Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
When the multiplayer role-playing game hit the market in 2010, it was a disaster, panned by critics and series fans alike. But developers retooled it and it found a committed audience.
Culture
How the Government Keeps 'Indian' Children From Loving Homes
The broken foster system for Native American kids is finally up for Supreme Court scrutiny.
The Batman Wrestles With a Gloomy, Problematic Billionaire Version of Batman
It's a Batman movie that seems distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of Batman.
My New Article on "Immigration and the Economic Freedom of Natives"
It explains how immigration restrictions massively diminish both the "negative" and "positive" economic liberty of natives of receiving countries.
SNL to Liberals: It's OK To Question Nonsensical Mask Mandates
Mocking COVID public health theater is finally going mainstream.
Ukraine's Glory and Freedom Have Not Yet Perished
That happens to be the opening line of Ukraine's national anthem.
The Fuzzy Moral Line Between Drinkers and Bartenders
Were liquor suppliers across the world guilty of outrageous abuses that explain the prohibitionist response?
No, Putin Isn't a Defender of 'Christian Values'
The country is one of the most egregious violators of religious liberty on the planet.
Marco Rubio Accidentally Makes the Case Against Common-Good Conservatism at CPAC
Here’s hoping the Florida senator recognizes threats to freedom when they come from the right as well as the left.
Arcane
The show details friction between the privileged innovators of a steampunk city and the impoverished slums underneath it.
Stephanie Slade: What Kind of Libertarian Are You?
Figuring out the limits of big-tent libertarianism is no easy matter, but it's central to the movement's success.
The American Medical Association Should Help Patients. Instead, It's Policing Language.
Protectionist policies are why the U.S. has few physicians and high prices.
Young Americans More Supportive of Cancel Culture, Also More Afraid of It
A plurality of young people think their fear of losing job opportunities is a price worth paying to remedy past injustices.
Can a Web Designer Be Forced To Make Gay Wedding Pages? The Supreme Court Will Decide
Will this follow-up to the famous wedding cake case finally decide if this is mandated speech violating the First Amendment?
First World Problems
Asian-American communities are full of stark divisions—including splits over whether to see themselves as "Asian Americans" in the first place.
How Anti-Smut Activists Made 'Louie, Louie' Famous
Censors wore out their welcome during the 20th century's indecency wars.
Trade Restrictions on Oysters Get Shucked
After more than a decade on ice, trade in shellfish between the European Union and the United States is about to pick up steam.
Coachella Drops All COVID-19 Restrictions
For the first time in two years, Coachella will return. Festival attendees will be able to enjoy themselves without having to abide by nonsensical mandates.
The Awful Uncharted Raises the Question: Are Video Game Movies Art?
Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg star in another timid, lifeless video game adaptation.
Jacob Mchangama: How Hate Speech Laws Punish Minorities
In the new book Free Speech, the Danish activist defends radical self-expression from Socrates to social media.
How Drug Cartels and Federal Import Restrictions May Cancel Your Guacamole Plans
Almost all of America’s avocados come from a single Mexican state. A threatening message threw it into disarray.
P.J. O'Rourke, R.I.P.
"At the core of libertarianism is the idea that people are assets."
Olympic Athletes Can Take Drugs so Long as They Also Get an Unfair Advantage
Allowing Kamila Valieva to compete evokes memories of Sha'Carri Richardson, who was suspended from competition for using marijuana.
Remy: It's Magic (Mask Hypocrisy Parody)
Some lawmakers should try double-masking their hypocrisy.
From Halftime Show to Social Media, Calls To Ban Rap
Plus: Texas voting law likely unconstitutional, remote workers and rural towns, and more...
When Is Drinking Ayahuasca a Religious Experience?
It should not matter whether would-be ayahuasca drinkers sincerely believe in shamanism or simply believe they will derive mental health benefits from the experience.
Someone Placed a Record-Setting Super Bowl Bet From His Phone
But he still had to drive two hours to do it in a legal state.
Study: Seattle's Soda Tax Has Been Great for…Beer Sales?
The substitution effect is real.
Life Gets Better for Sports Bettors
But placing a wager on your favorite team is still illegal or too complicated in many states.
Pot Won't Be Advertised at Super Bowl, Though Players Will Probably Use It After
A proposed commercial by dispensary-locator company Weedmaps was sacked by NFL and NBC suits.
Death on the Nile Is a Lifeless, Plodding Take on Agatha Christie
Kenneth Branagh's murder mystery lacks glamour.
Homeland Security Is Already Mobilizing Against Potential Protests by U.S. Truckers
Plus: The EARN It Act advances, against climate despair, and more...
Dangerous Visions and New Worlds
An anthology looks back at science fiction's New Wave.
Florida's LGBT School Censorship Bill Is a Lawsuit Factory That Overrules Many Parents
Under H.B. 1557, only the most conservative parents will decide what everybody else’s kids will learn about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Dave Chappelle Is a NIMBY
The comedian doesn’t want a new subdivision behind his house. Fortunately, he can’t stop it.
Ohio Mayor Warns That Ice Fishing Will Lead to Prostitution
Plus: Election laws and voter turnout, New York questions Spotify, and more…
Ross Ulbricht's First Nonfungible Token
A virtual collection of 10 artworks made by Ulbricht at various stages of his life was worth $6.3 million at the time of sale.
Chris Stewart Wants February To Be 'Uncomfortable History Month'
Nearly 90 gag-order bills would ban schools from teaching the grisly particulars of American history. This activist is fighting against the censorship and for school choice.
Arizona Lawmakers Seek Religious Compromise in LGBT Antidiscrimination Bill
H.B. 2802 would expand discrimination protections but would carve out religious institutions.
Celebrate Your Right To Ignore (or Watch) the Olympics
Born in nationalism, the Olympic games are fading into a niche entertainment option.
Expanding Our Understanding of the Revolution
Despite all the controversy it has courted, Woody Holton's newest book doesn't stray very far from other scholarly interpretations of the American Revolution.
George Washington University Backpedals After Agreeing To Investigate Critics of China
"Upon full understanding, I do not view these posters as racist; they are political statements," said university president Mark Wrighton.
Artist Ai Weiwei Warns of Chinese and American Authoritarianism
In 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows, the renowned artist details his struggles with censorship.
Dear Olympics Media: Please Spare Us Your Fawning Over China's Digital Surveillance
Regarding the authoritarian country's central bank digital currency, you do not, under any circumstances, “gotta hand it to them.”
