Republicans and the Right have successfully redefined the term to serve their ends. Refusing to adapt to that definition will only help them win. — In the wake of 2021’s very bad Election Day for Democrats, much talk has rightly focused on education as a wedge issue. In Virginia, particularly, schools and education were a cornerstone of Republican Glenn Younkin’s successful campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Some of the contentiousness around schooling comes from pandemic-related…

In September 2013, as I binged all of Breaking Bad before the series finale, I was inspired to draw a cartoon about how the show’s premise relied on the stark realities of the U.S. healthcare system. I dashed it off in a couple of days and tossed it on…

Being powerful and influential should not render Trump immune from minor prosecution. On the contrary, it should make minor crimes more important. Among the most infuriating critiques of Donald Trump’s indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is that the crime is “too minor” to merit the prosecution of someone…

With the launch of a new Hogwarts video game comes a concerted effort to erase J.K. Rowling’s transphobia and protect her profitable image — A few days ago, a new Harry Potter video game hit the market, and purely by coincidence today we got an “Opinion” piece in the New York Times by Pamela Paul, “In Defense of J.K. Rowling.” It points readers to the new podcast, “The Witch Trials of J.K Rowling,” which…

Like many people I’m pleasantly surprised by the overall result, given the dominant narratives going into the election. I’m dreading another Georgia runoff, though I’m optimistic about the outcome (more on that below) and I’m hopeful that the Dems can hold the Senate, and maybe even pick up a 51–49…

Elon Musk versus Hank Green, the online influencer who is everything Elon pretends to be. — Since I left Twitter I’ve been fulfilling my social media dopamine needs elsewhere, which is how I learned that yesterday Elon Musk got in a fight about his new toy with Hank Green. It wasn’t a big fight. Elon is mad that advertisers have reduced their ad spending since the…

I'm struggling with this one. There is a thesis here that I fully agree with--that white people center themselves and their pain rather than genuinely investing in the struggle against racism--but I don't think you've effectively tied it to the "Twexodus." Perhaps if there were some more compelling evidence that…

I'm struggling with this one. There is a thesis here that I fully agree with--that white people center themselves and their pain rather than genuinely investing in the struggle against racism--but I don't think you've effectively tied it to the "Twexodus." Perhaps if there were some more compelling evidence that…

A letter to the editor in my local paper makes a point that we encounter regularly, and one that I believe holds us back. To paraphrase, the writer recommends a recent book, about the history of racist violence in New York State, be added to school curriculum. I fully agree…