Lindsay Lohan’s renaissance should be bigger than Netflix original movies

If there’s one thing missing from the modern cinematic landscape, it’s the real, ineffable charm that made no-name ingenues into overnight sensations. Seldom do we see the meteoric rise of someone whose it-factor is so undeniable that they can maintain their ascent after the shine of a viral TikTok dance or the precocious sparkle of a stolen scene wears off. The early 2000s were full of these entertainers, ones who could draw your gaze from across the room just by locking eyes with the cover of a “Vanity Fair” young Hollywood issue. Raven Symoné! Hilary Duff! Amanda Bynes! But there were none so effervescent as Lindsay Lohan, who, from her breakout role in “The Parent Trap” at age 12, proved she had more talent in her pinky than most young stars actors ever display in their entire careers.

Since her initial climb to stardom, Lohan has experienced her fair share of well-documented stumbles. But the worst mistakes weren’t enough to deplete the public’s goodwill — not entirely, at least. And after going through hell to mount a successful comeback, Lohan is far past the point of needing to prove herself to anyone. After moving semi-permanently to Dubai to escape the prying lenses of the paparazzi who had a bounty on her darkest days since she was still a teenager, the once-troubled star rerouted her life and regained control of her narrative. She got married, had a child, and began to act again at her own pace, starting with the 2022 Netflix holiday film “Falling for Christmas” before inking a two-picture deal with the streamer soon after. By anyone’s standards, Lohan took the raw deal she was given as a child star whose popularity exploded in the brutal celebrity culture of the early aughts and transformed it into an impressive second act.

Focusing so heavily on the past does little to serve this pivotal moment in Lohan’s career.

But you wouldn’t know that by tapping into any of the press that Lohan has done for her latest Netflix film, “Our Little Secret.” In junkets and talk show interviews, the conversation inevitably turns to Lohan’s earlier work in films like “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday” (the latter of which will receive a sequel, “Freakier Friday,” in 2025). Those are safe places to land, topics that journalists and hosts can mine for some clickbait nostalgia or audience applause, but focusing so heavily on the past does little to serve this pivotal moment in Lohan’s career.

A tale of two child stars: The tragedy and triumph of Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan

After “Falling for Christmas,” it was plain to see that the Lohan Renaissance — or “Lohanaissance” as many (or, maybe, just me) dubbed it — was well underway. The Disney star who consistently outshined and outacted her peers was happy, healthy and ready to sharpen any performing skills that may have dulled during years when work was sparse. The public is rooting for Lohan in a way they haven’t in two decades. And though “Our Little Secret” is the best of Lohan’s trio of Netflix offerings, it should be both a temporary cap on her rom-coms and a springboard for something better suited to her broad array of talents.

Katie Baker, Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan in "Our Little Secret" (Netflix)

That’s not to say that “Our Little Secret” isn’t enjoyable all on its own, only that it’s become wearying to watch Lohan confined to the limits of a holiday movie made for a streamer. The film’s conceit isn’t exactly novel, either. In the movie, Lohan plays Avery, a young, business-minded woman who dumps her boyfriend Logan (Ian Harding) for a big job in London. Ten years after their trainwreck breakup, Avery tags along with her new beau Cameron (Jon Rudnitsky) for his big family Christmas, where she thinks the biggest hurdle will be impressing Cameron’s uptight, holiday-obsessed mother, Erica (Kristin Chenoweth). But a much larger obstacle waits just behind Erica’s wreath-and-string-light-covered entryway: Logan, with Cameron’s sister Cassie (Katie Baker) on his arm.

First-time screenwriter Hailey DeDominicis draws from familiar setups for her batch of holiday hijinks. But her droll, realistic script and the film’s reasonably stacked cast (for a streaming Christmas movie, anyway) keep “Our Little Secret” from feeling too conventional. Lohan’s first two Netflix films, “Falling for Christmas” and the godawful “Irish Wish,” had cheesy dialogue and slight magical elements that made both films feel wholly undeserving of Lohan’s singular presence. But in “Our Little Secret,” Lohan thankfully isn’t beholden to any of the kitsch that plagued her prior Netflix movies. The romantic subplot is predictable but sweet, and the humor is legitimately clever, letting Lohan remind us that her comedic chops extend far beyond physical humor. She’s still got the preternatural charisma that made audiences fall in love with her, and it hasn’t been this apparent in years.

Dan Bucatinsky, Kristin Chenoweth, Jake Brennan, Katie Baker, Jon Rudintsky in "Our Little Secret" (Netflix)While “Our Little Secret” is a decent movie — undoubtedly the best of Lohan’s three Netflix films — it’s only a sizzle reel compared to what she could do next. Nostalgia is a potent drug, and Lohan would do well to capitalize on the goodwill she’s built over the last couple of years, which will only keep stacking with “Freakier Friday” on the horizon. The masses are eager to see their favorite starlet shine bright again, and it’s time to pursue a project that isn’t tailor-made for Jimmy Fallon’s lowball questions and dated references.

But what kind of project might that be, exactly? Lohan’s filmography offers a fair amount of underrated movies from which she could draw inspiration when looking toward the future. Assuming that there won’t be a “Freakiest Friday” (although I’d be happy to sell the rights to the name to the House of Mouse for a cool $2 million), Lohan is safe to step into something a bit more adult. If we look back to the mid-2000s when Lohan was making her first break from the Disney machine, turns in “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Georgia Rule” had Hollywood legends Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda singing her praises; the former even posed alongside Lohan on a “W Magazine” cover that same year, suggesting that Lohan had the potential to follow in Streep’s footsteps.

While one might argue that a career of the same magnitude as Streep’s is far behind Lohan, there’s no reason to believe that a solid set of dramatic roles couldn’t be in her future. Both “Georgia Rule” and “A Prairie Home Companion” leveraged Lohan’s wide-eyed ingenue status, but consider how actors like Natasha Lyonne and Winona Ryder burst back onto the scene in major ways after achieving fame around the same age as Lohan. Both women had their struggles made public and faced relentless scrutiny, only to step back from the limelight until they found projects that spoke to their skill sets.

To fully regain movie star status (if that is what she wants, that is), Lindsay Lohan has to stop being Lindsay Lohan.

Aside from that uncanny comic timing, Lohan is gifted with a screen presence that few of her contemporaries could replicate, making her perfect for scene-stealing supporting roles. A smaller part is nothing to scoff at, either. Margot Robbie managed to be the best part of Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” with nothing but a brief, moving monologue in a scene that held the key to the entire film. With her signature husky voice and confident delivery, there’s no reason Lohan wouldn’t be the perfect choice for a similar bit part.

Well, there is one reason. To fully regain movie star status (if that is what she wants, that is), Lindsay Lohan has to stop being Lindsay Lohan. She has to find a connection to a character that will allow her to disappear into a role entirely. All her years as a tabloid target have made that a lofty task for Lohan, but it’s not an impossible goal. Take her starring role in Paul Schrader’s derided-yet-misunderstood 2013 L.A. noir “The Canyons.” As the bored trust fund kid Tara, Lohan drew from her experiences withering away in the California sun to craft a character who was detestable but always sympathetic. Despite the film’s tortured production, Lohan won Schrader’s praises. Her performance is perhaps the sole reason that the film has achieved cult status, mirrored in the equally lovable mess that is 2007’s “I Know Who Killed Me,” which wouldn’t be half as impressive without its enthusiastic star.

But a full transformation may already be imminent, with Lohan recently confirming that she’s working on a biopic of Ann-Margret, who gave Lohan her blessing to play her in the movie. A film about one of cinema’s greatest dancers could be the ideal role for Lohan at this stage, letting her flex her physical prowess and dramatic chops in equal measure. But whether the biopic ends up being “Maria” good or “Back to Black” bad, it’s nice to see Lohan in the Hollywood mix again. Let’s just hope her massive potential doesn’t have to be our little secret much longer.

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December interest rate cut depends on inflation, Fed official says

A top Federal Reserve board member said Monday he’s likely to support an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks, as long as inflation isn't still persistent.

Christopher Waller, a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident the rate of inflation would continue to decrease, according to The Associated Press — but that there was still a chance it might be “stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, in which case interest rates would remain unchanged.

“At present, I lean toward supporting a cut to the policy rate at our December meeting,” Waller said during a conference. “But that decision will depend on whether data that we will receive before then surprises to the upside and alters my forecast for the path of inflation.”

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Inflation, which had cooled from its higher levels in recent years, rose by 2.6% in October, a small jump after the Fed cut interest rates in September, according to CBS News. Despite this, two-thirds of surveyed economists agreed the Fed is still predicted to cut rates for a third time this year.

Other Fed officials haven’t commented on whether they support another rate cut. And with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed policies of tariffs and mass deportation, both of which economists predict will worsen inflation, some say the Fed may decide on less frequent rate cuts to gauge the policies' effect on the economy.

Waller acknowledged the unpredictability of inflation rates, but promised the Fed would keep it in check.

“I feel like an MMA fighter who keeps getting inflation in a choke hold, waiting for it to tap out, yet it keeps slipping out of my grasp at the last minute,” Waller said. “But let me assure you that submission is inevitable — inflation isn’t getting out of the octagon.”

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Why you might be paying more at Chipotle soon

Back in October, Chipotle announced in its third-quarter earnings report that food, beverage and packaging costs went up from 29.7% to 30.6% of total revenue due to inflation. Now, the burrito chain may implement another price increase to offset the costs of raw ingredients that have been hit hard by inflation — like avocados, queso, and sour cream — according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.

