Before Mueller’s report was released, 44% of Americans approved of President Donald Trump’s job performance. Now that the report is out, however, that number has dropped to 39%, the same low it hit in August 2017 in the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. Despite these low numbers, only 34% of voters think that …

Donald Trump is not pleased with the results of Robert Mueller’s report, which was two years in the making. He has threatened to “turn the tables” on everyone involved in the Mueller investigation, called them traitors, and promised to “bring them to justice.” Trump made all of these statements in a tweet-storm, in the midst …

During election season, most former presidents seeking reelection have attempted to broaden their support by reaching across the aisle. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Trump will not follow the trend––after all, nothing he done has followed the standard operating procedures. Rather, Trump will seek to drum up support from his base, and he seems to be doing so …

The world very nearly lost one of its greatest treasures on Monday, when the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire. The landmark was undergoing renovations, which may have been the cause of the fire. The fire began around 6pm in Paris. It took nearly 500 firefighters some five hours to contain the blaze, which …

Remember the days before the Mueller report dropped, when many of us held out hopes that the outcome would put an end to the partisan bickering about Russian collusion? Ah, those were the days. Now we know better––the report has put nothing to bed; in fact, it’s only inspired more fighting. The most recent speculation …

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D) and Representative Doug Collins (R) have called for Robert Mueller to testify before the Judiciary Committee following Congress’s receipt of the Mueller report. Doug Collins initiated the call for Mueller’s testimony in a tweet: “Democrats can cite no precedent for their demands for grand jury information from the #MuellerReport, …

The gig economy is a damnable scam, but too many Americans are accepting it as the new economic normal. Commercials like this one from Uber make the “side hustle” seem glamorous and easy. Americans are easily susceptible to gig economy because we place such high value on hard work. Working hard is not just a good thing, it’s a virtue. We’re trained to connect our worth as humans to our willingness to work. So we sign up to drive strangers around in our cars, to rent out our empty rooms to tourists, or to do any other side job that we can get via an app on our phone. 

Data reveal that participating in the gig economy is far from efficient or lucrative, but many participate anyway, either out of ignorance or out of desperation. Many surrender their rights as workers by signing on as an independent contractor, which the New York Times has pointed out makes side hustles a tax nightmare. So without insurance coverage, employee protections, or even decent wages, many Americans sell their labor for pennies to companies with valuations in the tens of billions. Out of principle, Americans should refuse to participate in this scam.

More news.

Michael Cohen, who famous testified before Congress a few months ago, recently found a hard drive with “substantial” files on it. According to a letter from his attorney, Cohen wants to help but he’s, you know, going to jail on May 6. He is asking for a delay so he can be “readily accessible and immediately available to provide ongoing assistance to Congress in order for it to fulfill its executive branch oversight responsibilities.” 

This isn’t the first time Cohen has made the news since the hearing. Michael Cohen is also suing the Trump organization for $1.9 million. Trump’s company is allegedly backing out on a preexisting agreement to pay legal fees Cohen accrued as a result of investigations into Trump and his organization. Cohen is also suing Trump for another $1.9 million for legal penalties Cohen incurred for services he provided Trump. 

That famous congressional testimony was essentially a dud. You can read about its potential impact here. It’s important to note that this public testimony covers only that which the Mueller investigation does not cover, but so far nothing has come of it. It is possible, though, that Cohen’s testimony may exacerbate Trump’s legal trouble in New York.

More about politics.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill called the Corporate Executive Accountability Act, which would make it easier for to charge company executives for a company’s wrongdoing. The bill would spread liability for wrongdoing to “negligent executives” of corporations with more than $1 billion of annual revenue. 

Warren penned an op-ed for the Washington Post, in which she noted that “Too often, prosecutors don’t even try to hold top executives criminally accountable. They claim it’s too hard to prove that the people at the top knew about the corporate misconduct.” She hopes that the bill will deter CEOs of acting criminally by removing these barriers to prosecution. 

Since December, when Warren launched an exploratory committee for seeking the Democratic National Committee’s nomination for president of the United States, she has attempted to stand out in an already crowded field. Warren has thus far avoided embarrassing herself, and has even made some positive headlines. In a CNN town hall, she called for a constitutional amendment that will protect the right to vote for every citizen, essentially nullifying laws that prevent felons from voting. Part of that amendment, as she sees it, will be the abolition of the electoral college. That would mean that individual votes would be counted directly towards the presidential election rather than towards electors who would then cast their vote for president. In theory, this would mean that presidential candidates have to focus on every state, not just swing states.

More news.

Both houses of Colorado’s state legislature have approved a bill that would allow a family member of law enforcement officer to petition a judge for the confiscation of a person’s firearms, if that person posed a threat to him- or herself or others. The governor, a supporter of the bill, is expected to sign it into law. Nearly 50 of the state’s 62 elected sheriffs have opposed the bill, believing it would jeopardize deputies who attempt to seize weapons. The owner of the firearms can petition to get his or her guns back after two weeks––but the person who suggested the confiscation can also petition to prevent their return.

The state’s decision follows a number of recent mass shooting-related tragedies. In recent weeks, two teenage survivors of the shooting have killed themselves. Sydney Aiello, 19, took her own life after struggling with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. She also struggled to succeed in college because she was afraid to be in a classroom. A few days later, a sophomore survivor took his own life. Police have not yet released his name nor confirmed that his suicide was linked to the shooting, though it is hard to imagine the shooting is not related to his death.

More news.

A few years ago, I did the Trolltunga hike in Norway. Even in summer, it’s a brutal, cold, and wet march up a mountain. The reward is an incredible view. The day before the hike, a local warned me: start as early as possible. If you get to the summit too late, you’ll be waiting in line for an hour while everyone takes pictures for Instagram. 

So that’s exactly what I did. I began the hike at four in the morning and was at the summit by around seven. I was able to enjoy the beautiful view and then take my time going back down. On the return trip, I saw dozens of people all making their way up the top. One man stopped me to ask how far he was from the top, and we had a brief conversation. He told me he hated hiking, hated nature, and hated camping. But he planned to camp at the top of the mountain. I asked why on earth he’d do that, and his response was simple: “It’s all about that photo.” Yes, that really was his answer. 

I took a few photos and videos on my journey, but that was not my primary goal. As a result, I can remember almost every part of that hike like it was yesterday. According to some research, people who are focused on social media during experiences won’t remember them as clearly. And what’s worse, social media users are so focused on getting their perfect shot that they’ll absolutely destroy the landscape, like those jerks who landed a helicopter on the superbloom in California.

More about social media.

This weekend, Mueller submitted his report to at Attorney General William Barr. Barr quickly released the basics of the report. It found no evidence of collusion with the Russians to interfere with the 2016 elections, but it did not conclude one way or another if Trump attempted to obstruct justice citing lack of evidence. Barr then cleared Trump of any obstruction of justice in the investigations. 

Though some Republicans––notably Rudy Giuliani, who managed to remove his foot from his mouth long enough to call the investigation a “waste of time”––decried the investigation, as the LA Times points out, Mueller successfully cleared a sitting president of what was essentially treason. That’s a good thing for everyone. 

Although the report was objectively good news, many are furious that no one has seen the report yet––only the Barr letter. Six Democratic committee chairs in the House have demanded that the Mueller report be released by April 2, though Mitch McConnell blocked the release of the report. 

Some are even accusing Barr of covering up for Trump’s obstruction by pardoning him. 

There were certainly be a battle over whether the Mueller report will be released and to what extent. Though the investigation is over, the aftermath will last some time.

More news.