Culture
The Truth About Seattle's Proposed Soda Tax and its Ilk
It's one of a growing number of misguided anti-soda laws around the country.
I'm Dying Up Here Wants Viewers to Take the Saying Literally
Stand-up comics' pursuit for laughs presented as life-or-death drama.
Montana Supreme Court Cites Biggie Smalls, N.W.A., Scarface
A man who faced federal distribution charges argued the state's possession prosecution was double jeopardy.
Turkey Seeks Arrest of NBA Player, Says He Belongs to a 'Terrorist Organization'
Erdogan's post-coup crackdown hits Oklahoma Thunder center Enes Kanter.
'Operation Big Bad John' Used 75 Cops, Six Federal Agencies to Catch 13 Sex Buyers
Naturally, they're portraying it as a success.
Wisconsin Ordinance Would Waste Tax Dollars on Public Art
Madison won't be the first town to do this.
Trump Administration May Finally Be Reversing the Birth Control Mandate
A rule is under review that would (reportedly) relax the hotly debated requirement.
American Kingpin Treats Ross Ulbricht's Life and Trial Like a Soap Opera
Author Nick Bilton misses the point on the dark net.
After Violent Attack, Portland Mayor Calls for Abandoning First Amendment
For the millionth time, there's no "hate speech" exemption.
Cleveland Will Be Paying for Renovations to King James' Castle Until 2034
Long after Lebron James and the 2016 NBA championship are a distant memory.
Long Strange Trip: The Grateful Dead's Radical Anti-Authoritarian Streak
Director Amir Bar-Lev discusses his new 4-hour documentary on Jerry Garcia, the band, and their relationship with fans.
Mandating Menu Labeling is Foolish, Not 'Easy'
Despite claims by supporters, requiring calorie counts is neither easy nor sensible.
That Old-Time Civil Religion
Faith, dogma, and the constant reinvention of U.S. foreign policy
Should the Government Limit What Women Can Learn from Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing?
Bioethicists in Britain say yes. But there are no such limits in the U.S. yet.
4th Circuit Exaggerates the Ambiguous Evidence Against Trump's Travel Ban
Which is more important to the president: hurting Muslims or looking tough on terrorism?
Are You Ready for the "Intimacy Economy"?
Glenn Platt of Miami University says technology is shrinking the distance between celebrity and audience, business and customer. Radical disruption ensues.
Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Johnny Depp lost at sea in the latest installment of a depleted franchise.
Cory Doctorow on Cyber Warfare, Lawbreaking, and His New Novel 'Walkaway'
The novelist, activist, and BoingBoing founder on cyber warfare, Uber-style reputation economics, and what he's likely to get arrested for someday.
Atheism More Prevalent Among Americans Than the Polls Generally Show
A new study finds that 26 percent of Americans likely do not believe in God.
Ninth Circuit Should Strike Down Idaho's 'Ag-Gag' Appeal
The court should uphold a lower-court ruling suppressing the unconstitutional (and unconscionable) law.
Florists Lose on Free Expression
You may see yourselves as artists, but the state of Washington does not see bouquets as a form of expression.
How Madison Square Garden's $42 Million Tax Break Will Upend New York's NHL Geography
The Buffalo Sabres will play a "home" game in New York City against the New York Rangers next year, so the Rangers can keep their special tax exemption.
Local Officials Are Coming for Your Garden
Local regulatory busybodies are zoning away your right to grow food in your garden.
Police Investigate a Cult Killing; It Turns Out to Be a Rock Video
Friday A/V Club: Hard Copy meets Nine Inch Nails.
30 Days a Black Man: How Ray Sprigle Exposed Jim Crow in 1940s America [Reason Podcast]
"I have such a deeper appreciation for the punishment that black people received from their government for so long and the crass politics that perpetuated it."
Movie Review: Snatched and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Amy Schumer bounces back, Guy Ritchie returns with a thud.
The Tyranny of 'Reproductive Freedom'
Accommodating religious objections to Obamacare's contraceptive mandate does not violate anyone's rights.
White Working-Class Millennials Are Less Christian, More Republican Than Their Elders
Nearly half of young working-class whites do not identify with any religious affiliation.
On Churches in Politics, Trump Does … Nothing
The president's executive order on religious freedom lacks any sort of substance.
Like Most Americans, NFL Players Think They Should Be Allowed to Use Medical Marijuana
The NFL's opposition to legal medical pot (like the federal government's) increasingly runs against not only public opinion but common sense.
School Lunches To Suck More Like They Used To
Awful Obama administration-era reforms are being scaled back slightly. School lunches will still stink.
Trump's Religious Freedom Order Doesn't Roll Back LGBT Protections
New draft of executive action does much less than rumored.
Sexploitative Feminism: Hot Girls Wanted and How Not to Apologize for Mistreating Porn Stars
"Hot Girls Wanted" producers purport to care about sex workers' well-being but mock their privacy concerns.
Democrats Push for National Ban on LGBT Conversion Therapy
Should Congress be allowed to forbid a private voluntary treatment because it's bad and discredited?
Are High Taxes to Blame for Minnesota's Championship Drought?
The Twin Cities have been waiting since 1991 for a winner. A University of Illinois-Chicago economist says lowering the income tax rate might help.
The Scoop on 'Frozen Dessert' Licenses
You got a permit for that ice cream machine?
