “This momentous occasion will mark the first time a former President directly addresses our members, candidates, and executive committee,” the party announced. “Don’t miss this opportunity to hear insights from a prominent figure […]

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Many Universities Calling in Police Today Also Celebrate Campus Protests of the Past

When Columbia students began occupying Hamilton Hall early Tuesday morning, they said their “escalation” builds on past campus protests that “Columbia once repressed yet celebrates today.” There is an irony here. Columbia students often hear about the history of dissent on campus. The university explains the student sit-ins of 1968—when protesters occupied buildings (including Hamilton […]

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This Majority-Black City Has a Water Crisis That Privatization Won’t Fix

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In the summer of 2022, heavy rainfall damaged a water treatment plant in the city of Jackson, Mississippi, precipitating a high-profile public health crisis. The Republican Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, as thousands of residents were told to boil […]

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January 6 Rioter Derrick Evans Could Return to the Capitol—as a Congressman

Derrick Evans had served only 37 days as a freshman West Virginia state legislator when he livestreamed himself storming the US Capitol on January 6. “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” he yelled, after pushing his way into the building with the mob. He was soon arrested, and in February 2022, he pleaded guilty to […]

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Columbia Just Triggered a Massive Campus Crackdown. Now the NYPD Will Stay for Weeks.

Police cleared and arrested protesters occupying Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on Tuesday night at the request of university administrators, marking a dramatic climax to the antiwar protesters’ occupation of the building. As the drama unfolded, campus officials asked police to remain on campus until at least May 17. The NYPD’s arrival on campus was its […]

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A Family Member Finally Shows Up to Donald Trump’s Hush-Money Trial

The first criminal trial of a former US president is underway, with Donald Trump facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments allegedly made in 2016 to cover up an affair he had with adult film star Stormy Daniels. Here’s the latest—the key updates and absurd moments—from the historic trial. Threats of jail […]

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Report: The DEA Is Finally Reclassifying Pot As Less Dangerous

On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing that cannabis be reclassified from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, a classification that comes with steep penalties, to the less severe Schedule III, for drugs with significant medical use. If the White House Office of Management and Budget approves the decision, the DEA […]

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How a Few Secret Donors Are Fueling the New Right-Wing Infrastructure

In early 2021, Stephen Miller—former White House senior adviser to Donald Trump and architect of the 45th president’s hopeful second-term mass deportation agenda—announced his next venture: America First Legal (AFL). Paraded as “the long-awaited answer to the ACLU,” AFL fights for Trumpist values in the legal system. And the group is prolific: In its three years […]

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Trump Says States Could Prosecute Women for Abortions Under His Watch

Eight years ago, in his 2016 run for president, Donald Trump said that women who have abortions should be criminally charged. “There has to be some form of punishment,” Trump said at the time. The comment caused a firestorm and his campaign walked it back within hours. It marked one of the few times that […]

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Students at Columbia Occupy Building—Echoing Protests of the Past

Early Tuesday morning, Columbia student protesters took over a building on campus, pledging not to leave until their demands—for the university to divest from Israel, financial transparency from Columbia’s endowment, and amnesty for pro-Palestinian protesters—are met. The group of “autonomous protesters” took over Hamilton Hall, an academic building on the Morningside Heights campus, shortly after midnight, […]

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Judge Fines Trump $9,000 and Threatens to Throw Him in Jail

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial fined the former president $9,000 on Tuesday for violating a gag order—and he warned Trump that any further violations might result in jail time. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his role in a 2016 scheme to cover up an alleged […]

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Report: Taxing Fossil Fuel Extraction Could Raise Nearly $1 Trillion for Climate Aid

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A new tax on fossil fuel companies based in the world’s richest countries could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help the most vulnerable nations cope with the escalating climate crisis, according to a report. The Climate Damages Tax report, […]

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Five Titles This Black Video Game Guru Can’t Live Without

Below are five video game recommendations from the journalist, comic-book writer, and video game narrative designer Evan Narcisse, with commentary in his own words. Read more about Narcisse and his worldview in Jamal Michel’s Mother Jones profile, “One Man’s Mission to Make Video Games a Little Less White.” Rez United Game Artists (2002) In this […]

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Mother Jones

One Man’s Mission to Make Video Games a Little Less White

They might not know his name, but millions of video gamers have encountered narrative designer Evan ­Narcisse’s handiwork in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which showcases more Black and Brown characters in its first few minutes than most popular games do in their entirety. The action-packed 2020 release opens on a Harlem street scene where our […]

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Just Six Companies Create About a Quarter of Global Plastic Waste, Survey Finds

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The more plastic a company makes, the more pollution it creates. That seemingly obvious, yet previously unproven, point, is the main takeaway from a first-of-its-kind study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. Researchers from a dozen universities around the world […]

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Ruby Bridges Blasts Book Bans As “Ridiculous” Attempts to “Cover Up History”

Civil Rights icon Ruby Bridges is an integral part of U.S. history lessons in classrooms nationwide, given her status as the first Black child to integrate an elementary school in the South. But to the right-wing culture warriors behind efforts to ban books about American history—including systemic racism and discrimination against LGBTQ people—Bridges has become […]

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“Shame On You!”: Anti-War Protesters Picket White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Before guests could get inside last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, they had to wade through a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters who reminded them of the journalists who have been killed covering Israel’s war on Gaza. The annual dinner, nicknamed “nerd prom,” is hosted by the group of journalists who cover the White House and […]

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Trump’s Endorsement Helps Utah MAGA Candidate Notch a Win in the Battle for Senate

On Saturday, just as Utah Republicans were gathering for their annual nominating convention, former President Donald Trump endorsed Senate candidate Trent Staggs, an upstart small-town mayor who has been carefully cultivating endorsements from national MAGA celebrities. The endorsement helped Staggs prevail over nine other candidates in the crowded convention race to replace retiring Sen. Mitt […]

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