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Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in "Practical Magic 2" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Some sequels are destined to disappoint

Coleman Spilde

Some sequels are destined to disappoint

Coleman Spilde

"Practical Magic 2" bet on a devotion that was really just a love of autumn and soft lighting

FEATURED

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a Mexican Border Defense Medal Ceremony at the Pentagon on July 27, 2026. (Annabelle GORDON / AFP)

Pete Hegseth's polygraph theater

Jesselyn Radack

The defense secretary is weaponizing lie detectors against military and civilian officials
Abdul El-Sayed, Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Finn Gomez / John Nacion / Noushad Thekkayil / ANGELA WEISS)

America's wet hot socialist summer

Michael Tedder

Fox News and Republicans are struggling to contain their desire when it comes to the progressive left
Donald Trump Jr. and now wife Bettina Anderson have been together since 2024, engaged since December 2025. Trump's father will be skipping their wedding weekend, blaming it on international issues. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

Putin ally bankrolled Don Jr. wedding

Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Joshua Kaplan, Alex Mierjeski - ProPublica

He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but attended intimate wedding with a group of other Russian guests
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. watches the program on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

RFK Jr. got outdone by Taco Bell

Ashlie D. Stevens

Sen. Warren is using Taco Bell’s outbreak response to ask why federal agencies couldn’t communicate as clearly

MOST POPULAR

Why Erika Kirk failed as Turning Point USA’s leader

Why Erika Kirk failed as TPUSA's leader

Amanda Marcotte

One year after Charlie Kirk's death, the organization is a joke — even on the right

Donald Trump's emotional support convention

Trump's emotional support convention

Amanda Marcotte

The RNC embarrasses itself with a shindig no one else wanted

Taco Bell exposed RFK Jr.’s food-safety failure

RFK Jr. got outdone by Taco Bell

Ashlie D. Stevens

Sen. Warren is using Taco Bell’s outbreak response to ask why federal agencies couldn’t communicate as clearly

The tradwife brand may finally be crumbling

The tradwife brand is crumbling

Melanie McFarland

Mormon Wives fatigue and Nara Smith's distancing spell trouble for lifestyle influencers

What Burning Man’s Gen Z problem says about the festival

Why Gen Z is over Burning Man

Nicole Karlis

Burning Man’s attendance data shows that fewer younger people are attending. Gen Z tells us why

The "Ted Lasso" problem Ted Lasso can't see

The "Ted Lasso" problem Ted can't see

Melanie McFarland

Although the feel-good show is regaining its stride, there's one yellow card still flashing in the wings

NEWS & POLITICS

All the administrations after 9/11 have caved to the temptation to skirt civil liberties in the name of protecting “the homeland” (Getty Images)

The security state we never turned off

Heather Digby Parton

Built as a response to 9/11, America's security apparatus has become a rabid beast
President Donald Trump is greeted by Irish President Catherine Connolly, where he waded into decades-old, sensitive political conflicts. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

Trump supports Irish reunification

CK Smith

“It may as well happen now,” the president said of a dispute that fueled decades of deadly conflict
Mother-to-be (d3sign via Getty Images)

Ectopic pregnancy deaths nearly doubled

Andrea Suozzo, Agnel Philip - ProPublica

ProPublica’s analysis of CDC data found that almost 200 women died after an ectopic pregnancy from 2020 to 2025
A volunteer grabs a gallon of water at a water and food distribution drive held by College Hill Baptist Church and the World Central kitchen on March 07, 2021 in Jackson, Mississippi. Residents in parts of Jackson, Mississippi, where 80% of the residents are Black, have been without running water since mid-February after the city was hit by back-to-back winter storms. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Lying about clean water will backfire

Troy Farah

The ruling begs the question: What is even the point of government?
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of Silicon Valley's warnings of A.I.-induced doom (Getty Images)

If AI kills us, don't blame the machine

Alex Galbraith

If AI kills us, don't blame the machine

Alex Galbraith

AI companies warn about the risk their models pose. Should it be on them to handle it?
Members of the crowd hold their hands up as they make a pledge with US President Donald Trump during the second day of the Republican National Committee midterm convention. (Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images)

Trump: Pledge allegiance to vote for me

CK Smith

President had supporters raise their hands, promise to vote and “try and cheat like hell” to keep GOP majority

Trump's bribe: 9/11's dark legacy

Brian Karem

Our president's attempts to play emperor now seem normal. It might be the worst result of the 9/11 era

Reflecting Pool culprit wasn’t a vandal

CK Smith

Documents reveal “human oversight” and incompatible chemicals behind the rushed Reflecting Pool $114.7m reno mess
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CULTURE

Nara Smith at the Net-a-Porter Incredible Women Cocktail in New York (Aurora Rose/WWD via Getty Images)

The tradwife brand is crumbling

Melanie McFarland

The tradwife brand is crumbling

Melanie McFarland

Mormon Wives fatigue and Nara Smith's distancing spell trouble for lifestyle influencers
The New England Patriots face off against the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game on Aug. 27, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

I can't quit the NFL

Dimitrios Aletras Jr.

Football is hypermasculine and often unwelcoming, but I keep coming back anyway

Your instant mood fix soundtrack

Melanie McFarland

Let’s harmonize on the wondrous power of the “non-lexical vocable”

Snobbery is making a comeback — finally

Coleman Spilde

Two corporate giants are pushing back on slop. Viewers should too
Satellite image shows the center of the Burning Man festival site in Black Rock City. ( Satellite image (c) 2026 Vantor.)

