Erika Eichelberger

Erika Eichelberger

Senior Editorial Fellow

Erika Eichelberger has written for The Nation, AlterNet, the Brooklyn Rail, EcoWatch and the Indypendent, and has interned at The Nation and Democracy Now!.

Get my RSS |

World Leaders React to North Korea Nuclear Test

—By

| Tue Feb. 12, 2013 12:06 PM PST
Park Jin-Hee/Xinhua/ZUMAPress

North Korea conducted a third nuclear test on Tuesday, the first since the country's leader Kim Jong-un took power in December 2011. Though it is still unclear whether the test was successful, experts say it could bring the country closer to its goal of building nuclear-tipped missiles designed to strike the US. Official state media characterized the test as a response to US hostility, and warned of "second and third measures of greater intensity" in the future if Washington doesn't back down. (The UN imposed sanctions on the country after a December 2012 rocket launch that the UN and Washington said was a cover for a banned missile test.)

The United Nations Security Council called the test, which is in defiance of existing UN resolutions, "a clear threat to international peace and security," and said it would "begin work immediately" on further punitive measures against Pyongyang.

The test also prompted an outcry from leaders around the world: Here are some of them, via CNN:

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

Advertise on MotherJones.com

Sheriff Richard Mack Aims to Save America From Gun Control

The NRA hero and militia icon urges the nation's sheriffs to defy new gun laws.

—By

| Fri Feb. 8, 2013 4:11 AM PST
Former Sheriff Richard Mack

This story has been updated.

When I get on the phone with Richard Mack, better known as "Sheriff Mack"—NRA darling, militia hero, and former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona—he tells me he doesn't personally own that many guns. But he won't say how many: "That's between me and the good Lord."

Mack isn't a hunter, either. For him, the specter of new gun control legislation is all about the Constitution. Which is why he has been leading an all-out crusade to prevent the federal government from taking away your firearms—if they ever were taking away your firearms. The idea is to convince  county sheriffs around the nation to refuse to enforce any new gun laws.

Sheriff Mack has been a celebrity amongst anti-federalist militia types and Second Amendmenters for years. In 1994, the NRA recruited him as a plaintiff in one of nine lawsuits against the Clinton administration over the 1993 Brady Law, which required federal background checks on firearms purchasers. "The case was based on the principle that the federal government is not our boss," Mack says. In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled in Mack's favor, finding that federal agents may not force local law enforcement to require those background checks. In appreciation, the NRA made Mack its Law Officer of the Year and inducted him into the NRA Hall of Fame.

[Read the full article]

"Most Transparent Administration Ever" Is Still Not

—By

| Thu Feb. 7, 2013 9:59 AM PST
Everett Collection /Shutterstock

For years, the Obama administration refused to make public the Justice Department's classified legal opinions on the "targeted killing" of terrorism suspects. But Wednesday's news that the administration will let some members of Congress see the memos explaining the administration's legal justification for killing American citizens does not mean this administration is suddenly "the most transparent administration ever." In fact, forget classified memos: The administration can't even get the Freedom of Information Act right. On Monday, two congressmen demanded the Obama administration answer for its failure to improve the public's access to information through FOIA, under which American citizens can request government documents.

On his first day in office President Obama issued a memo committing to a strong, effective FOIA. "The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails," it read. But filing a FOIA request and getting information back is still a struggle. On Monday, the top members of the House oversight committee, Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Darrell Issa (R-Ca.), sent a letter to the Justice Department, which keeps tabs on how FOIA requests are carried out, demanding information on nearly two dozen problems with the Obama administration's FOIA policy. The congressmen point to "outdated FOIA regulations, exorbitant and possibly illegal fee assessments, FOIA backlogs, [and] the excessive use and abuse of exemptions."

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

4 House Members Slam College's Anti-Israel Event

—By

| Sat Feb. 2, 2013 11:29 AM PST

A scholar and a political commentator are about to let fly to some very, very dangerous speech at a New York college next week. It's so dangerous, in fact, that four Democratic members of Congress are getting involved.

Next Thursday, Brooklyn College's political science department and the student group Students for Justice in Palestine are scheduled to hold a panel discussion with philosopher Judith Butler and Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian political analyst, on something called "BDS." BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, the controversial international movement that pushes to get Israel to withdraw its settlements from the Palestinian territories by boycotting Israeli products, divesting from Israeli industries, and imposing sanctions.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

Good News for People Who Like Guns and Vacation Homes

—By

| Thu Jan. 31, 2013 8:19 AM PST

Second Amendment alert: New York is preventing Americans with second, third, and fourth homes in the state from obtaining pistol and revolver licenses—and a federal appeals court opinion issued Tuesday suggested this might violate the Constitution.

