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

Christopher Nolan's muse was star power

Melanie McFarland

Christopher Nolan's muse was star power

Melanie McFarland

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

FEATURED

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

Vinita Prabhakar says she was dismissed after the college president objected to a story taught in freshman English
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
Miso-butter tomato toast (Ashlie 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
ICE walk a California detainee from a detention center. The organization is now under further scrutiny as the ACLU filed 54 claims across 17 states and D.C. against ICE agents. (Blake Fagan / Getty Images)

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

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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

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

Andrew Tate's arrest causes trouble for Trump's youngest son

Trump's youngest son faces Tate scrutiny

Sophia Tesfaye

The manosphere influencer has lost the president's support — but he could pose a threat to Barron

JD Vance will never be the GOP Obama

Vance will never be the GOP Obama

Amanda Marcotte

He can copy Obama's biography, but the vice president will never have the charisma

Kamala Harris’ biggest opponent in 2028? Herself

Harris’ biggest 2028 opponent is herself

Jason Kyle Howard

As she lays the groundwork for a campaign, Harris again risks a trap of her own making

NEWS & POLITICS

Former National Institutes of Health Director Anthony Fauci (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

We're still living in 2020

Heather Digby Parton

Rand Paul's vendetta against the former chief medical advisor shows how we can't move beyond the year from hell
A supporter attends an book event by Trump-supporting author Nick Adams for the DC Young Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club on January 29, 2024, in Washington, DC. His book is called "Alpha Kings" and he prides himself as being endorsed by Trump. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

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
A Spanish soldier speaks to migrants prior to escorting them back to Morocco, in Spain's north Africa's Ceuta enclave. At least 67 people have died in a recent surge of migrant crossings, and most of the 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta have already returned to Morocco. (JORGE GUERRERO / Getty Images)

Europe reels after Ceuta migrant surge

CK Smith

Spain rushed to reinforce its border as European leaders debated new controls after thousands crossed into Ceuta
Ryan Reynolds in his Deadpool costume speaks during 2026 Comic-Con International in San Diego, July 25, 2026. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Politics is broken — but Comic Con isn't

Brian Karem

The White House correspondents' dinner was phony and ugly. Comic Con was joyful, colorful and way more real
Authorities release ransom notes from February in hopes of gaining new leads for the Nancy Guthrie disappearance case. (Danielle Joe Main / Getty Images)

Police release ransom notes for Guthrie

CK Smith

Police release ransom notes for Guthrie

CK Smith

Investigators hope the writing style in 2 ransom notes sparks new leads 6 months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images)

The reason Blanche won't drop slush fund

Amanda Marcotte

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

DOJ reverses in Pool vandalism case

CK Smith

Federal prosecutors say rushed contractor work, not vandalism, caused damage leading to charges against an Olympian

Texas Senate mulls ways to push religion

Alejandro Serrano - The Texas Tribune

The lieutenant governor released seven new charges for state senators to study before the Legislature reconvenes
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CULTURE

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

The TV shows a media merger could erase

Melanie McFarland

A Paramount-Warner Bros. merger will mean less diversity and fewer hidden gems
Olivia Wilde in "I Want Your Sex" (Magnolia Pictures)

"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

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
Attendees react to a talk given by Riley Gaines during the Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit (Sam Hodde for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The right's Gen-Z influencer pipeline

Andi Zeisler

From Phyllis Schlafly to Emma Waters, a familiar agenda cycle continues
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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
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SCIENCE & HEALTH

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

Our caregiving industry is dying

Julia S. Beck

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

A sandwich on the beach (Iuliia Bondar / Getty Images)

The art of the beach sandwich

Ashlie D. Stevens

The art of the beach sandwich

Ashlie D. Stevens

Unlike the airport sandwich, a great beach sandwich doesn’t merely survive the wait — it gets better as it sits

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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
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