2 Million Stunning Images of Earth’s Biodiversity Are Now Available for Free
This story was originally published by Slate and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. There are thought to be about 10 million distinct species of plants and animals on Earth. That number is incomprehensibly large, not least because most species are still undiscovered. But now the Biodiversity Heritage Library, an open-access repository for some of the most stunning…
A Lot of “Ethical Consumers” Are Going to Make Really Unethical Shopping Choices
Patrick Semansky/Associated Press As a person living in the 21st century, it’s almost inevitable that you’ve had the seamless, fast, and hassle-free experience of shopping online: a few clicks and you’re done without ever needing to interact with anyone, and then your items can show up at your door in as little as a day. But as the holiday season ramps up,…
You Can Be Most Helpful After a Natural Disaster When the World Has Stopped Paying Attention
U.S. Air Force Capt. Christopher Merian/U.S. Navy via AP After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico two months ago, we asked readers what they wanted to know about the crisis. Many of you asked about conditions on the ground, the status of electricity and clean water, and how aid was being allocated. But one of the most frequent questions was…
Republicans Are Sneaking Right-Wing Social Policies Into Their Corporate Tax Cut
Donald Trump with right-wing preacher Pat Robertson in Virginia during the 2016 campaign. Under the House tax bill, Robertson’s nonprofit could endorse political candidates for the first time since 1954.Steve Helber/AP Fetuses don’t file 1040s in April, but they still appear in both Republican tax bills. The reason is simple: giving corporations a massive tax cut…
Congress Is Hearing From the Teamsters About Driverless Trucks
Alexis Georgeson/Tesla Motors via ZUMA This is sort of fascinating: In its race to embrace driverless vehicles, Washington has cleared away regulatory hurdles for auto companies and brushed aside consumer warnings about the risk of crashes and hacking….New Trump administration regulations don’t require industry to submit certain safety assessments, leaving it voluntary. And legislation —…
How to Handle Thanksgiving With Your Crazy Relatives
I’m lucky enough to have a family that’s all in sync politically, which means that Thanksgiving is a fun time for everyone. But lots of families aren’t so lucky: they have that one crazy relative who makes the whole holiday awkward with their constant TV-inspired rants about retrograde politics. So what do you do if…