Review: Is Exit 8 an Anti-Screens Metaphor or Something Deeper?
A Japanese thriller explores agency in a world that makes it too easy just to go along for the ride.
Culture
Woke 1.0, House of the Dragon, and the Absurd Politics of Surveillance
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi break down the absurd political fights about America’s surveillance state before jumping into House of the Dragon.
How Karoline Leavitt Changed the White House Press Room
The new media seat was a good idea.
Puerto Rico Stole Roberto Clemente's Trademark. The Supreme Court Should Make It Pay.
Property rights are no less worthy of protection just because intangible property is at stake.
Trump Promised To End Foreign Aid. Now He's Giving Christian Groups Nearly $2 Billion.
The administration says faith-based organizations deliver aid more efficiently, but offers no data to support that claim—and its preference for religious providers raises constitutional questions.
Rob Bonta's Paramount Crusade Could Make California's Hollywood Exodus Even Worse
California's attorney general is fighting a merger that 65 countries and the DOJ already cleared. Now, the state may lose thousands of jobs.
AOC Admits Woke Is Over. Does Anyone Believe Her?
Soave and Duke argue that it is a bit rich for Ocasio-Cortez to laugh off the excesses of a cultural movement that caused real harm—and that many progressives once helped mainstream.
RFK Jr. Wants More FDA Oversight of Food Ingredients. It Could End Up Costing $210 Million.
A proposed FDA rule would require food manufacturers to disclose ingredients they deem safe, which the agency admits would have a “significant economic impact” on small businesses.
The Buffalo Bills Got Tons of Taxpayer Money for a Stadium With a Lot of Pretty Lame Problems
Plus: No one is drafting Enes Kanter Freedom into the WNBA, Congress fails to reform NCAA again, and why Field of Dreams nostalgia is no good
Don't Let AOC Retcon Her Starring Role in 'Woke 1'
Would President AOC eschew wokeness? I doubt it.
The 'Affordability' Agenda That Taxes Your Dinner
Food-related taxes are rising in popularity, though they hurt restaurants and customers—and may even fail as a revenue-raising tool.
One Night Only Is a Rare Rom-Com About Regulation
In The Purge: but for Sex, everyone takes a crackdown on sexual freedom for granted.
A Burrito Costs How Much?
Plus: The economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, inflation is outpacing wage growth, Trump is still mad about birthright citizenship, and more...
Review: Feuding Neighbors Snoop on Their Enemies
In HBO's Neighbors docuseries, nearly every dispute is recorded and shared.
Francesca Hong's Hateful Holidays, Burrito Prices, and Woke 1.0
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi cover all of the politically charged food takes of the week from Thanksgiving to burritos.
A Viral Tweet Set Off a Discourse on $20 Burritos. Here's the Truth About Inflation.
Americans are angry because everyday goods are much more expensive, and politicians think they should “stop whining.”
Trump's Newest Tariffs Could Protect America From the National Security Risk of Brass Instruments
An idea that's wildly out of tune at a time when Americans are trumpeting their worries about affordability.
Minnesota's Nudification Ban Could Punish People Over Parodies and Stripped-Down Selfies. Elon Musk's xAI Is Suing.
The law is written so broadly it could punish services that let you fake an image of yourself in a swimsuit.
Boy Throb Had To Go Viral To Get Its Fourth Member a U.S. Visa
After building a fanbase around his immigration struggle, Darshan Magdum can finally come to America.
Don't Hate the Dodgers for Dominating So Much, Hate the Bankruptcy Court That Helped Them Do It
Plus: FIFA’s president doesn’t understand his own organization's politics; a solid new pickleball movie
A New Jersey News Outlet Asks the Courts To Stop a Judge's Censorship
The judge concluded that a high school student's privacy interests trumped freedom of the press.
Walt Whitman's American Vistas
A new collection of Whitman's writing is a fitting read for the United States' 250th birthday.
New York Wants a $36 Billion Cut From Kalshi, Calling It an 'Illegal Gambling Operation'
Casting Kalshi as an out-of-control gambling platform makes it easier for the state to take money from the company and its users.
What Mamdani Can Learn From Hugo Chávez's Government-Run Grocery Store Debacle
Venezuela’s government-run grocery stores led to endless lines, empty shelves, quotas, and corruption.
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a Web Slinging Superhero Grows Up
A darker, more adult Spider-Man movie that works best when it's just about Spider-Man.
In Widow's Bay, the Real Monster Is Utilitarianism
Apple TV's new horror comedy shows us that succubi and killer clowns are the real result of politicians doing evil in the name of the greater good.
Review: When Banks Do the Government's Bidding
Transaction Denied explains how the feds pressure banks to punish disfavored groups like the NRA.
Who's Paying for the Discounts in Mamdani's City-Run Grocery Stores?
This week, Mamdani announced his city-run grocery stores will sell core goods at a 30 percent discount.
People Have Got To Try Being Normal About Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and the WNBA
Plus: Congress struggling to regulate college sports, looking at the economics of World Cup hosts, and why are golf shows all the same?
RIP Lou Koller, a Hardcore Punk Hero and Free Speech Champion
Remembering the lead singer for the iconic band Sick of It All
Bureaucracy, Labor, & Tariffs: How Government Is Making BLTs More Expensive
The BLT—a delicious celebration of the power of markets—exemplifies political attacks on the free movement of goods and people.
What Jimothy the Raccoon Reveals About Seattle
A local lawmaker said she wants to "keep my measured distance from him so he can live his good little life." What about humans?
Debate: Did Wokeness Actually Ruin The Odyssey?
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi spar over The Odyssey.
Brendan Carr Says ABC's Refusal To Air a Trump Speech Could Affect Renewal of Its Broadcast Licenses
The FCC chairman thinks the "public interest" standard is a license to interfere with freedom of the press.
Global Hunger Falls From 35% in 1970 to 7.8%
Armed conflict and violence remain the primary drivers of acute food insecurity.
Department of Homeland Security
Capitol Police Anticipated Drone Plot Against UFC a Month Before It Was Uncovered
Newly uncovered documents show that the government didn’t need extensive surveillance or expensive fortifications to protect the White House.
Trump's Threats To Yank Broadcast Licenses Are Part of a Speech-Chilling Intimidation Campaign
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr seems to think TV stations are legally obligated to please the president.
The 2026 World Cup Is Over. Here's How To Make It Even Better Next Time.
Plus: nine books for your soccer summer reading list, and a problem with professional golf
South Carolina Law Prohibits Tattoo Parlors Near Churches. A New Lawsuit Calls That Unconstitutional.
A tattoo business is challenging South Carolina laws restricting how and where tattoo artists operate.
