Why the Mess Obama Inherits Might Be His Greatest Opportunity
As long as we’re sticking our kids with the bailout tab, let’s leave them some souvenirs.  —By Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery

Why the Panetta Pick Shouldn't Spook Langley
Obama's CIA chief selection has come under attack, but one agency insider describes why Panetta may be the right man for the job. —By David Corn

Will Congress Treat Panetta Like a Piñata?
On this episode of Bloggingheads.tv, David Corn and James Pinkerton discuss why the Panetta pick could set up a nasty confirmation fight. 

The Problem with Cheap Oil
No matter how much it costs, oil has a profound impact on the world we inhabit—and this will be no less true in 2009 than in 2008. —By Michael T. Klare

Rocket Science
As bombs burst in the air, Israelis and Palestinians find common ground in the inescapable logic of war: It's your fault I have to kill you.  —By Mark Fiore

Bush to Gaza: I'm Outta Here
His predecessor played Middle East peacemaker in his final days in office, but Bush has opted to wait out the clock.  —By Bruce Falconer

George W. Bush, Environmentalist?
The president's not known for his green-friendly policies, but enviros are applauding his latest effort to protect the deep blue. —By Jonathan Stein

Happy New Year, Obama Baby!
Behind the scenes with MoJo's creative director: Why we chose a Saturday Evening Post homage for our January/February issue cover illustration.  —By Tim J Luddy

Fiscal Therapy
Getting the economy back on its feet, giving taxpayers a break, and saving your kid's college tuition? Done. Here's how.  —By David Cay Johnston

Take That, Jack Bauer!
Leon Panetta, Obama's choice for CIA chief, has blasted waterboarding and advocated more oversight of the CIA. Will the spies be happy? —By David Corn

The Anti-Yoo
Obama's pick for a top Justice Department spot has been one of the harshest critics of Bush's torture and executive power abuses. —By Nick Baumann

The Bill Richardson Wreck
Obama's Commerce secretary pick pulls a U-turn, but there was a long road of problems behind him. —By James Ridgeway

How To Go Prius Green on a Chevy Nova Budget
10 frugal alternatives to Whole Foods, convection ovens, and other eco-elite catnip.  —By Celia Perry

The Waistland
Does America look fat in this?  —By Kiera Butler

Body Count Nation
The Bush administration tried, but they couldn't help it. They just had to count.  —By Tom Engelhardt

Photos: From Phone Sex Workers to Aryan Outfitters
Our photo editor's 2008 short list.  —By Mark Murrmann

Bright New Ideas 101
From driving-addiction treatment to Warren Buffett's railroad makeovers, these ideas are ones to watch. —By Mother Jones staff

Obama Defuses Bobby Rush's Racial Bomb
It was just another absurd day in the absurd life of Rod Blagojevich. Then Bobby Rush showed up.  —By Jonathan Stein

A Breezy History of the Air Freshener
Yes, Lysol was America's most popular contraceptive in the 1930s.  —By Kiera Butler

Did Bernie Madoff Bilk Mother Jones?
The good news: unlike other nonprofits, we didn't invest with the Ponzi master. The bad news: our funding has taken a serious hit. Here's how you can help.  —By Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery

Greens Gone Wild
Who says skivvies, sex, and booze can't factor into the sustainability equation? —By Elizabeth Gettelman

The Wizard of H2O
Can "megawatersheds" save Africa from drought? Or is explorer Robert Bisson all wet? —By Bruce Falconer

The New Year
Remembering the bad and the ugly of 2008. And good luck Baby New Year.  —By Mark Fiore

The Dems' Latest Present to the Rich
The Obama team is hinting it will let Bush's tax cuts for the rich run two years longer than promised. Were we duped again?  —By James Rideway

MoJo Audio: Trash Talk
What happens when you store a year's worth of garbage in your basement? —By Jesse Finfrock

Photos: American Holidays
From Christmas trees to fairy wings (and nuns with blenders), a photographer documents how we celebrate. —By Julia Gillard

Photo Essay: American Happiness and the Need to Consume
In 2001, citizens were encouraged to take to the malls to boost the U.S. economy through shopping. But is consumerism really the same as patriotism?  —By Brian Ulrich

