An ordinary day in New York City, as captured in The Hottest August. | Grasshopper Films The Hottest August director Brett Story wanted to “look at climate change by looking away from it.” One of the best documentaries of the year is also, on its surface, one of the simplest. To make The Hottest August,Continue reading “The year’s best documentary turns climate change into a sci-fi film”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Exclusive: 2 Democrats are introducing a bill to ban corporate PACs
Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) for the 116th Congress stands outside the Longworth House Office building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Rose is introducing a new bill to ban corporate PACs along with Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA). | Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images More Democrats are ditching corporate PACs. A new bill wouldContinue reading “Exclusive: 2 Democrats are introducing a bill to ban corporate PACs”
Taylor Swift’s feud with her old record label has entered a new and messy public phase
Taylor Swift meets fans at Tianhe Sports Center on November 11, 2019 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China. | Photo by Xia Wening/VCG via Getty Images Taylor Swift says Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta won’t let her perform her old hits on TV. Taylor Swift’s ongoing feud with music executives Scooter Braun and Scott BorchettaContinue reading “Taylor Swift’s feud with her old record label has entered a new and messy public phase”
Impeachment hearings: As Trump trashes Marie Yovanovitch on Twitter, she responds in real time
Former US Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, on November 15, 2019. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Even Fox News thought Trump’s tweets strayed dangerously close to witness intimidation. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch delivered a powerful opening statement during her testimony before House impeachmentContinue reading “Impeachment hearings: As Trump trashes Marie Yovanovitch on Twitter, she responds in real time”
Marie Yovanovitch’s opening statement is an indictment of the State Department under Trump
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch arrives to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, on November 15, 2019. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images “As Foreign Service professionals are being denigrated and undermined, the institution is also being degraded. This will soon cause real harm, if it hasn’t already,” she said. Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassadorContinue reading “Marie Yovanovitch’s opening statement is an indictment of the State Department under Trump”
Activists want Congress to ban facial recognition. So they scanned lawmakers’ faces.
Digital rights group Fight for the Future conduced live facial recognition surveillance in Washington, DC, to track down members of Congress. | Fight for the Future Almost 14,000 people’s faces were non-consensually scanned in Washington. Sound creepy? That’s the point. Dressed in hazmat-like jumpsuits, wearing smartphones strapped to their heads, the activists who descended uponContinue reading “Activists want Congress to ban facial recognition. So they scanned lawmakers’ faces.”
Trump’s release of his April call with Ukraine’s president is a distraction
President Donald Trump leaves the Oval Office and walks toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on November 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images Don’t fall for it. President Donald Trump just released a readout of his congenial April phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. You shouldContinue reading “Trump’s release of his April call with Ukraine’s president is a distraction”
Hurricane Katrina inspired a national pet evacuation policy. The plan could save human lives, too.
Christina Animashaun/Vox People are more likely to evacuate if they can find safe passage for their pets, too. Welcome to Laboratories of Democracy, a series for Vox’s The Highlight, where we examine local policies and their impacts. The policy: Pet evacuation plans for natural disasters Where: Nationally Since: 2006 The problem: It all started withContinue reading “Hurricane Katrina inspired a national pet evacuation policy. The plan could save human lives, too.”
The Simpsons is on Disney+, and I, for one, welcome our new streaming overlords
The Simpson family (and Mr. Burns) are now on Disney+. | 20th Century Fox But what’s concerning about how the classic series’ new streaming home is treating the show? In Watch This, Vox critic at large Emily VanDerWerff tells you what she’s watching on TV — and why you should watch it, too. Read theContinue reading “The Simpsons is on Disney+, and I, for one, welcome our new streaming overlords”
The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids has begun
Italy’s parliament recently passed a law that requires parents to prove their children have the required shots before entering school, or else face a €500 (about $600 USD) non-compliance fine. | Plush Studios/Getty Countries like Germany and Australia are tired of measles outbreaks — so they’re moving to fine anti-vaccine parents. There’s a school ofContinue reading “The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids has begun”
Tim Alexander Dollery 