“With inflation for its ingredients in the low single digits, Chipotle executives are considering raising prices but want to maintain its appeal to consumers looking for deals and discounts,” the Journal’s Jennifer Williams wrote. Despite the higher menu prices, Chipotle will remain a more cost-effective option for customers compared to similar alternatives, Chipotle’s Chief Financial Officer Adam Rymer told the outlet.

Rymer, who was slated to become the company’s CFO in January, assumed his position three months earlier than anticipated due to former Chipotle Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, who now leads Starbucks, leaving his position in August. Rymer succeeds longtime finance chief Jack Hartung, who is staying with the company indefinitely to help with management transitions, the Journal reported. Hartung currently serves as president of strategy, finance and supply chain.

"Shrinkflation" claims have hit Chipotle — and its customers are ready with their cameras

Company executives have yet to decide when the price increases will take place, or how large the hikes will be. Rymer, however, described the potential price increases as “modest.”

Analysts are confident that the upcoming lift will not deter Chipotle consumers and negatively impact the chain’s business. David Tarantino, a senior analyst covering restaurants at Baird, told the Journal that there hasn’t been much customer resistance in response to Chipotle’s previous price increases. Between 2021 and early 2024, the chain has increased its prices six times. The latest price hike was in April and only affected California restaurants after the state’s $20 minimum wage mandate went into full effect.

Tarantino said another price increase “will likely be digestible.” That’s because Chipotle customers tend to be wealthier (Business Insider has described the chain as “a budget restaurant for rich people”) and more loyal to the chain. Additionally, the chain’s “menu items are a better overall value than other options,” Tarantino told the Journal.

“Price increases are lagging what we’re seeing elsewhere, and that leads to a much stronger value proposition,” he said, citing Chipotle’s chicken burrito as an example. The price of the popular menu item has increased by 41% in the past decade, while overall restaurant prices increased 50%, per Tarantino’s research, the Journal wrote.

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Chipotle’s decision to further hike up menu prices comes after the chain received countless online complaints targeting its inadequate portion sizes. Last month, Chipotle interim CEO Scott Boatwright said the company has since been serving “consistent and generous portions.”

“We know that portioning is a core equity of ours in the organization,” Boatwright said. “We are committed to ensuring that we give the right portion to every guest that walks into the building.”

“We’ve seen strong improvement, even through our social channels … Now it’s a reverse of what we saw earlier in the year, around people posting big burritos, big bowls, and really excited about portioning they’re getting in the Chipotle brand,” he added.

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Elon Musk loses $56 billion pay package in latest court ruling

A Delaware judge on Monday denied Tesla CEO Elon Musk his $58 billion pay plan, upholding her prior ruling that it was improperly granted.

The 2018 plan — the largest for a public company executive in U.S. history — had been described as "unfathomable" by the Delaware court, CNBC reported. Judge Kathaleen McCormick, who ruled to void Musk’s pay package in January, said they only way the pay package could have been approved was due to Musk’s unilateral “control” over Tesla.

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Since the ruling, Musk has posted angrily on his social media platform X, echoing sentiments from his supporters that the ruling was corrupt and undeserved, and calling the legal proceedings “lawfare” — presumably a combination of the words “law” and “warfare.”

“Shareholders should control company votes, not judges,” he wrote.

The latest ruling followed attempts by Tesla to prove it properly granted the package. The company conducted a shareholder vote in June at its annual meeting, asking investors to approve and “ratify” the pay plan. McCormick said the vote was flawed because Tesla board members lacked autonomy in the company.

“Even if a stockholder vote could have a ratifying effect, it could not do so here,” McCormick wrote in her opinion. “Were the court to condone the practice of allowing defeated parties to create new facts for the purpose of revising judgments, lawsuits would become interminable.”

The pay package came in the form of stock options, according to The New York Times, and now may be worth over $100 billion since Tesla stock soared after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November.

Even without the package, Musk’s net worth has increased by $43 billion since the election, as stockholders anticipate Musk’s relationship with Trump to ultimately favor the company’s performance.

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Rayo: The hidden speakeasy where Mexican history and mythology comes to life

The era of Prohibition, which spanned 13 years in the United States before its repeal on December 5, 1933, left a lasting legacy that went far beyond dry laws. It catalyzed the rise of organized crime, laid the blueprint for Las Vegas (inspired by Tijuana’s bustling strip of businesses where Americans could drink and gamble freely), introduced the Caesar Salad, and, perhaps most notably, birthed the modern cocktail movement.

While cocktails predated Prohibition, it was during this era that their purpose shifted. The decline in alcohol quality due to rampant bootlegging forced bartenders to mask the harsh flavors of bathtub gin and moonshine. From this period, innovation boomed, resulting in timeless classics like the Bee’s Knees, French 75 and Sidecar.

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Though the United States’ experiment with Prohibition didn’t extend south of the border, its cultural impact reverberated there, influencing Mexico’s cocktail scene in ways that endure today. Nowhere is this more evident than at Rayo, a bar tucked inside a Porfirian-style mansion in Mexico City, where history and innovation collide in a singular drinking experience.

A hidden gem in Mexico City

If you don't know where you’re going, it’s easy to miss the narrow entry to Rayo.

Look for a cast iron medallion of a bulldog on the building’s exterior to indicate you’re in the right place. It’s the first sign that Rayo has layers of depth and complexity that reveal themselves the closer you look.

“Our aim was to create a place where guests feel a genuine sense of Mexican hospitality and history through each drink,” says Victor Garibay, founder and owner of Rayo. “When guests leave, we hope they feel like they’ve connected with Mexico on a deeper level, not just through the flavors but through the stories and symbols that make up each part of Rayo.”

After checking in, patrons are guided to an antique elevator, where they’re served espresso shots for the short ride to the third floor. The doors open to the dimly lit floor where a neon sign in the shape of a lightning bolt illuminates the space. Once seated, guests are presented with a wooden box that includes 10 sample tinctures of their “Mexico Through the Senses” cocktail menu.

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This tasting ritual encourages exploration before committing to a full-sized drink (with the disclaimer that some drinks will vary in taste due to prep).

“The menu celebrates so many different regions, weaving together the country’s spirit-making traditions with modern, playful storytelling elements,” says Garibay. “Each cocktail, titled by number, has its own narrative, rooted in cultural history. The #1 Cocktail, for example, is inspired by carne en su jugo, a traditional beef stew from Northern Jalisco. It’s made with a lacto-ferment of the stew’s vegetables, beef-and-bacon-infused mezcal, and garnished with a beef tendon chicharrón."

Garibay also points to Cocktail #2, which pays homage to the cultural significance of corn. It features a false corn garnish made from leftover sweet corn scraps. Emulsified elote batter is molded to resemble corn on the cob.

Crafting connections through cocktails

The meticulous thought behind each drink extends beyond flavor.

The bar amplifies the experience from the moment its name is spoken, with subtle, symbolic details woven throughout its design. Rayo draws its name from the Aztec myth of the goddess Mayahuel, who descended to Earth with her lover, Quetzalcoatl. Their forbidden union incurred the wrath of Mayahuel's grandmother, who destroyed the lovers after they transformed into an agave plant. In his grief, Quetzalcoatl planted Mayahuel's remains, from which a maguey plant grew. When lightning struck the plant, its sap began to flow, symbolizing her transformation into the source of spirits like mezcal, tequila and sotol. This lightning bolt, a symbol of life, is called rayo in Spanish and is subtly incorporated into both the menu and the venue’s design.

The box that holds the 10 tinctures serves as a showcase of Mexico’s regional craftsmanship. Made from barro negro — the black clay synonymous with Oaxacan artistry — it features designs representing four Mexican regions known for their spirit-making traditions: Oaxaca, Michoacán, Jalisco and Chihuahua. These regions are the origins of the spirits highlighted in the menu’s cocktails: mezcal from Oaxaca, charanda from Michoacán, tequila from Jalisco, and sotol from Chihuahua. Each side of the box pays homage not only to traditional craftsmanship, but also to the unique spirit that defines its respective region.

“These touches are our way of bringing those regions to life in a contemporary setting,” says Garibay. “We want Rayo to be a place where people can not only drink well but also gain a greater appreciation for the Mexican way of life and the depth of its culture.”

A nod to the past, with an eye on the future

One standout creation at Rayo is the Avery Milk Punch, a drink that Garibay says connects the bar’s location to its own storied past.

“We found an old plaque on the building with a bulldog named ‘Avery’ and the phrase ‘Teeth Talk,’” recalls Garibay. “After digging into the building’s history, we found a connection to the Avery Company, a tractor manufacturer from Illinois in the 1800s. One of the building’s past owners had imported an Avery tractor and later turned this space into a horchatería, which we believe became a speakeasy during Prohibition.”

Prohibition in Mexico was not as widespread or long-lasting as its cousin up north, but it did require the same circumventing of laws in order to be able to serve alcohol within city limits. The Avery Milk Punch is designed to acknowledge this past. It uses Mexican moonshine with fig, green apple, lemon, milk and vanilla tea — ingredients that would’ve been common in the early 19th century.

"What excites me most is that the city is evolving in a way that celebrates Mexico’s roots."

The drink, served in a tea cup, is garnished with Gorgonzola-stuffed olives (on the recommendation of a cheese expert with whom the bar partnered) for an umami finish.

Garibay sees Rayo as part of a broader movement celebrating Mexican heritage in unexpected ways.

