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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What Was Romney Doing in the #missing2min?

—By

| Wed Sep. 19, 2012 1:47 PM PDT

When our source secretly recorded Mitt Romney's comments at a private fundraiser, the recorder accidentally stopped, according to the source; a minute or two passed before it was restarted. The source provided all the recorded material to Mother Jones, and we published all of it. Unsurprisingly, right-wing pundits have stoked conspiracy talk about the estimated two-minute break in the recording. (Never mind that Romney didn't refute anything from his long talk, instead admitting that his remarks were "not elegantly stated," and doubling down on them.) So the internet did what it does in these cases: It started a meme, #missing2min. What shocking revelations existed therein? Here are some suggestions from the hive mind:


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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.

—By , , , and

| Tue Sep. 18, 2012 3:47 PM PDT

By now you've no doubt heard Mitt Romney's thoughts about the "47 percent" of Americans "who pay no income tax." But are you one of them? You might be if you are…

Voter Suppression: Coming to a State Near You?

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

—By , , and

| Mon Sep. 17, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Since the start of 2011, more than 180 bills have been introduced in 41 states (and counting) that could make it harder for you to register to vote, prove that you're eligible to vote, vote early, or vote by mail. In fact, the Brennan Center for Justice estimates that at least 5 million voters nationwide could be affected by these bills. Thanks, local legislators!

To find out how new restrictions might affect your vote, click on the hypothetical profiles we've created below. You can also track where your state's restrictions currently stand at our database, powered by research from the Brennan Center for Justice, National Conference of State Legislatures, and ProCon.org, which are monitoring these bills.

Block The Vote

Choose a voter to see how these laws could affect someone like you.
 

Additional research by Maya Dusenbery and Ryan Jacobs

Map: How Much Do Your Local Teachers Earn?

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

—By , , and

| Fri Sep. 14, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

The Chicago teacher strike has resurrected the question at the center of much edupontificating: Are American teachers underpaid or overpaid?

For some perspective, we've compiled data on the average wages of elementary-school, middle-school, and high school teachers in more than 300 metropolitan areas. As you'll see, most teachers make more than $45,320, the average yearly wage for all occupations tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet the range of what they earn varies widely: Elementary-school teachers in Jefferson City, Missouri, earn an average of $37,090; their colleagues in Long Island, New York, earn an average of $90,560.

Click on a city on the map below for more information on teachers' average wages within its greater metropolitan area. Note: Earnings do not include benefits.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 wage estimates

A History of Mitt Romney in 30 Objects

From swag to scissors to Seamus, a virtual tour of our GOP nominee's defining moments.

—By , , and

| Mon Aug. 27, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

On the campaign trail, Mitt Romney has expressed his love for America, mangoes, papayas, pie, water, laughing, good pretzels, American cars, the existence of wind, legal immigration, all of the Constitutional amendments, ice skating, and trees of a certain height. But if you're looking to understand where the GOP presidential candidate is coming from, it's best to examine a different set of objects. As Romney prepares to accept his party's nomination in Tampa, here's our virtual tour of his defining moments as told through the objects, both literal and metaphorical, that he's encountered on his journey.

[Read the full article]

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