Tasneem Raja, Interactive Editor

Tasneem Raja

Interactive Editor

Tasneem Raja is MoJo's Interactive Editor. She specializes in web app production, interactive graphics, and user interface design. Before joining Mother Jones, she was an interactive producer at The Bay Citizen. Before crossing over to the dark side, she was a features reporter and copyeditor at The Chicago Reader.

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Scary Beautiful: The Best Hurricane Sandy Maps

—By

| Mon Oct. 29, 2012 2:49 PM PDT

My browser crashed three times to bring you this gale-force roundup of Hurricane Sandy visualizations. She looks rather lovely from here in unruffled San Francisco, but hey, unholy devastation rains down on our heads soon enough. Gaze deep into the mesmerizing belly of the beast, and stay safe out there!

NOAA's animated gif: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was gif'ing when gif'ing wasn't cool. This one shows Sandy's path today from 8:15 AM to 3:15PM EST.

 

Wind Map, by data-viz artists Fernanda Viegas and Martin Wattenberg. This real-time map of hourly wind speeds across America existed before Sandy reared her election-skewering head. On most days, the map shows a cute white fur gently rippling across the country. During hurricanes, the brutal convergence of high-speed winds is downright hair-raising, as in images captured during Isaac (scroll down). See the live map here.

 

Hurricane Irene vs. Hurricane Sandy: Via Gothamist, which points out that Irene, which ranked among the top-ten priciest disasters in American history, "looks like a stuffed animal tea party compared to Sandy." Cheers!

 

(Deep breath) The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies' map of SSMI/SSMIS/TMI-derived Total Precipitable Water - North Atlantic: Or as I like to call it: "Ooooooooh prettttty." 

 

WNYC's Hurricane Sandy tracker: Which they've thoughtfully allowed you to steal and display all its terrifying glory on your own website, perhaps next to an inevitable photo of short-sleeved presidential disaster abatement?

 

Looking for form and function in your Sandy maps? Google's mapping active shelters. Way to be prepared just in case, Greyhound Station of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Got more scary-beautiful Sandy maps to share? Drop links below!

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Is Your Vote in Danger? Take the Test

See how your state fits into the nation's bewildering patchwork of election laws.

—By , , and

| Mon Oct. 22, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

"Suffrage is the pivotal right," Susan B. Anthony once said. Yet nearly 100 years after her death, our ability to vote still pivots a great deal upon who we are and where we live. Some states bar felons from voting or require proof of American citizenship. Others only ask that you mail in a ballot, take an oath, or show up at the polls. Can you vote in the next election? Take our quiz to find out, or to see how your state fits into our nation's bewildering patchwork of election laws.*

 

*This quiz is not intended as a stand-alone guide to election laws. If you are unsure whether you qualify to vote, we suggest double-checking your state's registration and voting requirements here.

SOURCES

Project Vote Smart: voter registration guide

US Government Accountability Office: Elections: State Laws Addressing Registration and Voting on or Before Election Day

Project Vote: Felon Voting Rights By State

Long Distance Voter: Voter Registration Deadlines

California Secretary of State: ID Requirements

With research and production (a.k.a. gif-hunting) by Maggie Caldwell, Jaeah Lee, and Asawin Suebsaeng. 

Front page image: Shealah Craighead/SarahPAC

Life in the Hole: Inside a Solitary Cell

A guided tour of the seven-by-eleven-foot space where inmates spend 23 hours a day.

—By , , and

| Thu Oct. 18, 2012 12:33 AM PDT

Former hostage Shane Bauer visited this cell during his reporting trip to California's Pelican Bay State Prison. Read his investigation of solitary confinement here. Click the dots on the image below to take a tour of the cell.

Show
Next

Floor

SHU cells are 11 feet 7 inches by 7 feet 7 inches. With about eight feet of walking space, pacing—essential to quiet the mind—is difficult. Despite the cold cement floor, socks are forbidden.

Yes, We Have Presidential Debate Bingo

—By and

| Wed Oct. 3, 2012 8:35 AM PDT

Tonight, the choice in this presidential race will be made clearer than ever ever. Or it won't. There will be zingers! There will be gaffes! But will there be substance? Probably not.

If you're committed to watching the first debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama tonight, but you're resigned to hearing nothing especially new, here's a way to cope: Drink heavily, with our help. That's right, it's debate bingo time! We've updated our 2008 bingo card to make it even more challenging this year. Feel free to ignore the directions—you're probably going to need to drink more than these rules allow. 

Click the image for a larger version.

The NRA Surge: 99 Laws Rolling Back Gun Restrictions

In the past four years a barrage of measures across 37 states have made it easier to own, carry, and conceal firearms.

