dana liebelson

Dana Liebelson

Reporter

Dana Liebelson is a reporter in Mother Jones' Washington bureau. She contributes regularly to The Week. Previously, she worked for the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), covering defense and open government issues. Her work has also appeared on TIME's Battleland, Truthout, OtherWords and Yahoo! News. In her free time, she plays electric violin in an Indie rock band.

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Study: The GOP Doesn't Care What Americans Think About the Budget

—By

| Wed Apr. 3, 2013 10:02 AM PDT

It doesn't matter whether you have a faded Obama or Romney bumper sticker still plastered to the family car, there a few things that you probably support spending your tax dollars on: Roads, education, social security, health care, aid for the poor, and the military. You're not unique: A recent Pew Research Center polling of about 1,500 Americans found that over 70 percent of Americans don't want to reduce spending on these things, either. But when it comes to funding the services that Americans actually want, Republican budget plans, including the one proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) and rejected by the Senate last month, are far less likely than Democratic budget plans to reflect public opinion, a new study by the Center for Effective Government finds. 

"Democrats seem more attuned to the public's views on specific areas of spending," says the report's author, Nick Schwellenbach, a senior fiscal policy analyst for the organization. "I think the difference is due to fundamental philosophical disagreements over the role of government."

The study examined four major budget plans, from Ryan, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Republican Study Committee, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). Then, in a handy chart, it compared the plans with the results of the Pew poll, looking at Social Security, education, Medicare, roads and infrastructure, scientific research, military defense, health care, and aid to the needy.

According to the report, "Americans reject reductions in the vast majority of specific areas of spending" and the only area where the Ryan and RSC budgets actually aligned with public opinion was defense. Both had no plans to slash defense spending, even though waste in the Pentagon has been extensively documented (useless $380 million ballistic missile, anyone?)

Here's a look at how the plans break down on education:

60 Percent of Americans Support Increasing Funds for Education

Elissar Khalek, Center for Effective Government

So are politicians not listening—or do Americans simply not understand the deficit, or where they want to spend their money? A McClatchy-Marist poll found last month that Americans are split on whether budget cuts will help or hurt the economy (and they prefer tax increases to cutting their favorite programs.) A poll taken by Business Insider last year (below) found that almost half of Americans also think that sequestration increases the national deficit, despite the fact that it's an austerity measure. And as The American Prospect notes, "Voters associate high deficits with poor economic performance—the public might say that it wants more action to lower the deficit, but what it means is that it wants Washington to improve the economy."

Schwellenbach acknowledges that "sometimes perspectives are wrong. For instance, Americans tend to think spending on foreign aid is somewhere around a quarter of the budget, when it's closer to 1 percent." However, he argues that when it comes to taxes, Americans' views are spot on. "The time to pay off the debt is when the economy is back on track, as the US was doing in the late 1990s when we had budget surpluses. We can get back there, but not by doing the best we can to throw the economy back into a recession."

Robert Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, argues in The Christian Science Monitor that politicians, Republicans in particular, don't listen to their constituents when crafting budgets because politicians are more interested in their financial interests than making people happy. "The American democracy has shown itself far less responsive—and our politicians remarkably impervious—to public opinion concerning economic issues that might affect the fates of large fortunes. This is a distressing feature of our democracy, necessitating change."

 

 

 

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Ex-White House Official Joins Group Fighting "Excessive" Online Privacy Laws

Daniel Weitzner helped write the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. Now privacy experts worry he'll help Facebook and Google control your data.

—By

| Fri Mar. 29, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Daniel Weitzner, former White House deputy chief technology officer for internet policy, now an adviser to the Coalition for Privacy and Free Trade.

As the Obama administration and tech company lobbyists chip away at the European Union's attempts to protect online privacy, a new pro-industry coalition has popped up to join the fray. Not quite two weeks ago, the Coalition for Privacy and Free Trade announced its existence. The group's senior academic adviser is Daniel Weitzner, who, less than two years ago, was working as the White House's deputy chief technology officer for internet policy.

Weitzner tells Mother Jones that he joined the coalition because he wants to strengthen privacy laws while ensuring the free flow of information. He worked for the administration from March 2011 to August 2012, leading the development of the much-lauded Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, a blueprint that asserts Americans' right to control what happens to their online data. Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, calls the document "a significant achievement" and says that "Danny deserves a fair amount of credit for it." But, he adds, "the critical question is whether it will be enacted into law." For now, its recommendations are voluntary.