“The city has always had this magnetic energy, and now it’s being recognized as a global, cultural epicenter,” Garibay said. “What excites me most is that the city is evolving in a way that celebrates Mexico’s roots. Whether it’s through cuisine, art, or cocktails, we’re seeing the re-emergence of traditional techniques and ingredients used in unexpected and exciting ways. I’m proud that Rayo is part of this moment and contributing to a global appreciation for the depth and diversity of Mexican culture.”

Rayo may not be a speakeasy in the traditional sense, but its hidden entrance, historical references, and reverence for the past create a uniquely immersive experience — one that invites guests to savor not just the cocktails but the rich, layered stories behind them.

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Cucumbers and Costco eggs recalled amid growing food safety alarms

“Another day, another recall” might be an understatement as food safety concerns mount this holiday season. Costco’s Kirkland brand eggs and a large batch of cucumbers are the latest items to face recalls due to potential salmonella contamination.

According to Aimee Picchi of CBS News, “The Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs were sold at 25 Costco locations across several states.” The recall affects 10,800 packages of eggs from Handsome Brook Farm, distributed starting November 22, with a “use by” date of January 5, 2025.

The FDA is urging these brands of ground cinnamon products to issue voluntary recalls

Impacted states include Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. No illnesses have been reported so far, but consumers are advised to discard or return the eggs for a refund.

Meanwhile, Forbes reporter Mary Whitfill Roeloffs notes that SunFed has recalled whole cucumbers sold in more than two dozen states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has sickened 68 people in 19 states, with 18 requiring hospitalization. Montana reported the most cases at 16, followed by Oregon and Colorado, each with seven to nine cases. The Arizona-based company issued the recall after the FDA linked several illnesses to cucumbers sold between October 12 and November 26, 2024. Consumers should discard or return the cucumbers for a refund.

As holiday gatherings ramp up, shoppers should remain vigilant by checking food recall notices, especially when preparing meals for guests. Food recalls have become alarmingly frequent — staying informed can help ensure safety at the table.

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Ultra-processed food consumption may worsen psoriasis symptoms

Over recent years, concerns about the health effects of ultra-processed foods have grown, and a new study suggests another potential link.

As reported by Robby Berman for Medical News Today, "Consuming ultraprocessed foods is strongly associated with flare-ups of psoriasis, according to a new research letter." The letter, which relied on self-reported data about diet and psoriasis symptoms, found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) was closely linked to active cases of the condition.

7 foods you had no idea were actually ultra-processed

The study, conducted in France with over 18,000 participants, involved significantly more women than men. Yet even after accounting for factors such as body mass index, age, alcohol use and comorbidities, researchers found the association between UPF consumption and active psoriasis remained strong.

Ultra-processed foods, which are widespread in modern diets, include items like cold cuts, chips, frozen meals, sweetened beverages, cured meats, protein bars and powders. Dr. Rachel Day, Vice President of Zest Health in Menlo Park, California, explained, "These foods are often high in refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and additives, and promote systemic inflammation, which can trigger psoriatic flares."

Possible links may also involve microbiome imbalances, leaky gut syndrome, and exposure to certain toxins, which could exacerbate psoriasis and contribute to other conditions like obesity, Type 2 diabetes and more.

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The Supreme Court will soon decide whether states can ban gender-affirming care for trans minors

The Supreme Court is set to hear one of the most important trans rights cases in history on Wednesday, with the nation's highest court set to decide whether a state-level ban on gender-affirming care for minors is an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination.

The ban in question, passed by Tennessee's Republican-led legislature in the form of SB1, prevents doctors from prescribing puberty blockers, hormone treatment or surgery to minors experiencing gender dysphoria. The same medications can be prescribed to cisgender teens who go through puberty too early or too late, but not for those who feel uncomfortable with their assigned gender.

United States v. Skrmetti was brought forward by three Tennessee transgender youth and their families, who argue that the ban is discriminatory and violates the Equal Protection Clause in the U.S. Constitution.

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In defending its ban, the state of Tennessee has repeatedly cited the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned the federal right to abortion and gave jurisdiction over reproductive rights to the states. Tennessee also maintains that the ban does no discriminate on the basis of sex, arguing that it is instead a healthcare regulation that applies to all.

“The law draws a line between minors seeking drugs for gender transition and minors seeking drugs for other medical purposes. Boys and girls fall on both sides of that line,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, a Republican, wrote in a legal brief.

The case comes at a contentious time for trans rights. Anti-trans messaging was a backbone of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, boosted by right-wing groups like the Heritage Foundation and the Alliance Defending Freedom. According to a survey by the Associated Press, 55% of voters and 85% of Trump voters said support for trans rights in government has gone too far.

Last year, Trump threatened to punish any physician who provided gender-affirming care to minors.

“No serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social account. “Under my leadership, this madness will end.”

Since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, at least 26 states have restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors, despite the objections and guidelines brought forward by a number of U.S. medical associations.

“We’ve seen just how far extreme politicians will push to deny us our reproductive freedom, from banning abortion to threatening IVF to even threatening to put doctors in jail for providing emergency care, with deadly consequences for women’s lives,” Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement.

“The same politicians who are trying to control women have now set their sights on transgender people and their families and are trying to control their bodies and lives," Dalven said. "Allowing politicians to continue down this road could hold severe implications for the freedom of all people to decide what is right for their own body."

about LGBTQ+ rights

South Korea’s right-wing president declares martial law, claiming “communist” threat

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who recently said he would be building a "perfect security posture together" with the incoming Trump administration, on Tuesday announced that he was declaring martial law.

"I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect the free constitutional order," Yoon said in televised remarks, Reuters reported.

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Despite framing martial law as a response to a foreign threat, Yoon also said the declaration was a response to actions taken by his liberal opposition, the Democratic Party, which controls parliament and recently voted to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors.

Yoon has struggled with low approval ratings in recent months, according to the Associated Press, which noted that he's been struggling to pass a new budget in the face of Democratic opposition.

The leader of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, urged supporters to come to the National Assembly, which his party controls.

"President Yoon declared emergency martial law for no reason," Lee said, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported. "Tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers with guns and swords will soon control the country," Lee said,

The move to suspend South Korea's democracy comes a day after the South Korean government hired a lobbying firm connected to President-elect Donald Trump's inner circle to represent its interests in Washington. As Politico reported Monday, the firm hired by South Korea's Washington embassy, Mercury Public Affairs, previously employed Susie Wiles, Trump's future White House chief of staff.

Before declaring martial law, Yoon last month signed a new security agreement with the Biden administration. He also spoke with President-elect Donald Trump, praising him as a force for good in the region.

"We will be building a perfect security posture together with the new administration in Washington and safeguard our freedom and peace," he said at the time, per Reuters.

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From “satisfactory” to “problematic”: How Congress crushed free speech in 2024

A 2024 Pew Research Center poll found that a remarkable 73 percent of adult Americans believe a free press is either extremely or very important to the well-being of society—though only a third of those polled believe that US media are completely free to report news. Indeed, half of those surveyed believe that US news organizations are influenced a great deal by corporate/financial interests (51%) or government/political interests (49%). Citing reports by the Associated Press and the Columbia Journalism Review, the Pew Research Center noted that “recent high-profile incidents such as a police raid on a Kansas newsroom and a government seizure of a Florida journalist’s materials have raised questions about press freedom in the U.S.”

Pew reported its findings in anticipation of World Press Freedom Day and before Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published the 2024 edition of its annual World Press Freedom Index. The United States ranked fifty-fifth among 180 nations for press freedoms in 2024, according to RSF, which defines press freedom as “the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety.” RSF found press freedom is “problematic” in the United States, which earned a score of 66.59 out of a 100, a decline of nearly five points, compared to 2023 when the United States ranked forty-fifth in the world based on “satisfactory” levels of press freedom. Noting that the United States was “once considered a model for freedom of expression,” RSF reported that in 2024, “major structural barriers to press freedom persist,” including, for instance, highly concentrated media ownership that appears “to prioritize profits over public interest journalism,” declines in both local news and public trust in media, and the enactment of state and local laws that limit journalists’ access to public spaces.

From a global perspective, RSF noted “a worrying decline” in respect for media autonomy, increased pressure from state or other political actors, and “a clear lack of political will on the part of the international community to enforce the principles of protection of journalists.” Nowhere has the latter been more evident than in Israeli-occupied Palestine, including Gaza especially, where RSF reported a “record number of violations against journalists and the media” since October 2023, including the killing of Palestinian journalists by Israel Defense Forces.

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The US’s plunging press freedom is driven by a number of factors. Legislative attacks on media during the past year are one of the most ominous. In April 2024, Congress passed what is known as the TikTok “divestment-or-ban” bill, which President Biden quickly signed into law. In the Senate, the legislation passed as a rider on a measure to provide $95 billion in mostly military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, the international news agency Reuters reported. The military aid warrants concern in its own right, but the added censorship of the popular social media platform is deeply problematic. As Omar Zahzah observed in a June 2024 article for Electronic Intifada, “It is no surprise that a bill furthering US funding for imperialism and genocide should also fortify US imperialism on the digital front.”

The fundamental missions of journalism are to hold the powerful to account and to give the public the information required to be citizens of a democracy.

Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR, warned that the legislation “provides broad authority that could be abused by a future administration to violate Americans’ First Amendment rights.” Senator Ed Markey, D-MA, went further, warning, “We should be very clear about the likely outcome of this law. It’s really just a TikTok ban . . . Censorship is not who we are as a people. We should not downplay or deny this trade-off.”

