Summer sale: Save 58%

Salon Homepage

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has drawn Trump's ire after failed prosecutions related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Pirro's Reflecting Pool reckoning

Sophia Tesfaye

Pirro's Reflecting Pool reckoning

Sophia Tesfaye

The former Fox News star couldn't sustain Trump's fantasy. Her downfall is classic MAGA tale

FEATURED

Gillian Welch performing at New York City's Town Hall in 2001. (Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)

Gillian Welch knew this was coming

Alex Galbraith

Her 2001 song on piracy predicted who'd get rich — and who'd be left behind
Zendaya and Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (Sony Pictures)

Spider-Man should focus on his job

Kelly McClure

When it comes to saving the world, maybe Peter Parker's love life should be his last priority
Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino hold the FIFA World Cup winner's trophy, July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Trump's FIFA pal takes a big L

Andrew O'Hehir

FIFA head and Trump BFF Gianni Infantino thrives on greed and hubris. This time he went too far
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr testifies before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on May 21, 2025. (John McDonnell/Getty Images))

FCC under fire over Paramount gifts

Corey G. Johnson - ProPublica

Commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC reviewed the company's megamergers

MOST POPULAR

Mitch McConnell is never coming back to the Senate

Mitch McConnell is never coming back

Amanda Marcotte

The likeliest reason for the Kentucky senator's ruse is also the most pathetic

Kaitlan Collins and CNN are complicit in the Trump circus

CNN is complicit in the Trump circus

Sophia Tesfaye

The press didn't just cover Trump's White House Correspondents' Dinner meltdown — it enabled it

The real reason Todd Blanche won't drop Trump's slush fund

The reason Blanche won't drop slush fund

Amanda Marcotte

The acting attorney general made $10 million as the president’s defense attorney

A founding father's queer legacy

A founding father's queer legacy

Nicholas Boston

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings' family tree keeps getting more complicated and colorful

Christopher Nolan's Odysseus could only be Matt Damon

Nolan’s Odysseus had to be Matt Damon

Melanie McFarland

The recruitment of Matt Damon and other A-listers to sell a Greek myth makes sense

Trump's FIFA pal in trouble as plan to sell off World Cup collapses

Trump's FIFA pal takes a big L

Andrew O'Hehir

FIFA head and Trump BFF Gianni Infantino thrives on greed and hubris. This time he went too far

NEWS & POLITICS

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on August 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump: Iran can reach deal or die

Alex Galbraith

The president raged on Monday after Iranian officials denied any active peace talks with the U.S.
Hunter Biden in 2025 (Annabelle Gordon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Right-wing media's Hunter obsession

Sophia Tesfaye

Joe Biden’s troubled son has rehabilitated his image — not every Republican likes that
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seeing a spike in measles under his tenure, but refuses to admit his anti-vaccine stance is the cause. He instead blames the media for spreading such misinformation. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

Dana Bash grills RFK Jr. over vaccines

CK Smith

The HHS secretary denied responsibility for the nation's measles surge while defending vaccine skepticism
Former NIH Director Anthony Fauci testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Fauci hearing filled with conspiracies

Art Jipson - The Conversation

The spectacle shows what happens when conspiracy theories become embedded in political institutions
Much of higher level education involves reading various stories, books and information. One professor was allegedly fired when one of her long-term assigned readings was questioned by a student who felt "uncomfortable" reading it. The professor is now suing her former employer for her firing. (lechatnoir / Getty Images)

Professor fired over assigned reading

CK Smith

Professor fired over assigned reading

CK Smith

Vinita Prabhakar says she was dismissed after the college president objected to a story taught in freshman English
Clayton Tucker, Democratic candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, speaks at the Capitol to protest data center expansion. (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

Religion fuels data center opposition

Ellie Ashby, Chloe Landen - The Texas Tribune

Some see the AI facilities as a sign of the apocalypse

ACLU files 54 claims against ICE abuse

CK Smith

ACLU says claims document a nationwide pattern of excessive force, unlawful arrests and abuse by ICE agents

MAGA education charity may be a scam

Kali Bomeli - ProPublica

Nick Adams has brought in millions in donations. Much of that money goes to him
MORE NEWS & POLITICS

CULTURE

Matt Damon is Odysseus in "The Odyssey," written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures)

Nolan’s Odysseus had to be Matt Damon

Melanie McFarland

Nolan’s Odysseus had to be Matt Damon

Melanie McFarland

The recruitment of Matt Damon and other A-listers to sell a Greek myth makes sense
A Paramount-Warner Bros. merger could mean fewer originals like "Diarra From Detroit" reaching audiences. (Illustration by Salon / Paramount+ / Getty Images / Justin Sullivan / AaronP / Bauer-Griffin)