Some privacy experts are concerned that Weitzner and the Coalition for Privacy and Free Trade will help companies like Facebook and Google continue to have free rein over their users' personal information. "This coalition appears to be a well-oiled campaign driven by the special interests of tech companies," says Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. "The use of a former, now revolving-door, White House official is also disturbing, because it gives them influence to win major concessions." Joe McNamee, the EU advocacy coordinator at European Digital Rights, a coalition of privacy groups, notes, "There is a fundamental concern whenever high-level staff or politicians take a corporate position."

[Read the full article]

Congress Saves Busted $380 Million Missile Program the Pentagon Won't Buy

—By

| Wed Mar. 27, 2013 9:37 AM PDT

Conservatives are throwing a hissy fit about a few hundred thousand dollars spent on a scientific study about duck sex, but over at the Pentagon, Congress is spending $380 million on a missile program that has no funding authorization, doesn't work, and the Department of Defense doesn't plan on buying. So why are we still paying for it? Because Germany and Italy are making the US feel awkward, and when you back out of a defense contract, you have to sell your first-born child. Also, jobs. 

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), contracted to Lockheed Martin, is a joint project with Italy and Germany intended to produce a weapon that will intercept ballistic missiles. If you read Lockheed Martin's website, MEADS sounds really cool. This "hit-to-kill" missile will "defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft, [and provide] full 360-degree engagement." Woah! (Shhh, forget about the fact that Lockheed Martin's program is basically a duplicate of the "Patriot" missile program that the US is already paying for. This one sounds cooler, okay?) 

Unfortunately, according to the Office of Secretary of Defense, MEADS has had serious technical, management, schedule, and cost problems since it was introduced in the mid-1990's" and has been unable to "meet schedule and cost targets." The Department of Defense decided in 2011 it didn't want the system because it couldn't afford to pay for two missile programs, and it was not helping US national security. For once, Congress actually agrees: Last week, an amendment proposed by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) that stripped funding from this "missile to nowhere" passed 94-5 with blinding bipartisan support. 

That didn't last long: Congress then passed a "stop-gap spending measure" that said that the $380 million needed to be used to complete the project, not pay termination fees. (According to Politico Pro, Sen. Ayotte has placed a hold on a top Pentagon acquisitions nominee until the Pentagon explains why it isn't scrapping the program.) 

As Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, argued on March 19, "The cost to finish the development of this program is almost exactly the same as the cost to unilaterally terminate it." According to DoD Buzz, last year, those fees were at least $800 million, although no official number has been released. Sean Kennedy of Citizens Against Government Waste argues that the best way to get out of this sticky scenario is for the "US to negotiate an agreement with its allies to collectively withdraw from the MEADS contract."

But Germany and Italy seem dead-set on the program, and have been guilt-tripping the US big-time, sending letters that say things like: "A final decision by the US Government to prohibit further funding for MEADS at this advanced stage would lead to a significant loss of technology for which we have commonly worked so hard. It would also be perceived as a serious setback for transatlantic cooperation in general." 

But even if Europe wasn't a factor, as Michael Hoffman of DoD Buzz notes, the program was probably saved because it provides jobs in Sen. Chuck Schumer's district in New York. Schumer lobbied Senate Appropriations Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to keep funding the program.​

Lockheed Martin certainly isn't upset about the US paying to complete the program. According to Reuters, "Lockheed and the MEADS consortium [are planning] a fourth quarter 2013 flight test to prove the MEADS missile defense system can intercept a ballistic missile."

Ben Freeman, Ph.D, an investigator for the Project On Government Oversight, where I used to work, tells Mother Jones that "my understanding is that we'll save money by terminating now... The program has had years to do "proof of concept," and nothing has been proven. It's time to cut our losses." 

Which Politicians Supported Gay Marriage and When?

A timeline of the long, increasingly fast path to marriage equality.

—By and

| Tue Mar. 26, 2013 5:28 AM PDT
Obama, Biden, and ClintonPresident Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton took different paths to the same position on marriage equality. Pete Souza/Flickr

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which for the last 17 years has prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples. With new polls showing a significant majority of Americans endorse marriage equality—and three new Senators announcing their support in the last week—it's tough to shake the sense that attitudes about the once-polarizing issue have shifted irreversibly. Even RNC chairman Reince Priebus now suggests that support for marriage equality may no longer be a deal-breaker for conservatives.

