The Tech Industry Is Clueless About People. Let’s Debug It.
Mother Jones illustration; Dimitris66/Getty In October, Google Maps rolled out an experimental feature that estimated the number of calories burned when people walked to their destinations. The feature had a little quirk, though: It used mini-cupcakes to illustrate the calorie counts. The backlash was immediate. Users pointed out that calorie counts could act as a…
You Can’t End the War on Coal Without Starting a War on Public Health
Steve Helber/AP This story was originally published by New Republic and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Of all the scenes of devastation in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria, one video has stood out. Shot from a balcony or rooftop, it depicts six seconds of horror: the city of Guayama, on the island’s southern coast, engulfed…
Ivanka, Eric, and Barron Are the Biggest Winners in Republicans’ Tax Bill
Then-candidate Donald Trump poses for a photo with his family in New York last year.Richard Drew/AP On Thursday, House Republicans released their long-awaited plan to cut taxes by $1.5 trillion over ten years. If that bill becomes law, President Donald Trump and his children stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars. The centerpiece of the…
The Republican Tax Plan Would Help Rich Families Send Their Children to Private School
Donald Trump with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the White House.Evan Vucci/AP Under a Republican tax bill that experts anticipate would disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans, families would be able to withdraw up to $10,000 a year from tax-free college savings accounts known as 529s and use it for tuition and expenses at K-12 schools, including…
A Migrant Teen Got Her Abortion. That Hasn’t Stopped the Trump Admin From Going After Her Lawyers.
Scott Applewhite/AP On Friday, the Department of Justice filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking them to toss out an earlier ruling in the case of Jane Doe—an undocumented 17-year-old who sought and obtained an abortion last month after a high-profile legal fight with the Trump administration—and to discipline her lawyers. For a month…
Science’s Top Foe in Congress Is Retiring
Jay Mallin/ Zuma It’s been a tough year for scientists, but a number of climate scientists found reason to celebrate on Thursday. The Texas Tribune broke the news that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), one of the most ardent skeptics of climate change in Congress, will be retiring next year. Smith has become one of the most polarizing figures on…