The TV shows a media merger could erase

Melanie McFarland

A Paramount-Warner Bros. merger will mean less diversity and fewer hidden gems

"I Want Your Sex" is deliberately unsexy

Coleman Spilde

Gregg Araki's first film in 12 years declares Gen Z's disaffection with sex a problem only shame can solve

A magical Miyazaki cure for burnout

Melanie McFarland

"Kiki's Delivery Service" is a family movie that holds practical magic for adulthood
Lenny Kaye and Patti Smith (Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Patti Smith helped Lenny Kaye go solo

Caryn Rose

After decades as one of rock's most influential collaborators, Kaye has finally released his first true solo album
Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas in "The English Patient" (Miramax)

What "English Patient" left off screen

Kristen Lopez

"But Have You Read the Book?" revisits the adaptation of Ondaatje's novel, which favored romance over history
Danny Booko and Jesse Lally in "The Valley" (Griffin Nagel/Bravo)

Count Bookula drains our patience

Kelly McClure

Danny Booko's cringey vampire impression caps his season as its biggest source of secondhand embarrassment

Thuso Mbedu as Zélie and Viola Davis as Mama Agba in "Children of Blood and Bone" (Lephatse Motshana/Paramount Pictures)

"Blood and Bone" adaptation irks author

Melanie McFarland

Days after its trailer debuted, Tomi Adeyemi declared she wants nothing to do with the movie version of her book
MORE CULTURE

MONEY

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a meeting. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Could Trump end up on your money?

Jacques Hymans - The Conversation

Putting living politicians on currency is uncommon but not unheard of
Apple pies sit on a table before a news conference with Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., on Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus' removal from the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act" of a provision that would require the disclosure of hidden 401(k) fees. Miller was sending the apple pies to the Senate panel's members, each one missing a piece to symbolize "Wall Street's cut." (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)

Wall Street wants to change 401(k) rules

Paul Kiel - ProPublica

It could put your retirement at risk.
An influencer doing her thing (Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images)

The trademark wars of influencer culture

Andi Zeisler

From "Hot Girl Walk" to "Hot Girls Read," girlboss creators are weaponizing trademark law
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) speaks at a weekly press conference at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2024. (Allison Robbert/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

House money exchanges shape who wins

Mayank Kejriwal - The Conversation

Some of the most revealing money moves happen inside Congress itself
GTA VI logo from the trailer displayed on a laptop screen and PlayStation DualSense controller. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

GTA VI casts a shadow over gaming

Troy Farah

GTA VI casts a shadow over gaming

Troy Farah

The most anticipated release in gaming history could set the tone for a troubled industry
Ikea catalogs (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Bring back the catalogs

Andi Zeisler

In an era of instant gratification, old-fashioned anticipation can reclaim its magic

How private equity destroyed bowling

Andi Zeisler

A class-action suit against Lucky Strike Entertainment is a sad coda to the end of bowling

Unaffordable affordable housing

Tony Schick - ProPublica

A $15 billion federal tax credit helps developers build homes that are no cheaper than the market rate
MORE MONEY

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Spokane wildfires are a warning

Troy Farah

From the West Cost to Europe, climate change is making wildfires worse

Paying for fresh air? It could happen

Troy Farah

As wildfires spread every summer and pollution intensifies, fresh air may become a luxury commodity

Miscarriage treatment is getting harder

Nicole Karlis

Researchers found a shift from medication management to expectant management, putting more women’s lives at risk

Lower drug prices won't fix cancer care

Kenneth E. Thorpe

As breakthrough drugs offer critical hope to patients, lawmakers should focus on shoring up the social safety net

The price of Trump's anti-science agenda

Troy Farah

From measles to screwworm, Americans keep paying the cost of the admin's war on science
MORE SCIENCE & HEALTH

FOOD

Miso-butter tomato toast (Ashlie Stevens )

The toast of tomato season

Ashlie D. Stevens

The toast of tomato season

Ashlie D. Stevens

Cold grated tomatoes top crisp sourdough brushed with browned-miso butter for a simple peak-summer meal
MORE FOOD

LIFE STORIES

Therapist going on vacation, leaving an empty couch (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)

Help! My therapist is on vacation

Susan Shapiro

"If I'd known it would be so helpful, I might have shrunk around sooner"
The river Usk winding its way through the Welsh countryside. (Getty Images/Andrew Holt)

Don't "fall in love" with a destination

Pamela Petro

I’ve been to Wales 30 times in 40 years. I’d rather have my tongue pierced than say I "fell in love" with it
Miles, the author's cat, makes himself at home in a hotel room. (Photo courtesy of author)

My cat is my favorite traveling partner

Kyoko Mori

Miles is happier with me than with anyone else, so when I have to leave town, he comes along
Clear Plastic Cup Pattern (Getty Images/MirageC)

Frozen cup: Summer for just a quarter

D. Watkins

Made by my babysitter Boo Boo, frozen cups were more important to my childhood summers than the sun
MORE LIFE STORIES
View More