Over the last three years, dozens of politicians have, to use the phrase du jour, "evolved" on marriage equality, starting with a trickle of mostly progressive politicians and culminating in recent months with mainstream figures in both parties calling for an end to the marriage wars. (Maybe it was all that sushi.) Here's a look at how it went down:

Update: The article original stated that Gov. Chafee came out in support of gay marriage in 2009. It has been updated with new information.

Andrea Renault/Globe Photos/ZumaPress.com; Pete Souza/Flickr

Critics of Gay Ban Battle Boy Scouts Over Results of Internal Survey

The Boy Scouts asked members, parents, and scoutmasters whether they'd recommend the organization to others. The results were controversial.

—By

| Mon Mar. 25, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Boy Scouts

In the fall of 2012, months before the Boy Scouts of America announced it would consider overturning its decades-old ban on gay Scouts and scout leaders, the group sent a survey to Boy Scouts, parents, and scout leaders. The survey did not include a question about the ban, but it did ask respondents to explain what impacted their decision to recommend the Boy Scouts to their friends and families. Despite the open-ended nature of the question, around 5,500 (about eight percent) of the 68,441 respondents volunteered that the gay ban negatively affected their "customer loyalty" to the Boy Scouts. Only a tiny fraction of the respondents—a few hundred—expressed explicit support for the gay ban. Now a fight over how to interpret those results is brewing between the Boy Scouts and Scouts for Equality, an independent organization pushing for an end to the gay ban.

"The biggest takeaway from the survey is that there is a ton of energy in the scouting community for changing the policy," says Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout raised by two lesbian mothers, and founder of Scouts for Equality.

But Deron Smith, director of public relations for the Boy Scouts of America, tells Mother Jones that since the survey didn't include any specific questions about the ban, and only nine percent of respondents brought it up in an open-ended question about why they would or wouldn't recommend the Boy Scouts, "it is insufficient to accurately predict the beliefs of our membership as a whole." The Boy Scouts' summary of the survey also noted that people who were happy with Boy Scouts were less likely to comment on the ban, "perhaps since the reinforcement of the policy did not put the current status at risk." In other words, because the Scouts hadn't yet considered ending the ban when the survey went out, the Scouts and parents who back it didn't feel they needed to express their support.

The politics of the gay ban have changed significantly since the fall survey. Several major funders, including UPS, United Way, Merck, and Intel dropped their support for the organization late last year, and in January, the Boy Scouts announced it would reconsider the policy. Since then, pop stars and Tex Mex fast food chains alike have joined the fight against the gay ban. What Scouts, leaders, and parents think about the ban should be clearer soon. A 2013 spring survey specifically addressing the ban was sent to about 1.1 million scouts and their families earlier this month. It includes questions like, "David, a Boy Scout, believes that homosexuality is wrong... Steve, an openly gay youth, applies to be a member. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for this troop to deny Steve membership in their troop?" The results of that survey are expected​ April 4, just over a month before 1,400 members of the group's national council will vote on whether to end the ban.

Boy Scouts of America

Even if the national ban on gay Scouts and Scoutmasters is lifted however, local troops could still decide for themselves whether or not to discriminate.

Wahls says that the fall 2012 survey indicates that even in conservative areas, there is still some support for overturning the ban. "I think we'll see at least one inclusive unit in each state, and when people see that the unit is going to the same jamborees, it's fundraising, it's flourishing, they will realize that including gay youth and their parents makes the most sense... I had a lesbian den mother* [one of Wahl's mothers], and she was great. It was the most fun unit."

But just because the certain members support inclusive scouting, doesn't mean that the ban is going to go down without a fight. On Saturday, Boy Scouts leaders and parents launched a national coalition to "keep sex and politics out of scouting" and "influence the resolution committee."

"That's the problem with folks who are intervening on the other side of this issue," says Wahls. "This isn't about scouting to them, this is about their problem with gay people."

*A "den mother" is a term for the supervisor of a den of Cub Scouts. Wahl's "den mother" was also one of his mothers. 