TikTok was ostensibly targeted because it is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. Even though other popular social media platforms also share user data for profit, violate users’ rights to privacy, contribute to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, and foster internet addiction, Congress and the White House singled out TikTok as the real threat. Their reasoning was that TikTok alone operated under Chinese influence and could share US users’ data with the Chinese government.

Not long after Biden enacted the ban, which would force ByteDance to divest and allow a US company to assume control of the platform by early 2025, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) publicly admitted that the real reason TikTok had been targeted was its potential influence on the American public regarding Israel’s relentless bombardment of Palestinian civilians.

As protests spread across US colleges and universities in the spring of 2024, Romney questioned why Israel’s messaging on Gaza had been so “awful,” noting that “typically the Israelis are good at PR. What’s happened here?” Blinken quickly replied that those who opposed Biden’s support for Israel were being manipulated by social media, and TikTok in particular. Blinken went on to say that those pushing for a ceasefire were “on an intravenous feed of information with new impulses, inputs every millisecond,” and “the way this has played out on social media has dominated the narrative.” Ryan Grim of The Intercept called the exchange an “incredible historical document” that revealed how high-ranking US officials seek to control narratives and restrict information, especially around Israel and Gaza.

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Congressional zeal to throttle freedom of information did not stop at TikTok. Echoing the xenophobia that fueled anti-terrorism legislation after 9/11, in April 2024, the House of Representatives took aim at non-profits, passing—by a vote of 382–11—legislation that would authorize the secretary of the treasury to unilaterally remove the tax-exempt status of any 501(c)3 nonprofit determined to be a “terrorist supporting organization.”

The legislation prompted the Charity & Security Network, a resource and advocacy center for nonprofit organizations that work in conflict zones, to warn policymakers of “the parade of horribles that could cascade from this broad legislation that uses the targeting of charities as a vehicle for larger political motives.”

Although numerous anti-terrorism laws already restrict nonprofits—like other organizations—from providing funding to foreign terrorist organizations, making the proposed legislation “redundant and unnecessary,” according to the Charity & Security Network, the Senate quickly introduced a companion measure, S. 4136, after the House voted its approval.

Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, explained that the legislation could provide new, more robust tools for government officials to target nonprofit news organizations. Noting that elected officials have already called for terrorism investigations of the New York Times, Reuters, CNN, and the Associated Press, Stern warned against “passing overbroad and unnecessary new laws” that provide government officials with “brand new ways to harass and silence journalists who don’t toe the line.”

With multiple ongoing crises and an increasingly unstable world, the United States needs journalists who refuse to toe the line more than ever. The fundamental missions of journalism are to hold the powerful to account and to give the public the information required to be citizens of a democracy. These increasingly bold attacks on the media threaten to undermine those missions and turn our press into megaphones for government and corporate elites eager to escape journalistic scrutiny and public accountability.

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Joe Biden’s Hunter lesson: The political high road is a mirage

How quickly we forget. On the morn of President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, there is nary a column inch about who Trump pardoned before he left office. All the pearl clutchers — elected Democrats and liberal political commentators alike – have been lamenting that Biden “lied” or “broke his promise” not to pardon his son. Meanwhile, Trump’s pardons of multiple figures who could incriminate him criminally or merely for political corruption are going unmentioned. So, let’s take a little trip down the Trump pardon memory hole:

Trump has gone to war against the America we have known. Biden needs to deploy his pardon power as a weapon in that war, and the Democratic Party needs to start recruiting not only followers but fighters.

We will start with the odious Paul Manafort. He had all kinds of connections to possible Trump crimes. Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska hired him to run his influence operation in Ukraine, which included lobbying for an accused murderer seeking investment opportunities for his corrupt company, as well as running the political campaign of Viktor Yanukovych, the corrupt Ukrainian politician who would be elected president and then ousted in a peaceful revolution. Manafort met repeatedly with a Russian GRU agent working for Deripaska, Konstantin Kilimnik, while serving as Trump’s 2016 campaign manager and even transferred Trump polling information to him. Manafort was convicted on multiple counts of bank fraud and money laundering associated with his corrupt work in Ukraine. He lied to investigators looking into Trump’s Russia ties. He had connections to Trump’s so-called foreign policy adviser, Michael Flynn, whom Trump appointed as his first national security adviser, and who was ousted from that position after serving just two weeks for lying to the FBI about his connections to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Trump pardoned Flynn, too.

Experts expect "heads on spikes to make an example" as soon as Trump takes office

He pardoned George Papadopolous, another of his so-called foreign policy advisers, who met with Russian GRU agents in London offering “dirt” on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign. Papadopolous was convicted of lying to the FBI about the Trump connections to Russia.

Trump pardoned the execrable Roger Stone, who was Trump’s cut-out to the Russian intelligence computer hackers who stole Hillary Clinton’s and Democratic Party emails and published them just before the 2016 election to undercut the Clinton campaign. Stone was another Trump crony convicted of lying under oath and obstructing a congressional investigation into Trump’s collusion with Russians during his 2016 campaign.

Trump pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, a lawyer who was convicted of lying about his conversations with Manafort’s partner and Trump campaign official Rick Gates concerning Russia collusion.

Trump also pardoned Steve Bannon, who along with Stone, had connections to the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys and One Percenters during the run-up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Are we seeing a pattern here? You bet. Each of Trump’s pardons listed above was to benefit himself. During his time in the White House, Trump repeatedly waved the promise of pardons to keep his co-conspirators from cooperating with investigations he faced. Shutting up Manafort alone helped him in his first impeachment for attempting to blackmail Ukrainian President Zelenskyy into opening a fake investigation in Ukraine of Joe Biden and his son Hunter. This created a savage backlash against Hunter Biden that was carried out for years by James Comer and his House Oversight Committee, which held countless hearings into what Comer called the “Biden crime family.”

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Shutting up Michael Flynn got Trump out of his connections to Sergey Kislyak, who Trump invited to a meeting in the Oval Office, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the day after he had fired FBI Director James Comey because Comey had opened an investigation into the Trump campaign’s Russia connections.

Let’s stop to consider what we’re talking about here. The first foreign official Trump invited into the Oval Office after becoming president was one Russian who had repeated meetings and phone calls with Trump campaign officials, and the Russian government official who, along with Vladimir Putin, controlled the Russian intelligence agents who were eventually indicted for hacking Democrats’ emails and interfering with the 2016 election.

Trump ended up pardoning several people who in one way or another had connections to these two men. Lavrov would go on to have key involvement in Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, the country whose president Trump had tried to blackmail, and to which his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, had multiple corrupt connections involving money, political influence, and Russian oligarchs close to Putin.

That is what Trump was doing with his pardon power.

And now President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, explaining in a letter that “raw politics” had influenced his son’s prosecution and led to a “miscarriage of justice.”

The raw politics of Washington D.C. as we head into another four years of rule by Donald Trump involves pre-planned miscarriage of justice. The Project 2025 plan that Trump claimed he had nothing to do with – before appointing four of its authors to his Cabinet – has an entire section devoted to exacting revenge on political opponents of Trump.

It is a cliché to say that the gloves are off, but that is the situation Donald Trump has purposefully created. He has threatened to investigate and prosecute anyone who was ever involved in investigating and prosecuting him. That would include Robert Mueller and his entire team of investigators and federal prosecutors. Of course, special counsel Jack Smith and his entire office, which includes FBI investigators and federal prosecutors, some of whom came out of retirement to work on the Trump investigation, are on Trump’s list for retribution. Kash Patel, Trump’s prospective FBI Director, has given several interviews about his plans to investigate anyone who has ever so much as picked up a pencil to bother his master.

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Joe Biden has his work cut out for him. He should empower an entire staff in the White House to begin working on blanket pardons for all the people mentioned above, plus members of the House of Representatives and the Senate who were involved in the two Trump impeachments and the House Jan. 6 committee.

The Biden pardon team should also take a serious look at the many reporters, columnists, and television news hosts who have stood up to Trump over the last eight years. That is another long list of people that Donald Trump has threatened to prosecute for simply doing their jobs as reporters, commentators, and cable news hosts.

That old aphorism “when they go low, we go high” was BS when it entered the political lexicon, and it’s a guarantee of a prison sentence at this point. There is no high road in the age of Donald Trump and his MAGA team of toadies and lackeys who are sworn to carry out the campaign of retribution Trump demands.

The Democratic Party isn’t just a political party anymore. It is an association of Americans who are under attack merely for their political beliefs. Loyalty to the Constitution and swearing to uphold its rights and guarantees of freedom has been turned into a crime by Donald Trump. People like Elon Musk and Leonard Leo are probably adding names to the list of enemies they would like to see behind bars for committing various “crimes” that aren’t crimes at all.

Nobody is safe. Trump has promised to build internment camps for undocumented immigrants he has declared war against. You won’t have to lack an American passport or work permit to be ushered into the walls of those camps once they’re built.

Trump has gone to war against the America we have known. We don’t need to ask ourselves what this country has done to deserve the war Trump has planned against us. Biden needs to deploy his pardon power as a weapon in that war, and the Democratic Party needs to start recruiting not only followers but fighters. This is going to be an ugly four years, and it is way past time to prepare ourselves

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For decades, calls for reform to Idaho’s troubled coroner system have gone unanswered

Idaho has known for at least 73 years that its frontier-era coroner system does not work. For just as long, the state has failed to make meaningful changes to it.

In a review of legislative records and news archives going back to 1951, ProPublica found a pattern — repeating almost every decade — of reform-minded legislators, trade groups, members of the public, doctors, lawyers and even some coroners pushing to change how Idaho handles death investigations.

