After Violent May Day Protests, a Federal Judge Orders an Investigation Into Puerto Rican Police
Police and protesters face off after a May Day march turned violent, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, May 1, 2018.Carlos Giusti/AP A federal judge has ordered an investigation of into how Puerto Rico police responded to a May Day demonstration. The order, issued Friday morning, calls for “an independent evaluation and assessment” of the violent halting…
Let’s Not Celebrate the 3.9% Unemployment Rate
There are lots of headlines today that are focused on the headline unemployment rate falling to 3.9 percent. I guess that’s why they call it the headline unemployment rate. But this month it’s a mirage. Here’s an excerpt from the household survey that the BLS uses to calculate the unemployment rate: Take a look at…
Giuliani Attempts to Clean Up Explosive Statements on Trump’s Stormy Daniels Payment
Anthony Behar/ZUMA Rudy Giuliani released a statement on Friday attempting to clarify explosive remarks he made just two days before, in which he said President Donald Trump had reimbursed $130,000 to his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to keep adult film actress Stormy Daniels from publicly speaking about an alleged affair with the president. The new statement from…
A Night With Stormy Daniels and a Strip Club Full of Resistance Women
A sign outside of Blush in Pittsburgh advertises the night’s featured performer.Clint Hendler/Mother Jones The most talked-about woman in American politics took the stage at about a quarter past 10 p.m. on Thursday for a 15-minute, four-song dance set. Strutting across a mirror-backed platform graced by a pair of shining, two-story-tall stripper poles, Stormy Daniels was…
My Lost Relativity Masterpiece, Explained
This common illustration of how gravity works in general relativity is possibly the worst scientific analogy ever invented. It should be banned forever. Yesterday I mentioned in passing that the product of my dex-fueled nights a couple of years ago was a tutorial on special and general relativity. Why? Beats me. Ask the dex. Several…
Illegal Border Crossings Are Back Up to Normal
It’s kind of slow today so far, so here’s the latest data from the Border Patrol: It’s looking more and more like Trump’s bluster caused a temporary dip in illegal border crossings, but we’re now back up to the same rates as before. A big mouth only gets you so far, apparently.