Study: The GOP Doesn't Care What Americans Think About the Budget
Wed Apr. 3, 2013 10:02 AM PDT

Congress Saves Busted $380 Million Missile Program the Pentagon Won't Buy
Wed Mar. 27, 2013 9:37 AM PDT

Here's How a GOP Congressman Opposed the Violence Against Women Act—Then Pretended He Was for It
Wed Mar. 13, 2013 12:37 PM PDT

VIDEO: Heartwarming Story About Student's Sex Change Surgery Was Misunderstanding, College Says
Wed Mar. 6, 2013 4:33 PM PST

Boy Scouts Have No One Famous to Play at Their Jamboree Because They Kick Out Gay Kids
Tue Mar. 5, 2013 10:25 AM PST

Josh Ritter Releases the Cheeriest Breakup Album Ever
Mon Mar. 4, 2013 4:02 AM PST

Ding Dong (Some) Anti-Evolution Bills Are Dead
Wed Feb. 27, 2013 9:55 AM PST

Insist That People Coexisted With Dinosaurs…and Get an A in Science Class!
Tue Feb. 19, 2013 4:02 AM PST

Obama Issues Cybersecurity Order, Does Not Seize Control of Internet
Wed Feb. 13, 2013 9:57 AM PST

Anti-Evolution Missouri Bill Requires College Students to Learn About Destiny
Fri Feb. 8, 2013 1:21 PM PST

Boy Scouts May Allow Gay Members…Sort Of
Mon Jan. 28, 2013 5:17 PM PST

Boy Scouts Threatened to Kick Out Troop For Supporting Gay Members
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 1:57 PM PST

Boy Scouts Losing Big Funders Over Anti-Gay Policy
Wed Jan. 23, 2013 8:53 AM PST

MAP: In These 22 States, Every House Republican Voted Against Sandy Aid
Thu Jan. 17, 2013 4:11 AM PST

Pet Fish Could Give You Freaky Antibiotic-Resistant Skin Diseases
Wed Jan. 16, 2013 9:19 AM PST

Why Is the Pentagon Blocking LGBT and Progressive Websites?
Tue Jan. 8, 2013 4:01 AM PST

VIDEO: GOP "Out for Blood" After Fiscal Cliff Deal
Thu Jan. 3, 2013 2:39 PM PST

WATCH: President Obama "Modestly Optimistic" We Won't Fall Off Fiscal Cliff
Fri Dec. 28, 2012 5:24 PM PST

CHART: How Taxpayer Dollars Were Wasted on Afghanistan's Electrical Grid
Wed Dec. 19, 2012 11:32 AM PST

Wanna Smuggle Money out of Afghanistan?
Wed Dec. 12, 2012 3:33 PM PST

Jim DeMint Is Resigning: Here Are His 7 Craziest Moments
Thu Dec. 6, 2012 10:04 AM PST

Google-Funded Drones To Hunt Rhino Poachers
Wed Dec. 5, 2012 10:23 AM PST

VIDEO: Bradley Manning's Lawyer Makes First Public Appearance
Tue Dec. 4, 2012 10:10 AM PST

Obama: Whistleblowers' New BFF
Wed Nov. 28, 2012 5:56 AM PST

Did the Head of the Israeli Military's Social Media Pose in Black Face?
Mon Nov. 26, 2012 9:36 AM PST

How the GOP Nearly Won the DJ Vote
Tue Nov. 20, 2012 10:05 AM PST

E.D. Sedgwick is Sick of Wearing a Dress All the Time
Mon Nov. 19, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Romney Adviser: Not a Single Person on the Campaign Thought He Would Lose
Thu Nov. 8, 2012 3:45 PM PST

Democrat Jon Tester Wins Montana Senate Stand Off
Wed Nov. 7, 2012 9:13 AM PST

Voter Finds Another Romney-Loving Machine in Pennsylvania
Tue Nov. 6, 2012 3:49 PM PST

Romney-Loving Voting Machine "Recalibrated" and Back Online
Tue Nov. 6, 2012 12:14 PM PST

Will Hurricane Sandy Lower Gas Prices by Election Day?
Tue Oct. 30, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

The 1980s Called, and They're Jealous of Mitt Romney's Defense Budget
Tue Oct. 23, 2012 10:17 AM PDT

