Hannah Levintova

Hannah Levintova

Editorial Coordinator

Hannah Levintova is a lover of stories—both telling and consuming them—and is an advocate for public broadcasting, golden delicious apples, the Oxford comma, and the em-dash.

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A Boston native, Hannah earned her BA at Brown University in Comparative Literature and International Relations. Prior to joining Mother Jones, Hannah worked at The Washington Monthly and National Public Radio.

Bidding Adieu to Amtrak?

—By

| Sat Jun. 25, 2011 3:35 AM PDT

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama ran down a long list of things the nation needs to do better. Among expected topics, like education and healthcare, Obama noted infrastructure, and more specifically—high-speed rail. Parts of Europe and Russia invest more in their railways than we do, he said, and it's high time we start catching up.

That mission made some headway this week—but not in quite the way the rail industry would have hoped for. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a legislative hearing to discuss a draft bill that aims to improve high-speed and intercity passenger rail for the nation. How? By privatizing Amtrak.

If implemented, the GOP-sponsored bill would transfer control of the Northeast Rail Corridor—the train web connecting major Northeast cities—from Amtrak to the Department of Transportation. DOT would then oversee a private sector bidding process for high-speed rail projects in the Northeast, and for intercity routes nationwide.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

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New in Natural Gas Hype: A Fracking Coloring Book

—By

| Tue Jun. 21, 2011 1:50 PM PDT

With government agencies, documentaries, and even celebrities taking aim, fracking has been getting a bad rap these days. So it's no wonder that oil and gas companies are working hard to change the tone of the debate surrounding the controversial method of reaping natural gas.

The latest in their PR efforts? A children's coloring book. Published by oil and gas producer Talisman Energy and distributed for free, the 24-page text follows the adventures of a "Friendly Fracosaurus" named Talisman Terry. Throughout the book, he leads his readers through a natural gas extraction saga—explaining the benefits of the substance, and how it's found, drilled, and delivered.

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[Read more in the Blue Marble blog]

ACLU's "Kick-A-Jew Day" Case Edges Forward

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| Tue Jun. 21, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

In a 2005 South Park episode, Eric Cartman—the show's fat, whiny, spoiled antihero—sets off an anti-redhead movement in his Colorado elementary school. "Gingers," he says, are soulless, inferior beings that should be shunned. The episode's satiric take on bigotry was lost on some: in 2008, it inspired a 14-year-old British Columbia boy to launch a Facebook group declaring November 20, 2008, "Kick-a-Ginger Day," and sparking redhead bullying nationwide. A year later, ten North Maple Middle School students in Collier County, Florida, revised the holiday—they held "Kick-a-Jew Day" in its stead. At least one student was kicked and reported the attack to school authorities.

The incident has since sparked a lawsuit against the Collier County school district by the local chapter of the ACLU, which wants the district to reveal how it disciplined the students involved in the incident. Last week, that effort finally got a go-ahead.... with caveats. Collier County Judge Hugh Hayes denied the school district's motion to dismiss the suit, but also asked both sides to do a little rethinking and rewriting.

[Read more in the Mixed Media blog]

Saving Detroit, One Bagel at a Time

—By

| Wed Jun. 15, 2011 1:05 PM PDT
Dan Newman (left) and his brother Ben in their home kitchen.

Detroit residents (and brothers) Ben and Dan Newman are working to improve the city's economic future—and their own. Their recession-busting kryptonite? Bagels.

The Newman pair launched the Detroit Institute of Bagels out of their home kitchen this year after completing an M.A. in Urban Planning and a B.A. in Business. Now, the DIB brothers want to expand. So, last week DIB launched an online "Save the Bagels" campaign to raise some of the $25 thousand in seed money they need to make their bagel store a reality. "I've always wanted to help others start food businesses in Detroit," Ben says. "I thought that the best way to do that is to start my own, to go through the process." 

DIB is just the most recent enterprise in a line of Detroit-based projects. Local entrepreneurship has grown so popular that Open City Detroit—a forum for aspiring and current business owners in the city—runs courses like "Designing a Uniquely Detroit Business Image," or "Legal Fun, with a Detroit Twist." Four non-bagel ventures:

And those are just a drop in the urban bucket.

The Newman brothers hope that DIB will further Detroit's evolving entrepreneurial tradition. Intrigued? Check out their video below to learn more.

Human Breast Milk From Cows?

—By

| Wed Jun. 15, 2011 10:30 AM PDT

By now, the virtues of breastfeeding your baby are well known: Breast milk protects against obesity, allergies, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and bad teeth, among other health problems.

Sometimes, though, for a variety of reasons, women can't breastfeed. But a couple of scientists in Argentina just may have solved that problem—by genetically engineering a cow to produce human milk.

To achieve this strange feat, a team from the Institute for Biotechnology Research, the National Institute of Agribusiness Technology, and the National University of San Martin harvested human genes carrying two proteins that are present in human milk, but virtually non-existent in cow's milk. They then used the cells to create a genetically modified calf embryo, which they implanted in an adult cow. The calf was born in April, and was named Rosita. (The Telegraph reports that the calf was nearly named after Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina. Kirchner politely declined the honor, however, asking "What woman would like to have a cow named after her?" Wise words). 