—By , , and

| Wed Sep. 26, 2012 3:01 AM PDT

Since 2009, the NRA and its allies in state capitols have pushed through 99 laws making guns easier to own, easier to carry in public—eight states now even allow them in bars—and harder for the government to track. More than two-thirds of the laws were passed by Republican-controlled legislatures, though often with bipartisan support. (Note: Click on the colored states for details on additional laws; info on a few particularly noteworthy ones follows below the map. Also see our related story on the frightening rise of mass shootings in the US.)

99 Laws Rolling Back Gun Restrictions, 2009-2012

  • Easier to Carry
  • Easier to Own
  • Harder to Track
  • Carry in Bars
  • All 99 Laws
  • GOP or Dem?

 

  

Some particularly noteworthy laws:

  • Bullets and booze: In Missouri, law-abiding citizens can carry a gun while intoxicated and even fire it if "acting in self-defense."
  • Child-safety lock off: In Kansas, permit holders can carry concealed weapons inside K-12 schools and at school-sponsored activities.
  • Short arm of the law: In Utah, a person under felony indictment can buy a gun, and a person charged with a violent crime may be able to retain a concealed weapon permit. Nebraskans who've pled guilty to a violent crime can get a permit to carry a gun.
  • Sweet Jesus! In Louisiana, permit holders can carry concealed weapons inside houses of worship.
  • Without a trace: Virginia not only repealed a law requiring handgun vendors to submit sales records, but the state also ordered the destruction of all such previous records.

For more, see our related investigation on the rise of guns and mass shootings in America.

Sources: The majority of the data used for this map is from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, with additional research by Mother Jones. You can get further details about the laws, by year, on LCPGV's site: 2009-10, 2011, and 2012.

Additional research contributed by Deanna Pan and Gavin Aronsen.

Charts: Bush Lowballed Us on Iraq by $6 Trillion
Tue Mar. 19, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Why It Sucks to Be a Woman in the Video Game Industry
Tue Nov. 27, 2012 1:11 PM PST

Voting Problem? Report It to Mother Jones.
Sat Nov. 3, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Scary Beautiful: The Best Hurricane Sandy Maps
Mon Oct. 29, 2012 2:49 PM PDT

Yes, We Have Presidential Debate Bingo
Wed Oct. 3, 2012 8:35 AM PDT

What Was Romney Doing in the #missing2min?
Wed Sep. 19, 2012 1:47 PM PDT

US Female Olympians Have Won More Medal Points Than All but Four Countries
Sun Aug. 12, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

What If You Could Write Just One Thing a Year?
Fri May. 11, 2012 2:21 AM PDT

The Spinach Index: A Delicious Economic Indicator
Wed Jan. 25, 2012 1:19 PM PST

Occupy Calendar: Check Out #OWS' Jam-Packed Schedule
Mon Dec. 5, 2011 3:30 AM PST

Tracking Journalists Arrested at Occupy Protests
Fri Nov. 18, 2011 3:30 AM PST

Video: Occupy Oakland in Spoken Word
Tue Nov. 15, 2011 5:24 PM PST

What Does the Occupy Oakland Strike Have to do With 1946?
Tue Nov. 1, 2011 10:06 PM PDT

Open Letter from Oakland Police Union: "We Are Confused"
Tue Nov. 1, 2011 3:46 PM PDT

Week in Pictures: Must-See Occupy Oakland Photos
Sat Oct. 29, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Top Tweets From Tuesday's #OccupyOakland Clash
Wed Oct. 26, 2011 3:05 PM PDT

Charts: How the One Percent Doubled Their Income
Wed Oct. 26, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Big Crowd Gathers at Occupy Oakland, Mayor Promises "Light" Police Presence
Tue Oct. 25, 2011 9:37 PM PDT

#OWS Hails a Cab. The Rest is Legend.
Sun Oct. 16, 2011 12:25 AM PDT

Get Up to Speed on #OccupyWallStreet
Sun Oct. 9, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Watch Young Steve Jobs Unveil Apple Macintosh in 1984
Wed Oct. 5, 2011 5:51 PM PDT

Take a 9/11 Break . . . With Puppies!
Sun Sep. 11, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Is Your Team's Owner a Major League Asshole?

MoJo's guide to the national pastime's deepest pockets and reviled personas.

Fri Apr. 5, 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

Anti-Choice March Madness: The Worst State for Women

Which state will dominate in this tournament of lady-haters?

Thu Mar. 21, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

151 Victims of Mass Shootings in 2012: Here Are Their Stories

Bearing witness to the worst year of gun rampages in modern US history.

Fri Dec. 21, 2012 2:16 AM PST

Does Costco Destroy Baby Manatees? MoJo's Eco-Doom Headline Generator

When climate change takes over, this little robot will carry on if we cannot.