ProPublica reported last month how a coroner in eastern Idaho didn’t follow national standards to figure out why 2-month-old Onyxx Cooley died in his sleep last winter. As the coroner would later tell ProPublica, Idaho law says nothing about following any standards. The law provides no oversight, no state medical examiner and no other resources to ensure each county has adequate access to autopsies.

The official who investigates suspicious deaths in your town may be a doctor — or not

Almost unchanged since the late 1800s, the law does little more than say Idaho’s coroners are responsible for explaining the state’s most inexplicable deaths.

But for decades, it’s been well known that Idaho’s patchwork of 44 coroner’s offices leaves grief-stricken parents without answers in their children’s deaths; creates disparities in coroners’ investigations based on where a person dies; and may even allow murderers to escape prosecution.

“The system needs a complete reform, as a whole,” Dotti Owens, former Ada County coroner, told ProPublica this year.

In the death of Onyxx, the coroner decided not to order an autopsy for the infant, go to the scene or talk with the family. Instead, he deferred to an emergency room doctor’s diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Frustrated detectives called a neighboring county’s coroner to see if he could intervene.

In an interview with ProPublica last month, the coroner, Rick Taylor, defended how he handled the death, saying he talked with doctors and police on the scene and looked at Onyxx’s medical records. “We did basically what I call a ‘paperwork autopsy,’” he said.

Onyxx died weeks before a state agency issued a report to state legislators that warned them of structural failures in Idaho’s coroner system. Legislators said they were stunned by the findings.

Idaho continues to entrust death investigations to elected coroners, who have no oversight and few rules to follow, and whose budgets can rise and fall on the whims of other county politicians — unlike in places such as Washington, where state funding helps provide some stability.

There’s no centralized authority to whom Idaho families or prosecutors can appeal when a coroner doesn’t follow standards. And nearly all of Idaho’s counties lack the facilities and pathologists to do their own autopsies, so a coroner must drive a body to a morgue hours away every time they order an autopsy.

Idaho Child Death Reviewers Point to Coroner System

There is one statewide group whose sole purpose is to find patterns and safety gaps in deaths that may help save children’s lives in the future.

Onyxx died weeks before a state agency issued a report to state legislators that warned them of structural failures in Idaho’s coroner system.

The Child Fatality Review Team is among those who have flagged problems with Idaho’s coroner system for decades.

“Something needs to happen,” the team’s current chair, Tahna Barton, said.

In its annual reports on child deaths, the team pointed year after year to the inconsistent work by coroners who lack sufficient budgets, staffing, experience and training.

“We strongly urge the introduction of new legislation to establish a state medical examiner system,” the team’s 1997 report said.

There have been no significant reforms since then.

In 2012, the team said it received “problematic” documents from coroners detailing how one infant wasn’t autopsied until after its body was embalmed and how another’s death certificate didn’t match what the autopsy found.

Nine years ago, the team said Idaho’s population boom put a strain on coroner’s offices, which “historically operated with small staff sizes and lean budgets and have not received additional funding to support ever-increasing caseloads.” Since then, the state has consistently ranked among the fastest growing in the U.S., while few coroners’ budgets have kept pace.

The Child Fatality Review Team’s most recent report, on 2021 deaths, said the problem lingers: too many cases, not enough time or money.

Reforms Fail as Officials Refuse Oversight and Spending

At every turn in the past 50 years, people with a vested interest in keeping Idaho’s coroner system as unregulated as possible have halted efforts to change it.

It often comes down to money.

Idaho leaves it up to each coroner to decide whether to follow national standards and up to each county to decide whether the coroner has the funds to do the job right. As long as that hands-off approach by the state holds, as it has for decades, nothing will change, said Owens, the former Ada County coroner.

“We need to have state statutes that outline the fact that, you know, infants should be autopsied unless there’s a medical diagnosis. The problem with that is, if we go ahead and we mandate that, who’s going to do it all? We don’t have the resources to do it all, which is half of the problem,” Owens said.

That tension has thwarted reform efforts since last century.

As reformers worked in January 1975 to draft legislation that would have changed Idaho from an elected coroner system to one headed by a state medical examiner, funeral home directors organized a preemptive strike. A local funeral director warned commissioners of a rural county in northernmost Idaho that lawmakers might approve reforms that would create “prohibitive” costs to local governments. The commissioners “voted to write their legislators opposing this while it is still in legislative committee,” the local newspaper reported.

It worked. A few weeks later, the legislator behind the proposal backed down, a state senator told the county’s local newspaper.

A group of law enforcement officials, attorneys and a physician who doubled as county coroner met again in November 1975 to gear up for another try.

"It is like having your child kidnapped and never knowing what happened to them."

The group wrote a proposal to scrap the elected coroner system and instead hire a full-time forensic pathologist to serve as Idaho’s state medical examiner. Part-time physicians would be appointed to head district offices, with some medically trained assistants to help them. Gov. Cecil Andrus “endorsed the concept,” according to wire reports at the time. The proposal never gained traction; news reports said it would have required both an act of the Legislature and a constitutional amendment.

Lawmakers again tried to improve Idaho’s system around the turn of the 21st century.

Two bills, in 1999 and 2000, would have created a state medical examiner’s office to oversee autopsies, support and train coroners, and provide something Idaho never had before: a “uniform protocol” for death investigations.

Two other bills, in 2003 and 2004, tried to take a narrower scope: setting an autopsy requirement for sudden unexplained infant deaths.

None passed.

One bill sponsor, a Democrat from North Idaho, told a House committee in 2003 of her own baby’s death being ruled SIDS without an autopsy, the committee records show. “She stated that parents deserve to know if the infant died of SIDS and autopsies could relieve some guilt for the parents.”

A woman whose Idaho grandson’s sudden death was attributed to SIDS also supported reform, saying SIDS “is a horrible explanation to give a parent or grandparent. It is like having your child kidnapped and never knowing what happened to them,” she wrote to lawmakers. “One beginning to find the cause is through autopsies. We need standards set so that a cause can be found to help prevent this death from occurring. No one should experience the pain of losing a child, and especially not knowing why.”

The reforms had support from local and national groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of Medical Examiners and the state pediatric and firefighters’ associations.

The bills collapsed under pressure from local governments and individual coroners. The state coroner’s association and state association of counties made a contradictory argument: that the mandate to autopsy SIDS deaths was unnecessary because Idaho coroners already were doing autopsies in those deaths; but a mandate to do so would “require an increase in every coroner’s budget.”

Idaho is at the bottom nationally for autopsies in deaths attributed to SIDS, according to a ProPublica analysis of nationwide death certificate data. Idaho also has the lowest rate of any state for autopsies performed in child deaths from unknown or unnatural causes.

And in February of this year, Onyxx Cooley became part of that statistic.

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Pete Hegseth’s mother begged him to “get some help” — he joined a misogynist church instead

Even by the reality-TV chaos standards of our political moment, this one was a doozy: Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, called out as an "abuser of women" by his own mother in the pages of the New York Times. To be fair, Penelope Hegseth's 2018 email excoriating her son, who was then a Fox News contributor, was not intended for public consumption. But the email, which seems to have been passed around Hegseth's social circle at the time, was leaked to the Times over the weekend. In it, Penelope Hegseth calls her son a man who "belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego." Pete Hegseth, then 37 years old, was in the midst of his second divorce.

While Penelope Hegseth has since disavowed her 2018 declaration, those accusations were backed up by a New Yorker investigation showcasing years of complaints from colleagues that Hegseth ran his veterans organization in "a hostile and intimidating working environment," where sexual harassment — and even attempted sexual assault — was blown off or blamed on victims. Hegseth himself was characterized as a heavy drinker who "treated the organization funds like they were a personal expense account — for partying, drinking, and using [the organization's] events as little more than opportunities to ‘hook up’ with women on the road." This follows reports that Hegseth was accused of rape in 2017. Criminal charges were not filed, but Hegseth reportedly reached a financial settlement with the alleged victim in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.

In joining a CREC church after two failed marriages, multiple adulteries, a rape accusation, and sexual harassment allegations, Hegseth is very much in line with Trump's belief in doubling down rather than accepting criticism.

In the years since, Hegseth — now on his third marriage — has claimed that he rediscovered Christ, saying "faith became real" to him in 2018. He became deeply involved with the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), moving to Tennessee to enroll his children in a branch of this fundamentalist organization. He also joined the associated denomination, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Both are led by Doug Wilson, an untrained and self-proclaimed pastor who advocates for Christian nationalism and has become famous for his trollish promotion of his far-right political views. At the center of Wilson's philosophy is a misogyny so overt that it's sometimes hard to believe he's serious.

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"Wilson holds the most extreme views of women’s submission found in any form of Christianity," Julie Ingersoll, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Florida, told Salon. "Women are taught that submission to their husbands (and other male authorities) is submission to God. Independence of any kind is cast as sin."

In one famous passage from his book on marriage, Wilson suggests that sexual violence is women's fault for not being submissive enough. "[T]he sexual act cannot be made into an egalitarian pleasuring party," he writes. "A man penetrates, conquers, colonizes, plants. A woman receives, surrenders, accepts." The alleged failure of women to submit, he continues, leads men to "dream of being rapists," deprived of the "erotic necessity" found in women's submission. Nancy Wilson, Doug Wilson's wife, backs this view, comparing a wife to a "garden" cultivated for the husband's pleasure: "But of course a husband is never trespassing in his own garden."

