Mother Jones
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Some states have banned cultured meat for reasons that include “global elites” and “bugs.”
Did MAGA conspiracy theories doom the lab-grown burger?
Some states have banned cultured meat for reasons that include “global elites” and “bugs.”
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Some states have banned cultured meat for reasons that include “global elites” and “bugs.”
Defeated in the Revolution, George is mounting a comeback. 2025, a bad year for American democracy, was a good one for its first enemy. The king is dead.
Long live the king.
Long live the king.
Hero of 2025: King George III
The villain of the American Revolution is the patron saint of Donald Trump's second term.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Defeated in the Revolution, George is mounting a comeback. 2025, a bad year for American democracy, was a good one for its first enemy. The king is dead.
Long live the king.
Long live the king.
Plagiarist-turned-MAGA-influencer Benny Johnson says he did “some very bad things.” But in Trumpworld, that’s a plus.
How Benny Johnson went from BuzzFeed plagiarist to MAGA's chief content creator
He says he did “some very bad things.” But in Trumpworld, that's a plus.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Plagiarist-turned-MAGA-influencer Benny Johnson says he did “some very bad things.” But in Trumpworld, that’s a plus.
The currency of today’s oligarchs is attention. It is what makes them money and what gives them power.
Whether and how we give it to them, though, is our choice.
Whether and how we give it to them, though, is our choice.
You have what Trump and Musk want
And you have the power not to give it to them.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:19 PM
The currency of today’s oligarchs is attention. It is what makes them money and what gives them power.
Whether and how we give it to them, though, is our choice.
Whether and how we give it to them, though, is our choice.
Why Elon Musk and JD Vance are obsessed with you having more babies
Why Elon Musk and JD Vance Are Obsessed With You Having More Babies
My strange weekend with the pronatalists.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Why Elon Musk and JD Vance are obsessed with you having more babies
While most people don’t initially seek out deep engagement with an AI, argues psychologist Vaile Wright, many AIs are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible to maximize the data we provide to their makers.
“Your data is the profit."
“Your data is the profit."
Why do we trust ChatGPT?
The science of how AI chatbots captivate, entertain, and influence us
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:12 PM
While most people don’t initially seek out deep engagement with an AI, argues psychologist Vaile Wright, many AIs are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible to maximize the data we provide to their makers.
“Your data is the profit."
“Your data is the profit."
“There is often low trust in government because our processes are just too hard to navigate.”
NYC's socialist mayor has a radical proposal: making government do its job
Rent freezes and free buses can come later. But what if landlords obeyed the law and transit ran on time?
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:30 PM
“There is often low trust in government because our processes are just too hard to navigate.”
These federal workers have a message for Elon Musk: “Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
Hero of 2025: Civil servants
They make America greater, but the Trump administration wants them traumatized.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:08 PM
These federal workers have a message for Elon Musk: “Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
The stakes for the midterms are incredibly high.
It’s the last chance for Democrats to hold Trump accountable at the national level before he leaves office (unless he attempts to follow through on his musings to seek an unconstitutional third term).
It’s the last chance for Democrats to hold Trump accountable at the national level before he leaves office (unless he attempts to follow through on his musings to seek an unconstitutional third term).
Project 2026: Trump's plan to rig the next election
From nationalizing voter suppression to flooding the streets with federal agents, the president and his allies are using all the tricks in the authoritarian playbook to tilt the midterms in their…
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:27 PM
The stakes for the midterms are incredibly high.
It’s the last chance for Democrats to hold Trump accountable at the national level before he leaves office (unless he attempts to follow through on his musings to seek an unconstitutional third term).
It’s the last chance for Democrats to hold Trump accountable at the national level before he leaves office (unless he attempts to follow through on his musings to seek an unconstitutional third term).
Rosalía’s Lux shows that the public is hungry for something more complex from its pop music.
Hero of 2025: Rosalía
‘Lux’ shows the public is hungry for complexity in its pop music.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Rosalía’s Lux shows that the public is hungry for something more complex from its pop music.
Lead kills the beloved birds, and the fix could be easy. But the gun lobby won’t let that happen.
From our friends at @biographic.bsky.social:
From our friends at @biographic.bsky.social:
We know what’s killing loons and how to stop it. So why are they still dying?
Lead kills the beloved birds, and the fix could be easy. But the gun lobby won’t let that happen.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Lead kills the beloved birds, and the fix could be easy. But the gun lobby won’t let that happen.
From our friends at @biographic.bsky.social:
From our friends at @biographic.bsky.social:
“I’m honored to be your ancestor and believe that disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”
Hero of 2025: Alice Wong
The disability justice icon's last message: "Don’t let the bastards grind you down."
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 1:00 AM
“I’m honored to be your ancestor and believe that disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”
The moniker has branded those who help terminate pregnancies as illegitimate, dangerous, and, in turn, allowable targets of violence.
In this landscape, anyone who “aids or abets” abortion can be seen as an abortionist.
In this landscape, anyone who “aids or abets” abortion can be seen as an abortionist.
"Abortionist": The label that turns healthcare workers into criminals
The moniker has branded those who help terminate pregnancies as illegitimate, dangerous, and, in turn, allowable targets of violence.
www.motherjones.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM
The moniker has branded those who help terminate pregnancies as illegitimate, dangerous, and, in turn, allowable targets of violence.
