How a Baseball Non-Fight Illustrates Our Weird Journalistic Discourse on Racism
White player suspended for calling black player "Jackie"; many journalists conclude that the player (and Yankees fans!) are racist.
Culture
Netflix Airs Ricky Gervais' Controversial Standup, Chooses Actual Entertaining Over Woke Pandering
"The platform's choice to release this special now, during a wave of unprecedented anti-trans legislation, is unconscionable," according to Vox.
A Plague of Policymakers Returns Hunger to the World
Lockdowns, trade disputes, and warfare make the next meal once again a matter of concern.
Review: Raccoon Tycoon
Unlike in Catan, the value of your wheat, wood, iron, coal, manufactured goods, and luxuries will fluctuate depending on what has recently been bought and sold in the game's marketplace.
The Slaughter-Free Future of Cultured Meats
Real factories are beginning to replace factory farms.
NPR Tries To Cancel Stoner Metal Legend Matt Pike
An exhaustive profile of the Sleep and High on Fire frontman focuses almost entirely on his "dangerous" affinity for David Icke's lizard people conspiracy theories.
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, Melissa Chen: Bringing Enlightenment Values to the Middle East
The co-founders of Ideas Beyond Borders talk about bringing Steven Pinker and John Stuart Mill to an audience dying for them.
Reason Is a Finalist for 8 Southern California Journalism Awards
Nominated stories cover minor league baseball, drug tests, and L.A.’s plan for ending homelessness
Civilization Runs on Ammonia, Plastic, Steel, and Cement—for Now
Vaclav Smil’s How the World Really Works offers hope and despair for techno-optimists.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Demonstrate How Not To Handle a #MeToo Case
The torturous trial calls to mind Title IX investigations on college campuses.
Agnieszka Pilat: 'I Didn't Realize People Still Think Socialism Is a Good Idea.'
The Polish-born artist is creating "heroic portraits" of machines and defending individualism and creative expression in Silicon Valley.
San Francisco Archbishop Bars Nancy Pelosi From Communion Over Abortion Stance
This has nothing to do with the separation of church and state.
Britain Finally Relaxes GMO Rules, but Advocates Want More Deregulation
New GMO rules are a good break from the E.U., but they don't go far enough.
The Perpetually Canceled Ludwig von Mises
"Hold on, now, you're starting to sound like an anarchist..."
The Inevitable #MeToo Allegation Against Elon Musk Is Weak
It seems like an ambiguous episode that was handled appropriately.
Privileged People Oppose Even 'Win-Win' Pro-Equality Policies, Says New Study
"Advantaged group members misperceive that equality necessarily comes at a cost to their group."
The Ipcress File Abandons Its Satirical Roots for Spy Thriller Hijinks
The drama is engaging, but fans of the book should prepare for a wildly different story.
Alex Garland's Provocative Men Asks: Are Men OK?
A surrealist nightmare of gender terror from one of Hollywood’s most distinctive directors.
Review: The Batman
The movie's whole idea seems to be that if Batman truly wanted to make Gotham a better place, he'd find some other way to do it, perhaps involving politics.
Review: The Second Shooter
Despite caricaturing (some) gun owners, Nick Mamatas' conspiracy-fueled science fiction novel avoids moralizing in favor of dark humor.
New York Times Columnist Gail Collins Proposes a 'Simple Battle' To 'Get Rid of the Guns'
It's not clear which guns she is talking about, and even Collins does not seem to know.
FDA Will Ease Enforcement of Baby Formula Regulations To Address Shortage
Plus: Supreme Court sides with Ted Cruz in campaign finance case, gender quota for corporate boards ruled unconstitutional, and more...
America's Families Still Revile USDA-Funded School Lunches
The central planning of America's public school lunch menus has been a disaster.
Netflix Adds 'Artistic Expression' Policy, Says It Will Not 'Censor Specific Artists'
"If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you," the company tells employees.
Romance and Sci-Fi Tangle in The Time Traveler's Wife
The latest attempt to adapt the novel comes as an HBO miniseries.
How Bad Government Policy is Fueling the Infant Formula Shortage
Trade restrictions and over-zealous FDA regulation are a big part of the problem, but there's more.
Review: South Park
The veteran satirists tackle major issues in America's increasingly divisive culture war with no condescension, cringe, or partisan preference.
Denver Drops Effort To Criminally Prosecute Pickleball Enthusiast Who Made Small 'X's on City-Owned Gym Floor
The city is insisting that 71-year-old Arslan Guney pay nearly $5,000 to cover the alleged costs of restoring the gym floor.
GMOs Are Good for Us
The activists who say otherwise are wrong on the costs and wrong on the science.
Artist Agnieszka Pilat: 'I Didn't Realize People Still Think Socialism Is a Good Idea.'
Born in communist Poland and disgusted by Silicon Valley communists, Pilat is making "heroic portraits of machines" and defending Ayn Rand.
In Conversations with Friends, the Topics Always Revolve Around Sex
Hulu adaptation of 2017 book thrives on quality performances.
NYC Mayor Defends Decision To Handcuff and Strip Search Woman Selling Mangos on a Subway Platform
Maria Falcon doesn't have a business license. So New York police officers detained her and confiscated all of her merchandise.
Yet Another Study Blames Food Companies for Parental Choices
Food companies don't determine what parents put in their shopping carts.
When Ted Kennedy Was Pro-Life and Ronald Reagan Was Expanding Abortion Access
The forgotten abortion politics of the pre-Roe era
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Isn't Strange or Mad Enough
A Sam Raimi fun house burdened by the Marvel universe's not-so-glorious purpose
Review: The Nineties: A Book
Culture critic Chuck Klosterman's latest covers Nirvana, the first Iraq war, American Beauty, Waco, VCRs, and Ross Perot.
Review: Justice Is…
Preet Bharara's new children's book, Justice Is... purports to be "a guide for young truth seekers."
Planes, Buses, and COVID Tests: How the NHL Playoffs Are Spotlighting America's Dumb Border Rules
There's no reason to have one set of rules for airline passengers and another for people who cross the border in a bus, train, or car.
The Satanic Temple: If Christians Can Raise Flag at Boston City Hall, We Can Raise Ours Too
Plus: The push to abolish the Senate, Feds hike interest rates by 0.5 percent, and more...
Was Censorship the Greatest COVID Threat to Freedom?
It wasn't just autocrats who were frequently tempted to address "fake news" about the pandemic through state pressure and coercion.
Happy Star Wars Day!
In honor of this major holiday, I post a round-up of my writings, interviews, and talks about one of the world's most popular science fiction franchises.
Why Did Pandemic Authorities Treat Tattoo Shops Like Titty Bars?
"Government restrictions came in, which literally shut us down," says Paul Smith, who co-owns Red Stag Tattoo in Austin, Texas.
Supreme Court Rules Boston Was Wrong To Bar Christian Flag From City Hall
The justices unanimously agree that the city was not endorsing the flags, and that therefore it couldn’t exclude religious organizations.
Serial Killer Thriller Shining Girls Lulls You to Sleep Before Blowing Your Mind
If you can get past the first few plodding, confusing hours, entertainment awaits.