Mon Dec. 10, 2012 4:03 AM PST

The New Gay Marriage Map

Three new states say yes to gay marriage, including the first ever below the Mason-Dixon line.

Wed Nov. 7, 2012 1:28 PM PST

MoJo's Interactive Guide to Voter Suppression and Poll Problems

Updating now through Election Day. Also: Voting problem in your area? Here's how to report it to us.

Sat Nov. 3, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Is Your Vote in Danger? Take the Test

See how your state fits into the nation's bewildering patchwork of election laws.

Mon Oct. 22, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Life in the Hole: Inside a Solitary Cell

A guided tour of the seven-by-eleven-foot space where inmates spend 23 hours a day.

Thu Oct. 18, 2012 12:33 AM PDT

The NRA Surge: 99 Laws Rolling Back Gun Restrictions

Kansas now allows guns inside K-12 schools—one of a barrage of looser state laws passed in the last four years.

Wed Sep. 26, 2012 3:01 AM PDT

Charts: You Might Be the 47 Percent If…

…you don't owe federal income taxes because you're a working mom, a soldier, a millionaire, or a corporation.

Tue Sep. 18, 2012 3:47 PM PDT

Voter Suppression: Coming to a State Near You?

If you're planning on voting in November, here's a few things you should know.

Mon Sep. 17, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Map: How Much Do Your Local Teachers Earn?

Are they scraping by or making bank? Some data behind the education debate.

Fri Sep. 14, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Scissors, Seamus, and Wedding Cake: A History of Mitt Romney in 30 Objects

A virtual tour of our GOP nominee's defining moments.

Mon Aug. 27, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Charts: Just How Small Is the Super-PAC Gazillionaire Club?

A mere 47 people are responsible for more than half of all super-PAC cash.

Fri Aug. 3, 2012 3:30 AM PDT

Quiz: Play Two Truths and a Lie With Romney's VP Contenders

You're at a slumber party with everyone on Mitt's shortlist when suddenly…

Fri Jul. 27, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

An Interactive Map of the Dark-Money Universe

Red giants, blue dwarfs, and cash-sucking black holes: Welcome to the final frontier of money in politics.

Wed Jun. 27, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Can Code for America Save Our Broke Cities?

Jen Pahlka on dumb bureaucracy, government as a vending machine, and Silicon Valley sexism.

May/June 2012 Issue

"Gangbang Interviews" and "Bikini Shots": Silicon Valley’s Brogrammer Problem

For startups like Path, recasting geek identity with a frat house swagger is a dangerous game.

Thu Apr. 26, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Is Your State Hostile to Obama's Mini-DREAM Act?

Plus: four other maps tracking the anti-immigrant movement nationwide.

March/April 2012 Issue

Lucy Lawless—a.k.a. Xena the Warrior Princess—Occupies a Shell Oil Drilling Ship

From 174 extremely windy feet in the air, Lawless tells me how her crew of Greenpeace volunteers plans to stop the Noble Discoverer from getting to Alaska.

Fri Feb. 24, 2012 4:01 AM PST

Calculator: How Expensive Is Birth Control?

Rick Santorum claims it's "just a few dollars." Time for a reality check.

Tue Feb. 21, 2012 4:00 AM PST

Super-PAC Mania

Romney's haul, Obama's Hollywood bundle, Colbert's lolz: highlights from campaign spending central.

Tue Jan. 31, 2012 11:47 AM PST

Calculator: Is Your Food Spending Normal?

Enter your weekly spending into MoJo's interactive app, and see how your food budget stacks up.

Mon Jan. 23, 2012 4:00 AM PST

Republican Primary Pandemonium

Could Santorum really pull it off? How will Romney get the delegates he still needs? Game it out with our app!

Thu Jan. 5, 2012 10:20 AM PST

Glossary: Decoding the Police Jargon Overheard at Occupy

Frozen zones, kettling, affirmative obligation: What does it all mean?

Wed Nov. 23, 2011 11:44 AM PST

Map: The Nuclear Bombs in Your Backyard

Look up where in the United States the Pentagon keeps its atomic weaponry.

Wed Nov. 9, 2011 4:00 AM PST

Occupy Wall Street Gets Graphic

Graffiti artists worldwide have been occupying walls and shop windows with slogans promoting the movement.

Tue Oct. 25, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Map: Protesters' Long-Term Plans for Occupying Zuccotti Park

With hundreds of people living in the park full time, the logistics are getting complicated. See a blueprint of proposed solutions.

Thu Oct. 13, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Map: Occupy Wall Street, a global movement

Our roundup of arrests, a timeline of key events, and more.

Tue Oct. 4, 2011 3:00 AM PDT