Reversal of Fortune
Would you really be happier if you had more money?  —By Bill Mckibben

What About the Dirty Jobs?
Why green-collar gurus should stop condescending to the brown-collar crowd.  —By Chris Lehmann

Why the Auto Bailout's a Dead End
Detroit's primary moneymaking vehicle has been selling credit, not cars. The Big Three may have finally run out of road.  —By Stephanie Mencimer

Earth to Washington
What will it take for DC to wake up to global warming?  —By David Corn

Thoreau's Worst Nightmare
Are the new ascetics masters of self-denial or just self-promotion?  —By Michael Agger

Getting Away With Murder After Katrina
There’s a story about Katrina we don’t know—a version that turns everything we were told in the first days upside-down and inside out. —By Rebecca Solnit

Bush Administration to Oil and Gas Industry: Merry X-Mas
The Interior Dept. is auctioning off public lands in Utah, but enviros could force Big Oil to return the gift.  —By Keith Kloor

MoJo Audio: A Cappella's Viral Charm
Why did Straight No Chaser's holiday video get so much YouTube love? Two of the group's singers speculate in this audio podcast. With transcript. —By Nikki Gloudeman

Obama's Pastor Problem
The issue is not what Rick Warren says about gay marriage. It's what he says about gays.  —By David Corn

A Corruption Carol
Twas the nights before Christmas, when all through the land,
Politicians were flailing at their very own hand. —By Mark Fiore

Is Steven Chu BFF With BP?
How Obama's DOE head got $500 million BP bucks to bankroll Berkeley research—and what it means for our energy future.  —By Josh Harkinson

Clinton Foundation Donor Info: Playing Hard To Get?
There are 20,000 names, but who's who? —By David Corn

The Top Ten Ethics Scandals of 2008
Pay-to-play, bailout oversight, presidential pardons, and other highlights of the year in government corruption.  —By Nick Baumann

The Most Important Number on Earth
Now that we know how far we are past the carbon tipping point, it's time to freak out—and get to work.  —By Bill McKibben

Why 2009 Could Eat Barack Obama Alive
Political filmmaker Eugene Jarecki to idealists: Don't you dare go MIA during the Obama presidency. —By Matteen Mokalla

The Time of the Book
The chain bookstore, the bloated publishing house, and the specific corporate way of publishing are in peril.  —By Tom Engelhardt

Ecogeek Deathmatch: Ed Begley Jr. v. Bill Nye, Science Guy
Which Hollywood do-gooder has the greener crib? A no-holds-barred fight to the furnished. —By Kiera Butler

Paranoia at Big Coal HQ
Don Blakenship, CEO of coal giant Massey Energy, says "communists" and "atheists" are tying to take over the country with their climate change lies. Here's the video. —By Jonathan Stein

The Seven Deadly Deficits
What the Bush years really cost us, and how President Obama can get the economy back on track.  —By Joseph E. Stiglitz

Germ Warfare
We're obsessed with cleanliness—but now the bugs are fighting back. —By Kiera Butler

GOP to Michigan: Drop Dead
Republicans killed the auto bailout. In future elections, will Michigan kill the GOP?  —By Jonathan Stein

Back to the Future with The Complex?
The military-industrial complex used to be loaded with household-name companies. With the economy on the skids, will they again become "arsenals" for the Pentagon?  —By Nick Turse

Your Top 20 Econundrums—Solved!
Disposable or cloth diapers? Netflix or video store? Our green advice guide goes way beyond paper v. plastic.  —By Ben Whitford

Would You Pay $10,000 for Sarah Palin's Emails?
That's how much the state of Alaska is demanding to fulfill an open records request.  —By David Corn

Will the Obama Administration Defend Rove?
The president-elect may soon have to decide whether to back Bush officials who flouted congressional subpoenas.  —By Stephanie Mencimer

The Doctor Is In
Are you suffering from increased heart rate, clenched jaw, and sudden, irrepressible urges to pummel executives and once-cocky CEOs? You may be experiencing Irritable Bailout Syndrome.  —By Mark Fiore

The Monster in the Mirror
The Mumbai attacks have been called India's 9/11, but India isn't America. Perhaps it's time to pick through the debris with our own brains, and with our own broken hearts. —By Arundhati Roy