2 Minutes With David Corn: The Foreign Policy Debate
Mon Oct. 22, 2012 8:22 AM PDT

Romney Tries to Woo Small Business Owners with Eau de George W. Bush
Thu Oct. 18, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

This Week in the 47 Percent: Romney Fundraiser Bans Recording and a Rap Ringtone
Wed Oct. 10, 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Rating Wednesday Night's Debate Whoppers
Thu Oct. 4, 2012 11:46 AM PDT

Nate Silver: Obama Got a Bump After Leaked Romney Video
Fri Sep. 28, 2012 11:30 AM PDT

2 Minutes with David Corn: Breaking Down the Bain Video
Fri Sep. 28, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

How the Romney Video Went Viral
Tue Sep. 18, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Are Most Revolving-Door Lobbyists Breaking the Law?
Fri Sep. 7, 2012 3:01 AM PDT

VIDEO: Elizabeth Warren's "You Built That With Help" Speech
Wed Sep. 5, 2012 6:22 PM PDT

VIDEO: The 5 Most Comically Bad Anti-Gay Ads, Ever
Wed Sep. 5, 2012 10:17 AM PDT

News Outlets Around the World Totally Confused by Clint Eastwood
Fri Aug. 31, 2012 9:22 AM PDT

Read President Obama's Reddit "Ask Me Anything" Q's and A's
Wed Aug. 29, 2012 1:31 PM PDT

VIDEO: Romney's 5 Dumbest Comments
Fri Aug. 24, 2012 11:31 AM PDT

VIDEO: Invisible Bike Helmet Saves Your 'Do
Tue Aug. 21, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Ex-White House Official Joins Group Fighting "Excessive" Online Privacy Laws

Daniel Weitzner helped write the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. Now privacy experts worry he'll help Facebook and Google control your data.

Fri Mar. 29, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Which Politicians Supported Gay Marriage and When?

A timeline of the long, increasingly fast path to marriage equality.

Tue Mar. 26, 2013 5:28 AM PDT

Critics of Gay Ban Battle Boy Scouts Over Results of Internal Survey

The Boy Scouts asked members, parents, and scoutmasters whether they'd recommend the organization to others. The results were controversial.

Mon Mar. 25, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Donglegate: How One Brogrammer's Sexist Joke Led to Death Threats and Firings

Adria Richards tweeted about a guy who she said made a sexist joke at a tech conference. He was fired. Then she was, too.

Fri Mar. 22, 2013 2:23 PM PDT

Doctors Caught in Crossfire of Nutty Obama Conspiracy Theory

From South Carolina to Montana, legislators are pushing controversial "docs vs. Glocks" laws.

Wed Mar. 20, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Rick Perry's $487 Million Corporate Slush Fund Doesn't Need Your Stinkin' Audit

The Texas governor doesn't agree that his corporate-handout fund needs an audit—because he and two other GOP pols already monitor it.

Wed Mar. 20, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Will Congress Unfriend Mark Zuckerberg?

Facebook and other tech giants are likely to battle against the latest law that would protect your personal data.

Wed Mar. 13, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Trying to Stop a Suicide Epidemic—While Loosening Gun Laws

In Utah, gun suicides now outpace traffic deaths. So why are legislators pushing for even easier access to firearms?

Mon Mar. 11, 2013 3:06 AM PDT

MAP: Which Kills More People in Your State—Cars or Guns?

Plenty of states are hitting a grisly milestone; for the nation, it's only a matter of time.

Mon Mar. 11, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

MAPS: Did Your Congressmember Vote Against the Violence Against Women Act?

After a year and a half delay, VAWA reauthorization passed on Thursday. Here's how your elected officials voted.

Fri Mar. 1, 2013 7:00 PM PST

First SOPA, Now Your Privacy: Facebook, Google Flex Lobbying Muscle in Europe

The Goliaths of the tech industry already destroyed SOPA—now they're attempting to take down privacy laws in Europe.

Fri Mar. 1, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Chinese Cyberwarfare, Explained

So…just how screwed are we?

Thu Feb. 21, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Former Target Store Manager to Oversee Nation's Nuclear Security

Retired Air Force Colonel Steve Asher also ran a missile base that later flunked key security tests.

Wed Feb. 6, 2013 9:27 AM PST

Timeline: The Boy Scouts' Long History of Anti-Gay Discrimination

The Boy Scouts of America have been fighting gay members for decades.

