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!.

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Proposed Legislation Would Block Bank Execs From Regulating Banks

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| Wed Jan. 9, 2013 1:09 PM PST

Four years after the financial crisis, and two years after "financial reform," top bank executives are still allowed to serve on the boards of regional Federal Reserve banks—institutions that are partially responsible for regulating the financial industry. People like Jamie Dimon, the JP Morgan Chase CEO whose term at the New York Fed just ended, have influence over whether banks get bailed out by taxpayers when they screw up. Dimon was on the New York Fed board during the 2008 financial crisis, and his bank got over $390 billion in low-interest emergency bailout loans from the Fed.

If liberal Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has his way, all that may soon change.

Sanders announced Wednesday that he will reintroduce legislation to forbid financial industry executives like Dimon from sitting on any of the 12 regional Fed boards of directors.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

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Will Thorium Nuclear Energy Save Us All?

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| Mon Jan. 7, 2013 7:37 PM PST

Even in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which half-drowned our biggest metropolis, Congress is still ostriching on climate change and thinking about chopping clean-energy programs as part of fiscal cliff, part II. Meanwhile, China, which has been leading the way on futuristic ideas from offshore wind energy to high-speed rail, is spearheading the development of nuclear energy derived from thorium, a naturally occurring radioactive element.

The Telegraph reports that the politically connected industrialist Jiang Mianheng is bankrolling a $350 million project at China's National Academy of Sciences to develop thorium power, which would be used to fuel molten-salt reactors, as opposed to old school uranium-fueled water reactors, and which would be much cleaner and meltdown-safe.

[Read more in the Blue Marble blog]

Fiscal Deal Could Make Health Insurance More Expensive

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| Fri Jan. 4, 2013 1:38 PM PST

Conservative websites have been giddy in recent days because the fiscal deal President Barack Obama just signed repeals a piece of Obamacare—a long-term care program for the disabled that even the administration admits was not cost effective. But another section of the Affordable Care Act bit the dust at the same time, and consumers who will soon be required to purchase health insurance (i.e. everyone) should be none too happy about it.

The ACA established a federal loan program to subsidize nonprofit CO-OPs (consumer oriented and operated health insurance plans) so that these plans could participate in the new online health insurance exchanges with traditional plans. The goal: increasing competition and reducing costs for consumers. Half of the $3.8 billion allocated for the program has already been doled out to 24 nonprofits in 24 states, but the remaining $1.9 billion was slashed in the recent tax-cut deal.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

Study: Cows Are 25 Percent Snake

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| Thu Jan. 3, 2013 8:20 AM PST
snake-cow

You vaguely know how DNA works, right? You get it from your parents. Well, hold onto your britches, because scientists from down under are about to turn your world upside down.

A study by Australia's Adelaide and Flinders Universities and the South Australian Museum has found that in complex organisms, DNA is not only transferred from a parent to its offspring like your science book told you, but can also be "laterally" transferred between species. The research, published in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the US, involved comparing dozens of DNA sequences from different species. It found that cows inherited up to a quarter their genes from reptiles.

[Read more in the Blue Marble blog]

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.

—By

| Thu Jan. 3, 2013 4:06 AM PST

In the past year, Republicans have gone wild when it comes to rape. They blocked the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act because it would have given tribal courts broader jurisdiction over rape on Native American lands. They told women they can't get pregnant from rape and that babies that result from rape are God's will. Though the GOP did pay a political price for some of this (see: Rep. Todd Akin), as the 112th Congress was hurriedly finishing up its business in the past few days, House Republicans yet again played politics with rape and sabotaged a bipartisan bill that would have made it easier to track down rapists.

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act, also known as the SAFER Act of 2012, was introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the Senate in May, and by Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) in the House in December. It would have reallocated $117 million to help make a dent in the nationwide backlog of untested "rape kits," which contain forensic evidence collected after sexual assaults that can help identify perpetrators. There are some 400,000 untested kits sitting in labs around the country. As long as this DNA evidence goes unanalyzed, it's easier for rapists to avoid arrest and prosecution. 

[Read the full article]

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