The case involves a man named Alfred G. Osterweil who owns a vacation home in Summit, NY, and who was denied a handgun permit in the state because his formal residence is in Louisiana. A local judge said this was okay because New York law only allows licenses for full-time residents, and argued that this did not violate the Second Amendment because it's more like a regulation than an outright ban. (An outright ban would be unconstitutional.) He held that it is in the state's interest to "monitor… its hand gun licensees to ensure their continuing fitness for the use of deadly weapons," the opinion said. If Osterweil is out of state for much of the year, the argument goes, New York can't keep tabs on whether he is a law-abiding citizen or a mass murderer.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

Charts: Look At How Badly Obama Lags on Judicial Appointments
Thu Apr. 4, 2013 8:02 AM PDT

Look at This Drone Deaths Interactive
Thu Mar. 28, 2013 7:33 AM PDT

Senate Agrees "Too Big To Jail" Should Die
Mon Mar. 25, 2013 9:26 AM PDT

Sneaky House Bill Would Gut Financial Reform
Thu Mar. 21, 2013 10:46 AM PDT

Paul Ryan's Budget Won't Balance the Budget in Ten Years
Wed Mar. 20, 2013 8:31 AM PDT

"I Can't Keep This Going": How JPMorgan Chase Changed Its Own Risk Rules and Lost $6 Billion
Fri Mar. 15, 2013 2:46 PM PDT

Elizabeth Warren Slams Federal Regulators Over Bank Money Laundering
Thu Mar. 7, 2013 1:56 PM PST

Known and Suspected Terrorists Can Buy Guns in America
Thu Mar. 7, 2013 10:42 AM PST

The Government Still Doesn't Want You to Know What Caused the Financial Crisis
Wed Mar. 6, 2013 10:19 AM PST

Number of Anti- Government Groups Hits Record High
Tue Mar. 5, 2013 1:05 PM PST

Dem Bill Would Ban "Saturday Night Specials"
Tue Mar. 5, 2013 8:08 AM PST

12 Ways the Sequester Will Screw the Poor
Mon Feb. 25, 2013 4:12 AM PST

New Obama Administration Rules Could Improve Mental Health Coverage for Millions
Thu Feb. 21, 2013 9:25 AM PST

Minimum Wage Boost Would Help Women Most
Thu Feb. 14, 2013 8:06 AM PST

Tea Party Group: Obama's State of the Union Address Will Be "Hitlerian"
Tue Feb. 12, 2013 5:31 PM PST

World Leaders React to North Korea Nuclear Test
Tue Feb. 12, 2013 12:06 PM PST

"Most Transparent Administration Ever" Is Still Not
Thu Feb. 7, 2013 9:59 AM PST

4 House Members Slam College's Anti-Israel Event
Sat Feb. 2, 2013 11:29 AM PST

Good News for People Who Like Guns and Vacation Homes
Thu Jan. 31, 2013 8:19 AM PST

Is Obama's Wall Street Cop Pick as Tough as She Seems?
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 11:36 AM PST

It's Not Illegal To Buy a Gun for a Criminal
Thu Jan. 24, 2013 8:48 AM PST

Young Immigrants Renew Push for Path to Citizenship
Wed Jan. 23, 2013 11:15 AM PST

Can These New Federal Rules Rein in Foreclosure-Frenzied Banks?
Thu Jan. 17, 2013 9:52 AM PST

JPMorgan Chase Gambles Away $6B, Gets "Slap on the Wrist"
Tue Jan. 15, 2013 3:33 PM PST

Greece's Latest Fiscal Solution: Create an Ecological Crisis!
Mon Jan. 14, 2013 1:31 PM PST

3 Years After the Earthquake, Haiti Is Still in Shambles
Fri Jan. 11, 2013 12:02 PM PST

Bad News for Vampire Cops Everywhere
Thu Jan. 10, 2013 7:55 AM PST

Proposed Legislation Would Block Bank Execs From Regulating Banks
Wed Jan. 9, 2013 1:09 PM PST

Will Thorium Nuclear Energy Save Us All?
Mon Jan. 7, 2013 7:37 PM PST

Fiscal Deal Could Make Health Insurance More Expensive
Fri Jan. 4, 2013 1:38 PM PST

Study: Cows Are 25 Percent Snake
Thu Jan. 3, 2013 8:20 AM PST

Van Hollen: Boehner "Has Turned the Keys...Over to the Tea Party Caucus"
Fri Dec. 28, 2012 3:42 PM PST

Pro-Gun Fanatics Cash in on Sandy Hook Shooting
Fri Dec. 21, 2012 12:56 PM PST

Boehner's Plan B: "For Backing Out"
Thu Dec. 20, 2012 8:52 AM PST

How to Get Republicans to Care About Women's Issues: Snacks
Thu Dec. 13, 2012 8:28 AM PST

