John McWhorter on Cursing, Anti-Racism, and Why 'We Need to Stop Being So Afraid'
Columbia University linguist John McWhorter on "anti-racism" as a new, misguided civic religion and his new book on curses, Nine Nasty Words.
Culture
A Minor League Baseball Bailout Would Be a Major Mistake
Taxpayers already spend millions to build minor league ballparks. Sen. Richard Blumenthal thinks they should financially support the teams, too.
Voters Have Defeated a Texas School District's Plan To Punish Students for Microaggressions
The opposition to Southlake's plan was understandable.
Freedom Becomes a Long-Haul COVID Victim
Emergency measures to deal with the crisis are likely to linger long after COVID-19 is gone.
The Equity Mess
Despite their professed goals, Democrats' pandemic policies have widened disparities between races, classes, and genders.
Everyone Should Be Able To Bet on the Kentucky Derby From Anywhere
Six states don’t allow any horse racing bets, but others still make it difficult.
At The New York Times, Intent Does Not Matter When Someone Uses 'the N-Word,' Except When It Does
The paper let linguist John McWhorter use the racial slur he was discussing but felt a need to explain that decision.
A Keynesian Warmonger Gets What He Deserves in the Otherwise Awful Without Remorse
A terrible, Tom Clancy-inspired action movie that ends in a lame speech touting war as economic stimulus.
The Third Temptation
To Austin Rogers, the trio of temptations presented to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew has key political implications.
How the NFL and the Players Union Screw Draft Picks Out of Millions
During the draft, they can't even endorse snacks that the league hasn't approved.
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
Art Tavana: What Guns N' Roses Tells Us About the American Dream
How Axl Rose reflected a country desperate but unwilling to move on from a worn-out postwar consensus on national identity, gender roles, and global hegemony.
Society Is Richer and More Accepting, Thanks to Libertarian Ideas
And yet neither Democrats nor Republicans represent those principles.
By Canceling Richard Dawkins, the American Humanist Association Has Betrayed Its Values
The drive to punish dissenters from various orthodoxies is itself illiberal.
Women-Only Workout Areas in Exercise Facilities
The Connecticut Supreme Court will be hearing a case on this next week.
The Myth of Antonio Salazar
The integralist right's foolish crush on the man who once ruled Portugal
U.K. Study Suggests Grocers Should Be Banned From Selling Alcohol
Intervening in the U.K. alcohol market hasn't produced the desired effect, but experts want yet another bite at the apple.
Did Politics Ruin the Oscars?
The Academy Awards are this weekend. Almost no one has even heard of the movies up for Best Picture.
The Plutocrats, the People, and the Globalization of World Soccer
It's good to be reminded that, sometimes, greed and venality do not carry the day in the global marketplace
What Really Happened to the Class of '68?
Friday A/V Club: The Yippies, the yuppies, and the ghosts of the '60s and '80s
A D.C. Blues Bar Ran a Mini-Vaccine Drive for Employees and Performers. Now Its Owner Wants the Right To Reopen.
Madam's Organ owner Bill Duggan says opening venues for the vaccinated would be a "win-win-win." Artists could perform, businesses could make money, and people would have one more reason to get their shot.
The Government Is Making Us Fat and Susceptible to Viruses
The vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are overweight. Why won’t the government stop subsidizing junk food?
Jane Coaston: Meet the Libertarian New York Times Podcaster
"At some point, a regulation or a law with the absolute best of intentions will be wielded by people who may not have the absolute best of intentions."
Religion and Failure to Provide Medical Care for Dying Children
An illustration of our individualistic law of religious exemptions.
Andrew Yang Gets Schooled on New York Street Vendors
The NYC mayoral hopeful tweeted his foot into his mouth.
Donald Trump's Presidency Is Over. MAGA Rap Is Keeping His Legacy Alive.
Songs like "Gun Totin' Patriot" and "We Outside" might be ridiculous, Trump-worshiping schlock, but their embrace of controversial themes breathes some rebelliousness back into rap.
A Declassified Case Against Torture
Retired FBI agent Ali Soufan argues that the agency's thirst for torture made it harder to protect Americans.
Do Mass Shootings Inspire More Mass Shootings? If So, What Can Be Done About That?
Both advocates and skeptics of the copycat theory recommend self-restraint by the news media.
Conservatives Embrace Their Own 'Wokeness' With Attacks on Private Businesses
Remember when Republicans believed private businesses had a right to exercise free speech?
Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
For sci fi fans who enjoy getting lost in internet rabbit holes
Prohibited Prayer and the Limits of Public Health Authority
The Supreme Court reaffirms that COVID-19 regulations must comply with the First Amendment.
Supreme Court Blocks California's COVID-19 Restrictions on Private Prayer Groups
The majority reminds the 9th Circuit that the First Amendment puts limits on COVID-19 policies.
The Overly Examined Life of Henry David Thoreau
Cartoonist Peter Bagge looks at Henry David Thoreau's life at Walden and beyond
Food Freedom Is Coming To Colorado
The state legislature and Gov. Jared Polis are unshackling local ranchers and consumers.
Chef Andrew Gruel on Capitalism, Cuisine, and Calling Gov. Gavin Newsom an Asshole
The founder of the Slapfish seafood chain battles arbitrary, non-scientific regulations and a punishing economy while reinventing the lobster roll.
The Expanse
People are people and politics is politics, no matter how far you get from planet Earth.
Chef Andrew Gruel: "I'm Not an Asshole. Gavin Newsom Is."
The culinary innovator behind Slapfish on what it's been like to run a business with government at all levels arbitrarily flipping the on-off switch.
A Medical Student Questioned Microaggressions. UVA Branded Him a Threat and Banished Him from Campus.
Kieran Bhattacharya's First Amendment lawsuit can proceed, a court said.
Voting Laws, High-Speed Rails, and Vaccine Passports
It's a regulation-heavy Monday.
A Professor Pushed Back Against 'White Fragility' Training. The College Investigated Her for 9 Months.
The chaos at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is by no means an isolated occurrence.
Wartime Rationing Changed How America Ate for a Century. The Pandemic Will Do the Same.
The government tried to stabilize the nation's food supply 80 years ago. Its efforts backfired.