Wilson has repeatedly denied that such teachings are a justification for marital rape, but interviews with members of his church and students from his schools suggest they were left with little room for interpretation. Sarah Stankorb, who reported on sexual and domestic violence in the CREC for Vice and Slate, told Salon that female church members she interviewed "understood that they must submit to their husbands in all things." In the church's marital counseling, "submission is often treated as a cure-all" and wives are instructed "to fix marital problems by being sexually available."

Podcaster Peter Bell and social media manager Sarah Bader have been producing a podcast about Wilson and the culture of abuse at CREC churches and ACCS schools, titled "Sons of Patriarchy." They've recorded a seemingly endless number of interviews with people who witnessed or survived sexual abuse or domestic violence — and documenting the unwillingness of CREC leaders to take it seriously. Bader told Salon women are told they are "accountable for all of their husband's sins" and that Wilson just "rewrapped rape as 'submission.'" Students at ACCS schools who said they were sexually abused by teachers reported being blamed for causing the older men to "stumble." Women say they've been blamed for being raped, for husbands who abuse alcohol and for men's infidelity.

Sex abuse allegations against Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth only make Trump like them more

The extremist view of gender "inevitably contributes to a culture of abuse and draws abusers to it," Ingersoll said.

While Wilson is focused on sex and discomforting descriptions of what he sees as women's sexual obligations to men, his demeaning attitudes about women expand beyond the bedroom. In a recent video titled "The Natural Use of the Woman," Wilson argues that God designed women "to make the sandwiches" and chastised women who believe "men have a responsibility" to care about the marriage the same way wives do. During the election season, he argued that women's suffrage was a mistake and part of "a long, sustained war on the family." He recommends that husbands who are dissatisfied with a wife's housework skills "call the elders of the church and ask them for a pastoral visit." Stankorb explained that this implies excommunication, "a serious threat for women who have no job or independent income."

Hegseth doesn't just attend a CREC church and send his kids to an ACCS school. He has associated publicly with Wilson's Christian nationalist teachings in multiple ways. Hegseth is a forceful advocate of the ACCS school system and championed Wilson's efforts to fight pandemic restrictions. After being nominated by Trump, Hegseth went on the "CrossPolitic" podcast, hosted by one of Wilson's pastors, and argued that ACCS schools allow Christian nationalists to "build [their] army underground" for an eventual takeover of American society. Hegseth has blamed sexual assault in the military on "equality," claiming that the issue was "exacerbated" by letting women enlist in the first place. This aligns with CREC teachings that male sexuality is ravenous and the tendency to blame victims for "immodesty" when sexual violence happens. If Hegseth is confirmed to lead the Pentagon, Bell predicted he "would not be worried about rape in military circles," because of these views.

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Bell and Bader carefully monitor the larger CREC community and are alarmed by the response to Hegseth's nomination. "They are celebrating his appointment," Bader explained, seeing it as "this massive sign" that "they're on God's righteous plan." In their eyes, it's "legitimizing everything Doug Wilson is saying and doing." That includes the over-the-top misogyny as well as Wilson's other radical views, such as his argument that American slavery "was a relationship based upon mutual affection and confidence" and that enslaved people enjoyed "a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes, and good medical care." He has also said that the U.S. government should be based on his interpretation of Christianity, denying the plain language of the Constitution that calls for a secular order.

In joining a CREC church after two failed marriages, multiple adulteries, a rape accusation and allegations of sexual harassment, Hegseth is very much aligned with Trump's belief in doubling down rather than accepting criticism. Hegseth's mother ended her 2018 email by asking him to "get some help and take an honest look at yourself." Instead, he joined a church whose culture is built around shielding men from accountability, while holding women responsible if they are victimized.

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Betting markets eye expansion after predicting Trump’s win

On election eve, Arlene Battishill, a retired history professor and political analyst known as "Dr. Arlene Unfiltered" to her social media followers, picked up a bottle of champagne, confident in the data across different states that showed a potential Kamala Harris win.

But a different narrative had emerged on Polymarket, a decentralized prediction platform founded in 2020, built on blockchain technology and banned in the U.S. It had consistently shown Trump leading since his September debate with Harris, and it ultimately proved more accurate than conventional polling methods that showed the race in a dead heat.

"This is the third consecutive presidential election in which [Donald] Trump was underestimated by polls," said Harry Crane, a professor of statistics at Rutgers University. "The betting markets were spot on in this cycle, despite attacks from the mainstream media and pollsters, both of which were wrong in their analysis."

FBI raids home of Polymarket CEO

The results, supporters say, bolster the case for prediction markets as they become more mainstream and seek to expand election betting in the U.S.

Polymarket's 26-year-old CEO, Shayne Coplan, celebrated on CNBC's Squawk Box after the election, calling it an “inflection point in news and politics." Polymarket "was a good two, three hours ahead of the media,” Coplan said. “If you were just watching TV, you’d think it’s neck and neck.”

But "Dr. Arlene," in a Q&A session with her followers, predicted that "a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money" on the platforms.

"People are going to get slaughtered financially. It's the most irresponsible thing to be betting on our democracy," she said.

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Legal tussles follow momentum

Launched in 2020, Polymarket secured a $70 million funding round in May 2024 led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. Major media outlets like CNBC and The Economist now regularly cite its predictions. Bettors put billions of dollars on the presidential race before Election Day.

Coplan told CNBC he received election-night calls from Mar-a-Lago, where the Trump campaign was tracking his victory on Polymarket. “It was surreal,” Coplan said.

Days later, the FBI raided Coplan's New York City home and seized his electronics — part of an investigation into Polymarket allegedly accepting trades from U.S.-based users, Bloomberg reported. Coplan suggested the raid was politically motivated, posting on X: "It's discouraging that the current administration would seek a last-ditch effort to go after companies they deem to be associated with political opponents."

At competitor Kalshi, Americans legally bet $100 million on the presidential race after the platform successfully challenged the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's ban on election betting in October, NPR reported. The decision by Biden-appointed Judge Jia Cobb marked a return to a practice that was commonplace in American races until the turn of the 20th century. The CFTC has appealed the ruling.

Kalshi, which attracted about $1 billion in overall bets on the election, headed back to court in November to counter the appeal, saying that only Congress has the authority to ban election betting.

"It's just preposterous to think that gamblers are able to call the election"

Critics remain unconvinced. "It's pure gambling. Election betting can forecast the future no better than gambling whether or not you'll get 21 in blackjack," said Cantrell Dumas, director of derivatives policy at Better Markets.

"It's just preposterous to think that gamblers are able to call the election," Dumas said.

The future of predicting elections

Traditional polling's credibility took another hit in the 2024 presidential race. Ann Selzer called it quits after her Iowa poll predicting a Harris win missed by double digits. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll showed a huge lead for Harris that turned out to be much narrower.

A common argument for prediction market advocates is that betting on election outcomes is more "pure" and in line with market forces than traditional polling, which they say can be politically biased and manipulated.

"Betting markets incentivize being right and disincentivize being wrong. If you're right you make money, if you're wrong you lose money," said Crane, the Rutgers professor. "You can't say the same about polling. Pollsters continue to put out polls cycle after cycle even when they are badly wrong."

While nobody knows the long-term future of prediction markets in the U.S., the Trump administration's return to power could reshape it for betting enthusiasts, he said.

"If the new administration follows through on its promise of promoting liberty and eliminating needless bureaucracy and regulation, then the betting markets will flourish in the coming years," Crane said. "I expect that election betting markets will continue to grow in popularity and will be much larger and more widely accepted next time around."

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“Moral failure:” Plastic treaty talks collapse, posing a major setback in fight against pollution

Plastic pollution is choking the planet. From the bottom of the Mariana trench to the top of Mount Everest, there is little escaping the problem. Regardless, treaty negotiations to end plastic pollution collapsed on Sunday after the event in Busan, South Korea closed without the nations firmly agreeing to put limits on plastic production.

Despite closed-door talks that stretched through the weekend, the draft of the treaty released on Sunday afternoon left the question of future regulations to be settled in a later open session. The negotiators did not establish any proposal to limit production, instead promising to set a target at a later conference and including an option to entirely drop the idea.

The only thing that blocks adoption of more sustainable plastics is our obsession with fossil fuels

The world produces more than 400 million metric tons of plastic each year, with plastic production expected to rise roughly 70% by 2040 at the existing rate. Plastic pollution is regarded as a serious issue by scientists because the synthetic polymers used in plastic can take centuries to break down. Even worse for the environment, many of these products include chemicals that are dangerous to human health. Endocrine disruptors like phthalates and bisphenols are linked to health conditions like cancer, infertility and cardiovascular diseases. Plastics have been found in the food we eat, the water we drink, in the blood flowing through our veins and in the breastmilk which nourishes children.

That is why, in the lead up to the Busan conference, scientists and activists alike joined nations led by Norway and Rwanda in a campaign to significantly reduce plastic pollution. Even though the most recent attempt at a treaty fell apart, those present insist there is still a chance for reform in the future.

“The progress we have made is real,” South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said in a statement. “Compromise is not a sign of weakness … We cannot allow perfection to become the enemy of progress.”

Another delegate who proposed a global target to cut down plastic production contradicted Tae-yul, characterizing the talks as a “moral failure.”

“Colleagues, we didn’t accept a weak treaty here, and we never will,” Panama’s Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez said in a statement. “To the 120 nations standing for ambition, I say: Let us be relentless. We may have been delayed, but we will not be stopped.”