In this landscape, anyone who “aids or abets” abortion can be seen as an abortionist.
In this landscape, anyone who “aids or abets” abortion can be seen as an abortionist.
Elon Musk “doesn’t understand context… He’s the one trick pony,” and his trick doesn’t work in government.
“Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
“Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
Hero of 2025: Civil servants
They make America greater, but the Trump administration wants them traumatized.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Elon Musk “doesn’t understand context… He’s the one trick pony,” and his trick doesn’t work in government.
“Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
“Breaking things is not actually the road to productivity.”
The resounding message—on social media, on TV, in the goddamn subways—is that thin is back in. And companies are doing what they’ve always done best: exploiting our insecurities to cash out.
Monster of 2025: GLP-1 ads
I am tired of constant campaigns telling me to lose weight.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:00 PM
The resounding message—on social media, on TV, in the goddamn subways—is that thin is back in. And companies are doing what they’ve always done best: exploiting our insecurities to cash out.
Without raising her voice or insulting the president, Bishop Mariann Budde preached the Gospel. So, naturally, Trump lost it.
Hero of 2025: Bishop Mariann Budde
Without raising her voice or insulting the president, she preached the Gospel. So, naturally, Trump lost it.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Without raising her voice or insulting the president, Bishop Mariann Budde preached the Gospel. So, naturally, Trump lost it.
Reposted by Mother Jones
Kevin Drum was the first journalist to really get into the ties between lead and crime rates (not just serial killers) and I think it is one of the most important articles we’ve ever done www.motherjones.com/environment/...
January 1, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Kevin Drum was the first journalist to really get into the ties between lead and crime rates (not just serial killers) and I think it is one of the most important articles we’ve ever done www.motherjones.com/environment/...
From hedge fund-owned newspaper chains to tech billionaires, news has become its own oligarchy.
Welcome to the Media Plutocracy
From hedge fund-owned newspaper chains to tech billionaires, news has become its own oligarchy
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
From hedge fund-owned newspaper chains to tech billionaires, news has become its own oligarchy.
By treating constituent problems as urgent and solvable, Zohran Mamdani's incoming government is answering a surprisingly radical question:
What if every day, government services actually worked?
What if every day, government services actually worked?
NYC's socialist mayor has a radical proposal: making government do its job
Rent freezes and free buses can come later. But what if landlords obeyed the law and transit ran on time?
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM
By treating constituent problems as urgent and solvable, Zohran Mamdani's incoming government is answering a surprisingly radical question:
What if every day, government services actually worked?
What if every day, government services actually worked?
According to Trump, wind energy is “driving the whales crazy," climate change is the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world," and coal is "clean and beautiful."
The five most unhinged climate lies Trump told in 2025
From "global cooling" to "beautiful coal", the president's opinions, once more, had no basis in fact.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM
According to Trump, wind energy is “driving the whales crazy," climate change is the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world," and coal is "clean and beautiful."
A little more than four years ago, Zohran Mamdani announced from a lectern in Manhattan’s City Hall Park that he was about to go on hunger strike.
Looking back, all the key elements of his mayoral campaign were there.
Looking back, all the key elements of his mayoral campaign were there.
The moment that made Mamdani
How a 15-day hunger strike foreshadowed his campaign.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM
A little more than four years ago, Zohran Mamdani announced from a lectern in Manhattan’s City Hall Park that he was about to go on hunger strike.
Looking back, all the key elements of his mayoral campaign were there.
Looking back, all the key elements of his mayoral campaign were there.
The research linking alcohol to breast cancer is deadly solid: Alcohol, regardless of whether it’s in Everclear or a vintage Bordeaux, is carcinogenic.
Drinking may have given me cancer. The alcohol industry has worked hard to downplay it.
The science is clear that alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer, but boozemakers have downplayed the link.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM
The research linking alcohol to breast cancer is deadly solid: Alcohol, regardless of whether it’s in Everclear or a vintage Bordeaux, is carcinogenic.
For a brief moment, companies found it profitable to showcase physical diversity and promote the idea of loving your body just the way it is. Not so anymore.
Monster of 2025: GLP-1 ads
I am tired of constant campaigns telling me to lose weight.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:30 PM
For a brief moment, companies found it profitable to showcase physical diversity and promote the idea of loving your body just the way it is. Not so anymore.
The best way to beat AI slop? Systemic change, regulatory overhaul. The next best way? Rebelling against it in our everyday lives.
That means sustained, active engagement with non-slop—real people, challenging art, new ideas—in the real world and online.
That means sustained, active engagement with non-slop—real people, challenging art, new ideas—in the real world and online.
Monster of 2025: AI slop
The drive for a frictionless existence has sloppified our offline lives, too.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM
The best way to beat AI slop? Systemic change, regulatory overhaul. The next best way? Rebelling against it in our everyday lives.
That means sustained, active engagement with non-slop—real people, challenging art, new ideas—in the real world and online.
That means sustained, active engagement with non-slop—real people, challenging art, new ideas—in the real world and online.
Fighting fascism: It's good for society and your health.
Turns out fighting fascism helps you live longer
Retirees are mobilizing to defend democracy—and the benefits literally show up in their DNA.
www.motherjones.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Fighting fascism: It's good for society and your health.