[Read more in the Blue Marble blog]

11 MoJo Must-Reads on Women
Fri Mar. 8, 2013 4:05 AM PST

New Arizona Bill Wants Hospitals Policing Immigration
Mon Jan. 28, 2013 7:22 AM PST

The NRA Goes MIA…Yet Again
Tue Dec. 18, 2012 12:50 PM PST

Quick Reads: "The Injustice System" by Clive Stafford Smith
Thu Nov. 29, 2012 4:08 AM PST

8 Months After Trayvon: "Stand Your Ground" Law Deemed Just Fine by Florida
Fri Nov. 16, 2012 4:22 PM PST

The Republican Rape Caucus Crumbles
Wed Nov. 7, 2012 5:50 PM PST

BP's Olympic Ads Seek To Erase Oil Spill From Memory
Sat Aug. 11, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Adventures in Sexist Pork Industry Pamphlets
Mon Jul. 2, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Quick Reads: "The Receptionist" by Janet Groth
Sat Jun. 23, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Film Review: The Invisible War
Thu Jun. 21, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

BP, Dow Chemical Sponsoring the "Greenest Ever" Olympics, and UK Enviros Aren't Having It.
Wed Apr. 25, 2012 1:54 PM PDT

Insane Sex Laws Inspired by Republicans
Thu Mar. 8, 2012 4:00 AM PST

The Not So Virtuous Valentine's Day Industry
Tue Feb. 14, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Book Review: Beautiful Souls
Fri Feb. 10, 2012 4:00 AM PST

Jennifer Johns' Hip-Hop Food Fight
Mon Dec. 12, 2011 4:00 AM PST

Scientific Community Slams Plan B Decision
Fri Dec. 9, 2011 3:41 PM PST

Obama Admin Ignores FDA on Plan B
Wed Dec. 7, 2011 6:32 PM PST

Obama's White House Weakens As Many Enviro Regs As Bush's
Thu Dec. 1, 2011 4:00 AM PST

2-Stepping With the Blind Boys of Alabama
Mon Nov. 21, 2011 4:00 AM PST

DJ Spooky's Icy Philharmonic
Mon Oct. 17, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Boycott Minerals From Congo? Not So Fast
Thu Sep. 29, 2011 8:00 AM PDT

"Three Famines" Presents an Anatomy of the F-Word
Mon Sep. 26, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

New Study: Wealth Makes You Selfish
Fri Aug. 12, 2011 5:20 AM PDT

Tracking Prison Deaths Is Tougher Than You'd Think
Tue Aug. 9, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Bidding Adieu to Amtrak?
Sat Jun. 25, 2011 3:35 AM PDT

New in Natural Gas Hype: A Fracking Coloring Book
Tue Jun. 21, 2011 1:50 PM PDT

ACLU's "Kick-A-Jew Day" Case Edges Forward
Tue Jun. 21, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Saving Detroit, One Bagel at a Time
Wed Jun. 15, 2011 1:05 PM PDT

Human Breast Milk From Cows?
Wed Jun. 15, 2011 10:30 AM PDT

California Budget Crisis: Solve It Yourself
Fri Jun. 10, 2011 11:14 AM PDT

PHOTOS: Out of Saddam's Shadow

Ten years after the US-led invasion, Iraqi Kurdistan is thriving.

Fri Mar. 15, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Revealed: Morning-After Pill Not Making Women Slutty

These four charts show who uses emergency contraception, and how.

Fri Feb. 15, 2013 4:01 AM PST

"Our Sassy Black Friend" Jamaica Kincaid

The acclaimed author on race, motherhood, and why the New Testament is like "People" magazine.

January/February 2013 Issue

So Glad the "Girls" Are Back

Five twentysomethings discuss Season 2 of Lena Dunham's hit series, "erotic capital," and awkward parties.

Sun Jan. 13, 2013 11:49 AM PST

Charts: Ladyparts Strike Back

Check out all the record-breaking wins by the women of our next Congress.

Fri Nov. 9, 2012 4:03 AM PST

"If Your Girlfriend Gets Pregnant, So Do You!": 13 Amazing Vintage Contraceptive Ads

40 years of blunt, simple, and often goofy contraception ads

Wed Sep. 26, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Is Putting Boys and Girls in Separate Classrooms Legal?

Hundreds of public schools are segregating kids by sex, citing discredited research on learning differences.

Tue Aug. 21, 2012 3:01 AM PDT

Lidia Yuknavitch Flicks Off Freud

An irreverent remake of a renowned case, the new novel "Dora: a Headcase" delivers a gritty take on girlhood.

September/October 2012 Issue

What Regina Spektor Sees From the Cheap Seats

The pioneering pop songstress on invented sounds, gay rights as sci-fi, and how it feels to be labeled a weirdo.

May/June 2012 Issue

The Unrecognized Islands of Caucasus

Civilians and soldiers alike navigate a region torn apart by years of war.

Wed Apr. 11, 2012 2:55 AM PDT

What's Happening in Russia Explained

Whither Putin? Massive anti-government rallies in Moscow and other protests suggest a volatile presidential election next month.

Sat Feb. 4, 2012 4:00 AM PST

Maria Popova's Beautiful Mind

The creator of Brain Pickings on how to think outside the corporate box.

January/February 2012 Issue

How Many Innocent People Are in Prison?

The exact number is unknown—but may be 20,000 or more. Plus: an interactive map, and rarely seen video of Rick Perry pardoning a dead man.

Mon Dec. 12, 2011 8:10 AM PST

What's Happening With the London Riots?

Riots that started in London are spreading across the UK. We explain what's going on, and why.

Tue Aug. 9, 2011 4:00 PM PDT