Top Stories

Capitol building with cicada

A Political History of the Cicadas

Before the East Coast cicada invasion kicks into high gear, read what Ronald Reagan had to say about the notorious flying insect.

By

| Fri May. 10, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Wild Ones Stuffed Animals

Wild Man: An Interview with Jon Mooallem

The author of "Wild Ones," a book about the wacky world of conservation, talks prosthetic flippers and spirit animals.

By

| Fri May. 10, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

BioShock Infinite: An American History Lesson Where You Get to Blow Shit Up

Video game visionary Ken Levine on the nerd mainstream, screen violence, and mining the past for narrative.

By

| Fri May. 10, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
the liberator

State Department Forces Texas Law Student to Take Down Instructions for 3-D-Printed Guns

"It’s going to be a long time before it’s back online," says Defense Distributed's Cody Wilson.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 12:32 PM PDT

Advertise on MotherJones.com

A (Very) Brief Benghazi Timeline Recap

Can't keep the conspiracy theories straight? Here's what actually happened in Benghazi.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 9:08 AM PDT
A young woman inmate at Julia Tutwiler prison

America's 10 Worst Prisons: Julia Tutwiler

Prisoners fear "that it's not safe to take a shower, that it's not safe to go to sleep...that you can be manipulated into sexual favors, it's really horrific."

By and

| Thu May. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

At Least 71 Kids Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown

The shooting of a two-year-old by her brother was one of many recent gun incidents to claim a young child's life.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Pima deaths

Want to Track Deaths Along the Border? There's an App for That

Hundreds of migrants die in Arizona every year. Data could help their families find out what happened to them.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
hockey stick chart

The Most Controversial Chart in History, Explained

Climate deniers threw all their might at disproving the famous "hockey stick" climate change graph. Here's why they failed.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Why the Ethanol Boom Means More E. Coli Burgers

The industry's waste is fed to cows, which boosts a particularly gnarly strain of the deadly bug.

By

| Thu May. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
welcome to prejudice sign

Conservative Immigration Scholar: Black and Hispanic Immigrants Are Dumber Than European Immigrants

Jason Richwine, who coauthored a Heritage Foundation study on immigration, didn't just argue that certain minorities are dumber in his scholarship—he also said it at a public panel.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 2:04 PM PDT

Koch-Linked Women's Group Takes Credit for Mark Sanford's Win

The Independent Women's Voice said it wouldn't spend "any money" influencing elections. Then it did.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 12:57 PM PDT

Bills That Would Gut Wall Street Reform Overwhelmingly Pass House Committee

Democrats and Republican legislators alike voted in support of several bills that would weaken financial reform laws.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 7:51 AM PDT

This Is How the NRA Lies to Gun Owners About Obama's Agenda

A new NRA survey claims President Obama wants a gun registry—which is false.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 7:02 AM PDT

This Town Took On Fracking and Won

Tiny Dryden, New York, just won the right to send frackers packing.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Chuck Schumer

Chuck Schumer Wants to Stop You From Printing a Gun at Home. Good Luck.

The New York senator’s push to crack down on Wiki Weapons doesn't get at the source of the problem.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

This 17-Year-Old Coder Is Saving Twitter From TV Spoilers (Spoiler: She's a Girl)

Jennie Lamere was the only woman to present at a Boston hackathon. She won it.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Pelican Bay prisoner is escorted by guards.

America's 10 Worst Prisons: Pelican Bay

Where a Christmas card might land you in the hole.

By and

| Wed May. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Eiffel Tower pesticides

7 Dodgy Food Practices Banned in Europe But Just Fine Here

We've got it all here in the land of the free, from endocrine-disrupting herbicides to stress-causing feed additives.

By

| Wed May. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
LA County Jail's Twin Towers

America's 10 Worst Prisons: LA County

And you thought the Rodney King beating was bad?

By and

| Tue May. 7, 2013 3:00 AM PDT