Why Gen Z is over Burning Man

Nicole Karlis

Burning Man’s attendance data shows that fewer younger people are attending. Gen Z tells us why

Jason Sudeikis and Tanya Reynolds in "Ted Lasso," now streaming on Apple TV. (Courtesy Apple TV)

The "Ted Lasso" problem Ted can't see

Melanie McFarland

Although the feel-good show is regaining its stride, there's one yellow card still flashing in the wings
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (Disney/Randy Holmes)

More FCC "nonsense" for Jimmy Kimmel

Melanie McFarland

The "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host announced his Thursday chat with James Talarico will only be found on YouTube
Grace Ann Nader, left, and Brooks Nader attend the U.S. premiere of "Practical Magic 2" on Aug. 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. The sisters partnered with Astral Tequila to promote the film as part of a broader trend of studios enlisting influencers for movie marketing. (Chloe Kern / FilmMagic)

Influencers are squeezing out critics

Kristen Lopez

The entertainment industry used to suck up to critics. Now it's chasing your favorite content creator
MORE CULTURE

MONEY

The price of diesel fuel is displayed at a gas station on September 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Diesel fuel prices in the U.S. topped $6 a gallon for the first time ever. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

August was brutal for consumers: report

Troy Farah

Two new reports paint a stark picture of the U.S. economy, with no relief in sight
Young man worried about saving money and paying bills (Getty Images/Westend61)

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring

Jay L. Zagorsky - The Conversation

Here's what to know about this growing trend
Some colleges and universities are transitioning to asynchronous learning via technology through management systems like Canvas (Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)

Being fired for resisting tech saved me

Susan Shapiro

Pushed out of academia by new requirements, I beat the system and helped my students
(Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Pixelimage)

MAGA's burrito meltdown

Sophia Tesfaye

A $20 meal became a right-wing media feud, exposing a party's broken promises
School supplies. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Kid’s school supplies costing more

Chabeli Carrazana - The 19th

Kid’s school supplies costing more

Chabeli Carrazana - The 19th

From lunchboxes to No. 2 pencils, the prices are skyrocketing. Here's how much
Protesters rally against Wells Fargo in solidarity with the people of Standing Rock in Hollywood, California, on December 21, 2016. (TOMMASO BODDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Bring back the corporate death penalty

Troy Farah

We have a mechanism to punish corporations that harm us. We should use it

Could Trump end up on your money?

Jacques Hymans - The Conversation

Putting living politicians on currency is uncommon but not unheard of

The U.S. economy is a giant betting app

Troy Farah

Senators oppose gambling on wildfire outcomes, but the financial sector rewards amoral wagers
MORE MONEY

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Measles death undercuts RFK Jr.’s doubts

CK Smith

Kennedy now acknowledges a Pennsylvania infant died from the virus, but the death still isn’t reflected in CDC data

New guidance on fall vaccines

Troy Farah

Independent medical groups are filling the void left by Trump’s health agenda

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

AI’s abortion misinformation problem

Nicole Karlis

Reproductive rights advocates are pushing back as AI chatbots misdirect abortion seekers

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
MORE SCIENCE & HEALTH

FOOD

Ingredients for a Costco chicken bake-inspired galette (Ashlie Stevens )

Costco chicken bake, meet the galette

Ashlie D. Stevens

Costco chicken bake, meet the galette

Ashlie D. Stevens

Rotisserie chicken, a Caesar-ish dressing and store-bought pie crust turn a food-court favorite into an easy dinner

How soybeans took over the American diet

Edward D. Melillo - The Conversation

Most people don’t think of themselves as soybean consumers, but it's in much of our food supply

The global appeal of the pastry dog

Ashlie D. Stevens

From Sister Schubert's sausage rolls to $28 pigs in a blanket, we can’t stop reinventing dogs wrapped in dough

Stuffing deserves to be dinner

Ashlie D. Stevens

Stale bread, sausage, vegetables and stock make an easy, cozy dinner — especially with a fried egg on top

Trump's mystery meat problem

Ashlie D. Stevens

Cheap mystery beef, wild mustangs and the strange consequences of an opaque food system

How to spend a perfect day in Milwaukee

Chaya Milchtein

A Milwaukee native shares the restaurants, festivals and easy Wisconsin escapes that made her fall for home again
MORE FOOD

LIFE STORIES

The author with Alex Trebek on the "Jeopardy!" set (Courtesy Jeopardy Productions, Inc.)

Why does "Jeopardy!" still haunt me?

Steve Moulds

The day I became a "Jeopardy!" champ was perfect. It wasn’t until I got home that I started having trouble sleeping
A college dorm room (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)

All of a sudden, I'm an empty nester

Robin Reiser

I just dropped my daughter off for her first year of college. Finally, it hit me: This was her gig, not mine
Chatbot writing, concept (Getty Images/Jorg Greuel)

Will AI be the death of the writer?

Randall Horton

I thought long and hard before writing this essay. I never want to sound like a relic screaming about good old days
Family fun outdoors in the autumn by throwing fallen leaves up in the air. (Getty Images/MarianVejcik)

I can't savor every moment as a parent

Kristine Langley Mahler

I fear my children will not remember me as a parent who prioritized play over work
MORE LIFE STORIES
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