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Archive

Archives for October 2014

archives
Obama can’t quit this terrible piece of labor market spinObama can’t quit this terrible piece of labor market spin
archives

A dumb talking point from the White House

By Matthew Yglesias
archives
How the oil and gas boom is changing AmericaHow the oil and gas boom is changing America
archives

Michael Levi, author of a book on the fracking boom, looks at what he got right and wrong a year later.

By Brad Plumer
Criminal Justice
Cops are spending thousands of dollars to distribute spyware to parentsCops are spending thousands of dollars to distribute spyware to parents
Criminal Justice

The company behind the software claimed it’s endorsed by the ACLU and the Treasury Department, but it’s not.

By Timothy B. Lee
Poverty
Poverty isn’t just about having little money; it’s about not knowing when you’ll have morePoverty isn’t just about having little money; it’s about not knowing when you’ll have more
Poverty

We define poverty with income levels, but there’s an entire dimension that that misses

By Danielle Kurtzleben
Criminal Justice
Report: Feds likely won’t charge George Zimmerman for shooting of Trayvon MartinReport: Feds likely won’t charge George Zimmerman for shooting of Trayvon Martin
Criminal Justice

Without charges, Zimmerman will face no legal punishment for the shooting.

By German Lopez
Social Policy
Inequality really is rising, no matter how you fuss with the dataInequality really is rising, no matter how you fuss with the data
Play
Social Policy

Conservatives would like to debunk last week’s viral inequality chart, but it’s just an unusually dramatic presentation of reality.

By Matthew Yglesias
Health Care
What Obamacare needs to do in year twoWhat Obamacare needs to do in year two
Health Care

Obamacare has the same advantage it had last year: it’s still horrible to be uninsured.

By Ezra Klein
China
The worst thing Obama could do for Hong Kong’s protests is support themThe worst thing Obama could do for Hong Kong’s protests is support them
China

The US is staying pretty quiet on the protests. That’s probably a good thing.

By Max Fisher
Technology
One ISP is letting its customers’ internet service slow to a crawlOne ISP is letting its customers’ internet service slow to a crawl
Technology

Congestion statistics from Level 3 suggest that big broadband providers are demanding cash to deliver traffic to their own customers — and letting customers’ service slow down if they don’t pay up.

By Timothy B. Lee
archives
A mathematician used statistics to predict the next Game of Thrones deathA mathematician used statistics to predict the next Game of Thrones death
archives

Fans love to guess who will die next, and some of those fans are mathematicians who have written analytical papers that begin with spoiler warnings.

By Kelsey McKinney
Health
Why Ebola is very unlikely to go airborneWhy Ebola is very unlikely to go airborne
Health

Fears that Ebola will mutate and spread through the air are overblown, experts say.

By Brad Plumer
Marijuana Legalization
Snoop Dogg and Sir Richard Branson are teaming up to fight for your right to get highSnoop Dogg and Sir Richard Branson are teaming up to fight for your right to get high
Marijuana Legalization

A rapper and a billionaire, among others, take on America’s drug policies.

By German Lopez
Culture
TV has more gay characters now, but most of them are whiteTV has more gay characters now, but most of them are white
Culture

Television likes to pretend that most LGBT people are white.

By Alex Abad-Santos
Immigration
Is Boehner setting a trap for Obama on immigration reform?Is Boehner setting a trap for Obama on immigration reform?
Immigration

Obama’s speech tonight will show whether he has any trust left for the GOP

By Dara Lind
The secret history of Jews in baseball
Sports

From Sandy Koufax to Jackie Robinson, to the most Jewish team ever: the Negro Leagues’ Belleville Grays

By Dara Lind