Wed Feb. 6, 2013 4:06 AM PST

The GOP's Plan to Rig the Electoral College, Explained

How the GOP could win by losing.

Thu Jan. 31, 2013 10:44 AM PST

The Obama Administration Wants States to Grab Your Personal Data

The Department of Homeland Security won't back off a controversial Bush-era driver's license law

Fri Jan. 25, 2013 9:20 AM PST

MAP: Which GOPers Voted to Help Victims of Katrina, but Not Sandy?

Fifty-eight Republicans in the House supported aid for just one storm.

Tue Jan. 22, 2013 4:01 AM PST

CHARTS: Everyone Is Throwing Away Too Much Food

A new report says that our excessive food waste is "a tragedy that cannot continue."

Tue Jan. 15, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Channeling Dead Rock Stars With Ian Svenonius

As an author, the former frontman for The Nation of Ulysses and The Make-Up tests his supernatural strategies.

Mon Jan. 14, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Why Is Obama Bashing a Whistleblower Law He Already Signed?

In a signing statement, the president criticized—and perhaps undermined—a law intended to protect whistleblowers.

Thu Jan. 10, 2013 4:06 AM PST

CHARTS: Gun Buybacks Probably Won't Prevent the Next Newtown

Want to trade your Bushmaster AR-15 for a $100 supermarket gift certificate? Didn't think so.

Mon Jan. 7, 2013 11:01 AM PST

Protesters to Harvard: Just Say No to Mexican Drug War President

Harvard man Felipe Calderón is headed back to his alma mater, much to the chagrin of his detractors.

Thu Jan. 3, 2013 4:06 AM PST

You Can't Pigeonhole the Punch Brothers

We chat with these bluegrass innovators about songwriting, preshow rituals, and MacArthur grants.

Mon Dec. 24, 2012 4:11 AM PST

6 Things the NRA Didn't Blame for Mass Shootings

Video games and Hurricane Sandy made the list. Adam Lanza's Bushmaster didn't.

Fri Dec. 21, 2012 2:55 PM PST

How to Make Your Gun Shoot Like It's Fully Automatic—in One Easy Step

A legal add-on can make assault rifles fire "as a machine gun would."

Fri Dec. 21, 2012 4:01 AM PST

Are US Nuke Secrets Vulnerable to Cyberattack?

The Department of Energy's internal watchdog has released a "very problematic" report about its cybersecurity practices.

Thu Dec. 20, 2012 4:06 AM PST

Dr. Strangeloaf: A Survival-Food Taste Test

How I learned to stop worrying and love the Candwich.

Thu Dec. 20, 2012 4:06 AM PST

Watch: Gun Reform Advocates Beg Obama to "Take Some Leadership"

Hours after a gunman slaughters 27 in Newtown, Connecticut, advocates gather at White House to say the time has come for sensible gun laws.

Sat Dec. 15, 2012 8:40 PM PST

VIDEO: "Big Write-Offs Will Inspire You," Top AIG Exec Raps About Bailout

With AIG finally clear of the US government that saved the company, watch the head of one of its affiliates get down.

Fri Dec. 14, 2012 4:13 AM PST

Defense Contractors Don't Want to Say When They've Been Hacked

Shhh—defense companies aren't too excited about a new rule that would make them reveal their security breaches.

Thu Dec. 13, 2012 4:03 AM PST

CHARTS: Newspapers Don't Care When Notable Women Die

2012's notable death lists overwhelmingly feature men.

Wed Dec. 12, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Meet First Aid Kit, Swedish Sibling Sensation

"We're the only girls in our touring party," observes Klara Söderberg. "Where are they?"

Mon Dec. 10, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Susan Rice: A Victim of GOP Hypocrisy?

Senate Republicans had two very different reactions to administration officials named Rice who were accused of misleading the public.

Thu Dec. 6, 2012 4:13 AM PST

Is the UN About to Take Over the Internet?

Some members of Congress worry that a new tech treaty would create an online "wasteland of unfilled hopes, dreams, and opportunities."

Wed Dec. 5, 2012 8:09 AM PST

7 Ways Women and Girls Are Stereotyped, Sexualized, and Underrepresented on Screen

New report highlights staggering gender disparities in film and TV—even children's shows.

Fri Nov. 30, 2012 3:24 PM PST