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Meghan McCain called out for referring to Hunter Biden as a “nepo baby”

Following President Joe Biden's late-term pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, hot takes have been flying left and right on his decision to do so after previously stating that he had no plans to, but one take in particular — from Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican presidential candidate John McCain — is being called out for what many are viewing as a misguided choice of words.

In a post to X on Monday morning, McCain weighed in on the news of Hunter's pardon, writing, "No one is above the law except the president's nepo baby is a helluva parting message for democrats," which amounted to a pointed finger at the president's son and three pointed right back at herself.

"Democrats reinvent history": McCain threatens to "spill tea" on father's feelings about Harris

As she is, herself, someone who could be referred to as a "nepo baby," meaning a person who could benefit from the privilege of nepotism, McCain's jab at Hunter landed her in the very hot seat she was seemingly trying to place him in.

"Do you think your dad would have done the same for you?" @EdKrassen wrote in a reply.

"Meghan McCain called Hunter Biden a "nepo baby." Later that day she legally changed her name to Meghan I-Am-John-McCain's-Daughter," joked @PaulRudnickNY.

Meghan McCain called Hunter Biden a "nepo baby." Later that day she legally changed her name to Meghan I-Am-John-McCain's-Daughter pic.twitter.com/8xAe9vbLJy

— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) December 2, 2024

One person was even inspired to write a poem about her unfortunate phrasing:

As of Monday evening, McCain has yet to defend her statement, with her only reply being in response to someone calling La Croix "piss water."

How dare you.

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 2, 2024

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Harvey Weinstein back in hospital as attorney alleges “negligent” care in prison

Film producer Harvey Weinstein was reportedly rushed to the emergency room at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan on Monday, in the wake of what's being referred to as an "alarming blood test result" that required immediate attention.

Currently awaiting retrial on sex crimes charges, Weinstein's attorney, Imran Ansari, issued a statement on his client's worsening health, pointing at alleged inadequate care administered during his stint in the infirmary at Rikers Island jail complex following a leukemia diagnosis.

Harvey Weinstein will be retried for overturned rape conviction

“Harvey Weinstein, who has been suffering from a lack of adequate medical care and enduring deplorable and inhumane conditions on Rikers Island, has been transported to Bellevue Hospital for emergent treatment due to an alarming blood test result that requires immediate medical attention," said Ansari in his statement "It is expected that he will remain there until his condition stabilizes. His deprivation of care is not only medical malpractice, but a violation of his constitutional rights”

In an additional statement, Weinstein's spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said Weinstein was facing "cruel and unusual punishment" on Rikers, New York's "troubled jail complex" which a judge recently ordered put under federal receivership due to woeful conditions, and which must be closed by 2027 under New York City law, according to People.

Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of first-degree criminal sexual acts and third-degree rape, for which he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, prior to his conviction being overturned on appeal in April and then re-positioned the following month for a retrial.

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Some student loan borrowers may have to pay more under Trump

Around 8 million student loan borrowers might see their monthly payments double if President-elect Donald Trump dismantles President Joe Biden's repayment plan, according to CNBC.

The borrowers are in the SAVE program that aims to make repayments more affordable. It caps monthly payments at 5% of a borrower’s total income, compared to 10% under the old REPAYE plan.

For the 4 million SAVE borrowers making less than $15 an hour, their monthly payments are reduced to $0. The plan also shortens the repayment period to 10 years from 20 to 25 years for those who borrowed less than $21,000, and cuts interest garnered on student loans.

Student loans and Trump: Borrowers brace for changes

Using a variety of programs, Biden has canceled $175 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million borrowers, according to Business Insider. But Trump has criticized broad-based student loan forgiveness and called Biden’s student loan relief program “vile” during his campaign. Several Republican-led states have challenged the SAVE plan, arguing that Biden had no authority to implement the “unlawful” program.

Bob Eitel, who served during the first Trump administration as a senior counselor to the education secretary, expects Trump to roll back Biden’s loan relief programs, CBS News reported.

"The Trump administration may pursue different avenues of loan relief, but it will not be the mass, blanket types of forgiveness that the current administration has pursued," Eitel told CBS News.

SAVE has been temporarily suspended due to legal challenges, and the loan repayments are on hold. Unless the Trump administration defends SAVE in court, its enrollees will likely see their payments return to prior numbers.

“For those worried about SAVE going away, I think it probably will, unfortunately,” Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that helps borrowers navigate the repayment of their debt, told CNBC.

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With impaired vision, Elton John couldn’t see opening night of his new West End production

Following the revelation that his eyesight has been severely impaired due to an infection, Elton John took the stage after the premiere of his West End production of “The Devil Wears Prada” to thank audiences for their support, though he was unable to see the show himself.

“This is quite a night,” John began as he stood before a cheering audience on Sunday. “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight, so it’s hard for me to see it.”

In an interview with “Good Morning America” last week, John disclosed that the infection — which he disclosed to fans on Instagram in September — had led to the total degeneration of the vision in his right eye, noting that his left eye “is not the greatest.” John initially said that his eyesight would recover, but that it would be an “extremely slow” process before his vision returned. Despite a long prognosis, John remained optimistic on “Good Morning America,” telling viewers that “there is hope and encouragement that it will be OK.”

"I can’t see anything": Elton John opens up about dealing with vision loss

At Sunday night’s premiere of “The Devil Wears Prada,” John echoed his hopeful sentiments. “This has been quite a journey, and it’s all ended so wonderfully,” John said of the West End production of the musical, which began previews in July. “I haven’t been able to see the performance, but I have enjoyed it . . . I love to hear it and it quite sounded good tonight.”

Though he wrote the score for the musical, John told “Good Morning America” that he is unsure of whether or not he’ll be able to continue his music career if his infection should persist. “I’m kind of stuck in the moment,” he said. “Because I can do something like [this interview], but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know.”

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Cyber Monday expected to see record spending

From fruit blenders to noise-canceling headphones, e-commerce sites are slashing prices on almost everything for Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year.

Consumer spending during Cyber Week — the five days between Thanksgiving and the Monday after — is a good indicator of what retailers can expect going into the holiday season. According to The Associated Press, consumers are expected to spend $13.2 billion on Monday, with spending at an estimated $15.7 million per minute during peak hours of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Will the holidays get us to spend more?

Following this estimate, consumer spending is expected to perform relatively well during the holiday season and could relieve some retailers who had a lackluster Black Friday, according to Reuters. Brick-and-mortar stores reported notable dips in foot traffic across the U.S, while online sales hit $10.8 billion, an increase of more than 10% over a year ago, USA Today reported.

Online spending on Cyber Monday is expected to grow to 8.4% in 2024 from 4.9% in 2023, thanks to an increase in brand-promoting social media influencers and companies investing in online loyalty programs with exclusive deals.

Jie Zhang, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, told The Associated Press he expects shoppers to “indulge themselves a bit more” this year with self-care gifts.

But even though holiday shoppers are still on track to buy more this year, the National Retail Federation and Deloitte expect the growth of spending to be at its slowest in six years.

Consumers are being more cautious with what they spend their money on as the result of several years of inflation, comparing prices of goods across retailers and refraining from purchasing non-essential items. Economists also warn that President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign goods may raise prices on many items, from food to electronics to furniture.

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Band Aid sang ‘feed the world’ 40 years ago – where is hunger still an issue today?

The 40th-anniversary remake of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? charity hit was released on November 25. The new mix, which features vocals recycled from previous versions of the single, still includes the original track's "feed the world" message and lyrics.

The original single was written and released in 1984 in response to harrowing news images of famine in northern Ethiopia. These pictures inspired two pop stars, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, to bring together some of the biggest names in pop music at the time to record the song.

In the four decades since then, there have been several related Live Aid concerts and re-releases of the single. And the Band Aid Charitable Trust is thought to have raised more than £140 million for long-term development projects and emergency aid.

There has been much debate about some of the stereotypes represented in Band Aid's original lyrics, as well as on whether the song's effect on the charity sector has been positive. But the Band Aid Trust says that the charity has helped as many as 350,000 people in the last seven months alone through a host of projects in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somaliland and Chad. And, without doubt, it raised public awareness of the issues facing Ethiopia in the 1980s.

Yet in terms of the global persistence of famine, things have not got better in the intervening 40 years. There are many regions of the world where people are still suffering from acute food insecurity, defined as hunger so severe that it poses an immediate threat to people's livelihoods and lives.

According to the Global Report on Food Crises, which is produced by the Food Security Information Network and 16 partner agencies, nearly 282 million people in 59 countries and territories worldwide experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which provides data on countries requiring external assistance for food, also suggests that 45 countries currently lack the resources to deal with food insecurity. Thirty-three of these countries are in Africa, nine are in Asia, two are in Latin America, and one (Ukraine) is in Europe.

Who needs to be fed?

In some countries, acute hunger has come about because of conflict and civil insecurity, which can cause direct damage to crops and livestock. In Sudan, for example, intense conflict has caused crop production to reduce sharply. Sudan's cereal production in 2023 was estimated to be 46% lower than the output obtained in 2022, and 40% lower than the average of the previous five years.

Conflict can also disrupt transportation routes and make traveling difficult. Markets are thus not easily accessible and become fragmented. So even if food is produced in one part of a country, it cannot be transported to another. This disruption can also mean that access to seeds, fertilizer, animal feed, veterinary medicines and labour are all limited.

The FAO says that escalating civil insecurity and conflict in northern Nigeria are disrupting agricultural activities and markets, with the high cost of inputs like seeds and fertilizer constraining agricultural activity. This led to an 8% reduction in cereal production in 2023 compared with the previous year.

