Aretha Franklin in Muscle Shoals
Friday A/V Club: Race and music in 1960s Alabama
Culture
Satanists Use Freedom of Religion To Call for Installation of Demonic Statue in Arkansas State Capitol
"This is a rally for all people who hold sacred the founding Constitutional principles of Religious Freedom and Free Expression..."
Movie Review: Crazy Rich Asians
Culturally important, fine-but mainly a very funny movie.
Afghan Teen Wasn't Gay Enough to Get Asylum in Austria: Report
According to the official handling the teen's asylum application, his walk, dress, and actions proved he couldn't be gay.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Want to Lift the Statute of Limitations Amid the Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Report
The bill was passed unanimously by the state Senate, but has remained in the House since February 2017.
Can a Baker Be Forced to Make a Transgender Celebration Cake?
Masterpiece Cakeshop is back with a new lawsuit over another rejection.
John Mackey and Conscious Capitalism Have Won the Battle of Ideas With Everyone but Libertarians
Why can't free marketers celebrate entrepreneurs and titans of industry who change our world unless they admit they're in it only for the money?
A Pearl Jam Poster Sets Off a New Dead President Controversy
Republicans are comparing the band to Kathy Griffin.
Muslim Male Inmate Objects to Strip Search by Apparently Anatomically Female Transgender Guard
An interesting case now being litigated in federal court in Wisconsin.
Nevada Assembly Candidate Dennis Hof Loses Brothel License
Love Ranch, a brothel owned by Nevada Assembly candidate Dennis Hof, loses their brothel license.
The $289 Million Verdict Against Monsanto Is Scientifically Outrageous
California jurors misled by activist misinformation
Can 'Conscious Capitalism' Make Business a Heroic Enterprise? John Mackey Is Betting Yes: Podcast
The Whole Foods magnate and his nonprofit colleague Alexander McCobin want to "elevate humanity through business" and make us all smarter, kinder...and richer.
Mandatory 'In God We Trust' Signs Greet Florida Students at Start of School Year
Thanks to legislation that passed in March, all Florida public schools must display "In God We Trust" signage in "a conspicuous place."
The Pro-Lesbian Anti-Transgender "Pussy Church of Modern Witchcraft" Recognized by IRS as Church
"The IRS recognized it as a 501(c)(3) organization and went the extra step of recognizing PCMW as a church, the most enviable of all tax statuses. exempt not only from income tax but also from the transparency that filing Form 990 creates. A church does not have to apply for exempt status, but it is a prudent step particularly for an innovative organization like PCMW."
V.S. Naipaul: 'Terrorists Can Fly a Plane, But What They Can't Do Is Build a Plane'
The Nobel laureate had a brilliant, sadly ignored insight that would have short-circuited the worst cultural and political reactions of the past 17 years.
Mandatory Allergen Labels Are a Double-Edged Sword
Allergen labeling is hard work that's done often, and often done wrong.
Kanye West's Support for Trump Is No Different Than the Average Voter's
Except possibly the bit about "break[ing] the fucking simulation."
The First Crackdown on Indecent Recordings
Friday A/V Club: Anthony Comstock and the bawdy cylinders
Chapman U. President Doesn't Want His Campus 'UnKoched': Podcast
Daniele Struppa says progressives who would deny money simply because of who gives it pose "a grave threat to academic freedom."
German Airport Security Mistook Vibrator for Hand Grenade
Apparently, German airports aren't much better than American ones when it comes to identifying risks.
Some Single-Sex Organizations at Harvard Go Quietly While Others Vow to Fight
Harvard's Delta Gamma sorority announced that that they are disbanding due to university rules banning single-sex student organizations.
The Chinese Government Destroys Ai Weiwei's 'Zuoyou' Studio
"Free speech and free expression have simply never existed in China or in its artist communities."
Is a Company's Choice To Go Vegetarian Really 'Every Libertarian's Nightmare'?
WeWork's efforts to influence employee behavior might rate as stupid, but they're not tyranny
Movie Review: The Spy Who Dumped Me
Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis stuck in a strangely dull-witted comedy.
'It Became Normal, It Became Hot, to Be Alternative' — Reason 50th Anniversary: Podcast
Nick Gillespie talks about the end of the cultural mainstream, the rise of DIY everything, and the quaint, unacknowledged power of $6 DVD players.
The New York Times Shouldn't Fire Sarah Jeong for Racist Tweets About White People
Call out hypocrisy, but don't join the lynch mob.
Catholic Church Changes Doctrine To Oppose Death Penalty
The church's catechism now calls capital punishment "inadmissible" and says it's "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."
Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good: How Immigrants, Commerce, and Fusion Keep Food Delicious
Writer Gustavo Arellano talks about food slurs, the late Jonathan Gold, and why Donald Trump's taco salad is a step in the right direction.
N.Y. Fair Vendors Have Nearby 7-Year-Old's Porch Lemonade Stand Shut Down
When life hands you lemons, call the health department to complain.
The War on Tipping
Activists want to "protect" restaurant workers right out of their jobs.
Guardians of the Galaxy Stars Want James Gunn Back, Despite His Politically Incorrect Tweets
The stars have signed an open letter explaining why Gunn didn't deserve to lose his job.
Pickle Fight Reveals the Destructive Pettiness of Texas Food Regulators
In an effort to preserve its regulatory power, the Department of State Health Services refuses to concede that you can pickle foods other than cucumbers.
State Legislatures and City Governments Are Going to Battle Over Food Taxes
Will Philly soda tax win cause local food taxes to "bubble up," or could it spur still more states to squash local food taxes?
Seattle Mariners Want Taxpayers to Fork Over $180 Million, Or Else
The baseball team says it will only sign a long-term lease to remain at Safeco Field if the county ponies up.
The Accidentally Libertarian Western
Friday A/V Club: Harpoon battles six-gun in Terror in a Texas Town.
Sacha Baron Cohen Duped Republican Lawmakers Into Saying Some Really Stupid Things
The Borat comedian's new "Kinder Guardian" videos put lawmakers in cringe-worthy light.
Nation's Top Safety Agency Sounds Alarm on #InMyFeelings Challenge
The Drake-inspired viral challenge has seen the nation's youth fling themselves out of moving vehicles.
Idiots on the European Court of Justice Rule Modern Gene-Edited Crops Must Be Overregulated
"A backward step, not progress"
A Summer-of-Snitches Subversion: City Helps Teen Rather Than Shut Down Unlicensed Hot Dog Stand
When he grows up and gets that food truck, though, he'll probably have a very different experience.
School District Investigates Pennsylvania Teacher for His Wrestling Alter Ego
Kevin Bean plays a cartoonish villain called "Blitzkrieg" in the ring. No, that doesn't mean he's a Nazi in real life.
Rick and Morty Creator Is Right-Wing Mob's Latest Target After Tasteless Comedy Sketch Resurfaces
Dan Harmon deletes his Twitter account after a years-old video resurfaces.
Watch Little Pink House, Drama About Eminent Domain Abuse, in Safety of Your Own Home!
Award-winning movie about Susette Kelo's attempt to save house from a local government gone klepto is out on streaming and video-on-demand services.
Andrew Cuomo Wants the State to Save a Failing Newspaper
After the struggling New York Daily News laid off about half of its staff yesterday, Gov. Cuomo offered to help.