Soledad O'Brien Slams GOP Senator on Food Stamps
Tue Dec. 11, 2012 12:10 PM PST

Offshore Tax Haven Money Could Save Us From the Fiscal Cliff
Thu Dec. 6, 2012 12:56 PM PST

House Republican Conspiracy Theorist Hearts the Word "Lunatic"
Thu Dec. 6, 2012 7:48 AM PST

The GOP Channels Romney on Latest Debt Deal Offer
Tue Dec. 4, 2012 2:11 PM PST

Obama to Help Screwed Homeowners (Finally)
Tue Dec. 4, 2012 11:23 AM PST

Conservatives: If You Can't Win the Presidency, Make It Weaker
Sat Dec. 1, 2012 8:08 AM PST

Study: ALEC Is Bad for the Economy
Thu Nov. 29, 2012 9:08 AM PST

12 Ways a Fiscal "Grand Bargain" Could Screw the Poor
Tue Nov. 27, 2012 4:08 AM PST

The Department of Justice Censors MoJo
Mon Nov. 26, 2012 12:50 PM PST

3 Newsmakers Who Tried to Sneak One Past You Over Thanksgiving
Mon Nov. 26, 2012 6:52 AM PST

Jon Stewart on Romney's 47 Percent Comments: "Unfairly Caricatured By His Own Words"
Fri Nov. 16, 2012 1:14 PM PST

Business Leaders to Washington: Tax The Rich!
Thu Nov. 15, 2012 8:23 PM PST

Millionaires to Washington: More Taxes, Please!
Thu Nov. 15, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Raul Ruiz Ekes Out Victory Over Rep. Mary Bono Mack in California
Wed Nov. 7, 2012 1:27 PM PST

Voter ID Chaos in Pennsylvania
Tue Nov. 6, 2012 4:48 PM PST

Democrats Are Undermining Wall Street Reform, Too

Eight House Dems are pushing a slate of bills that would roll back key financial-reform laws.

Wed Apr. 3, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Look at This Visualization of Drone Strike Deaths

A California data design company has just put out a controversial new drone data project.

Thu Mar. 28, 2013 7:33 AM PDT

A Dark Truck Stop. A Crowd of Sex Workers. A Government Program That Works?

The Dallas Police Department has a program that tries to help women who sell sex. It cuts down on crime and saves lots of money.

Thu Mar. 21, 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

Should Cops Be Allowed to Seize Your DNA?

In 26 states, you have to give police your DNA if you're arrested for a serious crime. The Supreme Court will soon decide whether that violates the Fourth Amendment.

Tue Feb. 26, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Sheriff Richard Mack Aims to Save America From Gun Control

The NRA hero and militia icon urges the nation's sheriffs to defy new gun laws.

Fri Feb. 8, 2013 4:11 AM PST

Obama's Jobs Council Fail

The president's feckless jobs council is set to expire this week. That might be for the best.

Wed Jan. 30, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Conservatives Insist Obamacare Is on Its Death Bed

But it's really their desperate last-ditch plans to undermine the health care law that are doomed.

Thu Jan. 24, 2013 4:06 AM PST

House Republicans Derail Bill Targeting Rapists

Congressional GOPers had a last-minute chance to help cops catch more rapists. Instead, they shut the whole thing down.

Thu Jan. 3, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Mental Health Checks for Gun Buyers: Weak, Chaotic, Full of Loopholes

Federal law technically prohibits sales of firearms to the mentally ill. Here's the reality.

Fri Dec. 21, 2012 8:04 AM PST

Will Obama Beat Back a "Nuclear" Attack by the Big Banks?

Financial regulators are scrambling to finalize the Volcker rule—and Wall Street has mounted a full-on blitz to defang it.

Thu Dec. 6, 2012 4:13 AM PST

11 Things the Lame-Duck Congress Might Do

Partisan gridlock and fiscal-cliff priorities may impede progress on other pieces of legislation. In some cases, that might be a good thing.

Mon Nov. 12, 2012 4:08 AM PST

The Mother of All Election Recounts?

Chaos from controversial voter ID laws and other electoral changes could make Florida 2000 look like child's play.

Fri Nov. 2, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

Will a Hurricane Ruin the GOP's Big Bash in Tampa?

Isaac may spare the RNC convention only to hit New Orleans.

Fri Aug. 24, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

The World's Newest Country Wrestles with War and Corruption

Hopes ran high for South Sudan's independence, but reality has proven tough.

September/October 2012 Issue

Sad About Being in the 1 Percent? There's a Therapist for That.

OWS occupies the minds of the superrich.

Tue Apr. 10, 2012 3:00 AM PDT