The View From My Windshield: All That Glitters

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Is it still there?: Fort Knox, Kentucky--This is not the location of the United States Bullion Depository, home to most of the nation's gold supply.  When we stopped by the Fort Knox visitors center and asked to see the gold, we were told that couldn't be arranged. InsteadIs it still there?: Fort Knox, Kentucky—We’ve heard rumors that the gold at the United States Bullion Depository has been hollowed out and replaced with bricks of tungsten, so we stopped by to check for ourselves. No dice. We were told to turn off our cameras and get back on the highway, which mushrooms with the kind of sprawl that’s supported standing armies for millenia: dozens of car dealerships, pawn shops, furniture outlets, payday lenders, fast food joints, and, sure enough, shops that give you cash for gold.

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In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

Please learn more about how Mother Jones works and our 47-year history of doing nonprofit journalism that you don't find elsewhere—and help us do it with a donation if you can. We've already cut expenses and hitting our online goal is critical right now.

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