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Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner in "One Night Only" (Nicole Rivelli / Universal Pictures)

The summer of rom-com sex talk

Coleman Spilde

The summer of rom-com sex talk

Coleman Spilde

Three new films find room for intimacy in a slide toward fascism

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One school district is struggling under the weight of recent budget cuts and questions about potential mismanagement. Then it put out a new school planner for its students that was filled with errors ranging from misidentifying planets, creating a Periodic Table of nonsense and renaming of states on the U.S. map to "Sorth Cuanto", "Alatome" and "Venecky" (South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky, respectively). (Douglas Sacha / Getty Images)

Welcome to Venecky?

CK Smith

A Kentucky school's botched student planner is ridiculous — but it's hardly the troubled district's biggest problem
Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette spoke with Katie Miller, conservative podcaster and wife of Senior Trump Adviser Stephen Miller, as part of a series of behind-the-scenes conversations from the Trump Cabinet. (Nathan Howard-Pool / Getty Images)

Marco Rubio opts for Pop-Tarts over MAHA

CK Smith

Secretary of state dishes on RFK Jr.'s sauerkraut, Hegseth's 'arrogant' cat and his own disastrous keto experiment
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing on July 23, 2026. (Mehmet Eser / Anadolu via Getty Images)

The worst press secretary I've ever seen

Brian Karem

Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House. She won't be missed by the media she mocked and despised
The White House is awaiting an override from the Supreme Court to continue construction on the now infamous ballroom / "military complex" project. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

Trump begs SCOTUS for his ballroom

CK Smith

The president lashes out at “treasonists” after lower courts blocked construction on his $400 million project

MOST POPULAR

The world is finally calling Trump’s bluff

The world is calling Trump’s bluff

Heather Digby Parton

The president’s empty threats and erratic diplomacy have underscored America’s unreliability

Tucker Carlson could derail the GOP's 2028 plans

Tucker could derail the GOP in 2028

Heather Digby Parton

A third-party bid by the disaffected MAGA podcaster would be difficult — and beneficial to Democrats

Time for James Carville to sit down and shut up

Time for James Carville to shut up

Alex Galbraith

The strategist and other Third Way advocates think they have the answers for Trump. But they got us into this mess

AOC exposes MAGA’s motherhood hypocrisy

AOC exposes MAGA's motherhood hypocrisy

Amanda Marcotte

The New York congresswoman freezes her eggs, and Republicans show their true feelings

Brad Pitt’s sobriety story deserves more scrutiny

Brad Pitt’s drinking deserves scrutiny

Coleman Spilde

Celebrity culture continues to shield powerful men from accountability

Francesca Hong's loss in Wisconsin is a win for progressives

Hong's loss proves AOC right

Jason Kyle Howard

Her defeat in the state’s gubernatorial primary shows why the left needs happy warriors like AOC and Mamdani

NEWS & POLITICS

Political strategist James Carville was one of the architects of Bill Clinton's Third Way approach to politics (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SCAD)

Time for James Carville to shut up

Alex Galbraith

The strategist and other Third Way advocates think they have the answers for Trump. But they got us into this mess
Flock Safety cameras have many Americans seeing red. (Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / The Washington Post / SOPA Images)

The Flock uprising is just the beginning

Amanda Marcotte

People are sick of tech billionaires trying to control our lives
Luigi Mangione appears for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)

Mangione pleads guilty to killing CEO

Troy Farah

“I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died,” the 28-year-old said
Inarticulate in interviews and weak on the stump, Francesca Hong's defeat in the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary is a gift in disguise to progressives (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Hong's loss proves AOC right

Jason Kyle Howard

Her defeat in the state’s gubernatorial primary shows why the left needs happy warriors like AOC and Mamdani
(Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Pixelimage)

MAGA's burrito meltdown

Sophia Tesfaye

MAGA's burrito meltdown

Sophia Tesfaye

A $20 meal became a right-wing media feud, exposing a party's broken promises
President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The gospel of science denial

Heather Digby Parton

Donald Trump and RFK Jr.'s anti-vax agenda has deep roots in fundamentalist faith and Big Business

AOC exposes MAGA's motherhood hypocrisy

Amanda Marcotte

The New York congresswoman freezes her eggs, and Republicans show their true feelings

How Paxton, Talarico differ on God

Ellie Ashby - The Texas Tribune

Campaigning for the U.S. Senate, Paxton says he was “delivered by God” to protect Texas from leftists
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CULTURE

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler in "Lanterns." (John Johnson/HBO Max)

“Lanterns” questions what makes a hero

Melanie McFarland

“Lanterns” questions what makes a hero

Melanie McFarland

The DCU's new drama uses Hal Jordan and John Stewart's tense team-up to take a swing at America's meritocracy myth
(L-R) Kaia Gerber, Jenna Ortega, Ariana Grande (Photo illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Frazer Harrison / WireImage / Stephanie Augello / Dia Dipasupil)

Our body-positive era has some flaws

Candice Frederick

Scrutiny over Ariana Grande, Kaia Gerber and Jenna Ortega’s bodies exposes how little we’ve learned

Phoebe Bridgers has lots of feelings

Kelly McClure

On "Lost Weekend," Phoebe Bridgers embraces the pain and joy of simply being alive

Anthony Bourdain would have hated "Tony"

Coleman Spilde

Matt Johnson's uninspired "Tony" confines Bourdain to the public's imagination. It sorely lacks Bourdain's depth
Brad Pitt (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)

Brad Pitt’s drinking deserves scrutiny

Coleman Spilde

Celebrity culture continues to shield powerful men from accountability
Phia Saban in "House of the Dragon" (Ollie Upton/HBO)

Helaena was too good for King's Landing

Kelly McClure

Helaena's refusal to play the game for power makes her "House of the Dragon's" most quietly radical character
Tommy Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Joey Ramone (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The Ramones' debut still defines punk

Caryn Rose

The band's first album flopped in 1976, but its influence on popular culture remains undeniable
For the New York City premiere of "The Odyssey", Zendaya models the latest style from Matieres Fecales (literally "Fecal Matter"), a relatively newer luxury fashion house that is having a moment. (Dominik Bindi / Getty Images)

"Fecal Matter": Hottest runway fashion

CK Smith

The deliberately provocative label now dresses Hollywood stars and sells some pieces for more than $1,000
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

US life expectancy isn't what it seems

Nicole Karlis

Americans will pay to live longer, but experts say wealth doesn’t guarantee a longer life in America

Fauci is an easy scapegoat

Troy Farah

The Trump admin can deflect from their public health failures — including Ebola and the cyclospora outbreak

SpaceX’s rocket trashes the moon

Troy Farah

The collision is a reminder that we’re junking everything we touch

Our caregiving industry is dying

Julia S. Beck

Leaked plans to declare migrants dead and a SCOTUS ruling are hollowing out elder care

Spokane wildfires are a warning

Troy Farah

From the West Cost to Europe, climate change is making wildfires worse
MORE SCIENCE & HEALTH

FOOD

Magnifying glass over a shopping cart (porocorex / Getty Images)

We're all food safety inspectors now

Ashlie D. Stevens

We're all food safety inspectors now

Ashlie D. Stevens

MAHA wants Americans to scrutinize their food. Taylor Farms recalls show how hard that has become

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
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