Extreme climate events are another significant cause of food insecurity. In Kenya, for example, 1.7 million people are predicted to be food insecure by January 2025 due to a prolonged and severe drought between 2020 and 2023, floods in 2024, and the below-average rainfall that is now forecast for the end of this year.

This same drought has affected a number of other African countries, too. The result has been a reduction in the amount of food that is available, which has pushed up prices. Maize prices in Zambia, where 5.8 million people are estimated to face acute food insecurity between October 2024 and March 2025, have reached multiple record highs so far this year.

Many countries are facing a combination of issues. For instance, the FAO predicts that food security in Bangladesh will remain fragile into 2025 because economic constraints have been compounded by floods and a typhoon in September that has affected agricultural production.

Typhoon Yagi caused devastation across several south Asian countries and widespread flooding in Myanmar, Laos and Bangladesh. It has left hundreds of thousands of people displaced.

Food insecurity disproportionately affects displaced people. These people often lose assets when they are forced to flee their home and land, which causes a deterioration in living standards. And, as they are also often unemployed or underemployed following displacement, many suffer a significant drop in income.

In Afghanistan, where decades of conflict have converged with the pandemic and natural disasters, the proportion of displaced households that reported having an unstable source of income or no source at all was 78% in 2023. This is higher than the 69% figure reported for ordinary households in Afghanistan.

Many of these issues are destined to continue or even get worse, because climate events, food insecurity and displacements are likely to drive more conflict. The UN, for instance, recognizes the scarcity of resources exacerbated by climate change as one of the main drivers of conflict.

The importance of charitable campaigns like the Band Aid project shouldn't be downplayed. But they are clearly not the cure for the long-term and significant problem of acute hunger. We collectively need to consider better and more equitable ways to make sure we can "feed the world" sustainably.

Rachel Norman, Chair in Food Security & Sustainability, University of Stirling

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

“Wicked” reminds us we’d all better be ready to defy gravity. Especially Black women

The “Wicked” nation is still relatively young, like the musical itself. This year marks its 21st anniversary on Broadway, and the touring version has consistently crisscrossed the country since its earliest days, thrilling audiences with its revisionist version of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz.”

In this telling of the American fairy tale, the hero edit goes to Elphaba Thropp, the naturally gifted sorceress who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch, memorialized by her school-days friend at Shiz University by Galinda Upland. Galinda is perky, blonde, self-involved and universally adored, presumably from the moment she trilled into the world.

Elphaba, in contrast, is a naturally talented sorceress whose green skin led her father to reject her from the moment she was born. Their shared journey makes “Wicked” a magnet for like-minded souls drawn to its theme of misfit friendships.

What I noticed when I saw the touring production quite recently, is that the theater was packed with mothers, sisters and daughters. Many of the younger members swathed in sequins and tulle skirts. Relatively few chose to cosplay Elphaba. Regardless, it was an ecstatic communal event with many cheers, laughter and enthusiastic applause.

So why was I so livid as I left the theater?

That’s a rhetorical question. I know why. It has nothing to do with the performers or Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s libretto, which I was familiar with long before seeing the stage production for the first. My anger was a matter of timing.

"Wicked" is a bewitching spectacle that smartly probes who has power in a beloved fairy tale

The first half of the “Wicked” movie adaptation marks a place in our cultural history similar to how “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” landed in theaters weeks after Donald Trump first won the presidency in 2016.

That shock disillusioned progressives who’d bought into the fantasy that Barack Obama’s two presidential terms signaled an evolution to a more equitable future for America.

“Right now hope looks foolish,” Salon’s Amanda Marcotte wrote back then. “People who give in to hope start chasing impossible dreams.” To that, Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso reminded her "Rogue One" compatriots that “rebellions are built on hope.” Jyn was right, but she didn’t live to see it.

“Wicked” is an allegory about manipulated history. Thanks to the 1939 movie version of “The Wizard of Oz," Americans know the same story Oz’s citizens were told about Elphaba, all of us accepting that propaganda as gospel.

My husband and I watched the theatrical performance on the Sunday that followed an election that reminded me yet again how much disdain America has for women, especially Black women.

The actor playing Elphaba in the stage production I attended isn’t Black. Neither is Idina Menzel, who originated the role on Broadway, with Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda/Glinda. Casting Cynthia Erivo to play her in the movie, though, meets a moment that wasn’t as in our faces in 2003 as it is right now.

Friendship gained and lost isn’t the only theme of “Wicked,” but it is the glittering text to the subtext of discrimination, dehumanization and subjugation.

Elphaba’s existence is a miracle reframed as an obscenity. She is extraordinary in every way, yet the world demands that she dim her ability and treat her intellect as if it were an offense.

Even her laugh is taken as something sinister, until she’s granted acceptance, temporarily, thanks to the normalizing endorsement of Ariana Grande’s limber, lithe, perky and bubbly blonde Galinda, swinging her golden locks with a “toss, toss.”

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda in "Wicked" (Universal)“Kamala Harris is a woman who has had her racial identity questioned, has had her name made fun of, has been demeaned for not having biological children, has been accused of sleeping her way to the top, and has been degraded for her laugh, her clothing style — all of the things that are completely irrelevant to her qualifications and her achievements,” said my colleague Mary Elizabeth Williams in her trenchant video response the election results.

“. . . What do you think that says to us as women?” Williams added. “What do you think that says to survivors of sexual violence? What do you think it says to women of color?”

This is what whizzed through my mind as I watched “Wicked” play out onstage: According to NBC News and CBS News exit polls, white women voted for Trump 53% to 45% in 2024. That’s not much of a shift from 2020 when 55% supported Trump, or 2016 when 52% supported Trump.

In the last two presidential elections, and certainly in the most recent, there was the perfunctory celebration of Black women saving democracy with white women promising this time they’d do better.

But Black women had to know deep down that neither the Galindas nor the Glindas would switch sides for a leader who promised to do better for and by all of us, and for democracy. It’s all right there in the lyrics of “Defying Gravity”: “I hope you're happy, I hope you're happy, too,” Elphaba sings to Glinda. “I hope you're proud, how you would grovel in submission.” Elphaba seems not terribly surprised, just disappointed. Some of us know the feeling.

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Anyway, that’s how the first act ends. By the close of the show, Elphaba and Glinda have mended their friendship – and here’s the part that I think set me off: Elphaba apologizes to Glinda which, in the musical, Glinda does not reciprocate. Not long afterward Dorothy comes on the scene with a bucket of water, etcetera, etcetera.

Since the movie and musical open with the Munchkins stomping out a number that celebrates the Wicked Witch’s demise, this isn't blowing anything for you. “No one mourns the wicked!” the Oz folk triumphantly harmonize. But, yes – the whole message rubbed me the wrong way.

Musicals are an emotionally charged art form by design, but “Wicked” is next level. All the pregame excitement for, and bracing to be annoyed about, impromptu sing-a-longs in movie theaters is proof.

I could be wrong, but I don’t remember many anticipatory social media posts of teens warming up to croon “Tonight” during screenings of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” revival. Then again, most of Tony and Maria’s fans have aged out of any extrovertive display that doesn’t involve a martini or three.

“Wicked,” in contrast, is a series of duets and solos about friendship, loathing and a friendship that blossoms out of loathing – the series arc of girlhood’s affections. I imagine that younger fans ardently connect Glinda and Elphaba's inconstant relationship to the ups and downs of their own.

If you are woman of color who counts among her former friends a Galinda-type, what happens may seem familiar.

Youthful readings of movies, music and TV are simpler. Elphaba is a power fantasy for outcasts. Glinda is confident and fashionable and hilariously blind to her egomania. Later she realizes with great regret, and too late, the corrosive cruelty in which she participated for her benefit, carried out by a talentless, ordinary man who demonizes her friend purely for political benefit. But at least they find their way to liking each other again.

Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh as Madam Morrible in "Wicked" (Universal Studios)

Friendship gained and lost isn’t the only theme of “Wicked,” but it is the glittering text to the subtext of discrimination, dehumanization and subjugation in a realm where a conman from Kansas fools an overcredulous population into believing he’s a wizard.

“When I first got here, there was discord and discontent,” The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) explains to Elphaba when he thinks she shares his addiction to being a celebrity. “And where I come from, everyone knows: the best way to bring folks together, is to give them a really good enemy."

Erivo is one the finest singers of our time, slaying the role of Aretha Franklin before stepping into Elphaba's chunky boots. But her Blackness calls attention to Elphaba’s specific othering in a way the audience might ignore when white actors wore her pointed hat.

The witch’s green skin originated in the 1939 movie. In the book Baum merely set her wickedness as antipodal to Dorothy Gale’s pluck and goodness.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Director Jon M. Chu’s Oz is a technicolor fantasy and multicultural wonderland, with major characters played by Black, brown and Asian actors – notably Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery at Shiz and, at first, Elphaba’s champion. Eventually she becomes Elphaba’s enemy, although she isn’t the first to claim that title.

Grande’s Galinda leaps into that part with aplomb. Elphaba flings her hatefulness back at her until the day perpetually rosy Galinda, in a two-part act of sabotage, offers the plain-dressed Elphaba the hat that becomes her signature look, knowing the rest of their Shiz classmates will mercilessly tease her.

Ariana Grande as Glinda in "Wicked" (Universal)But Elphaba mistakes it for a peace offering, and in a lopsided exchange gives Galinda the thing she wants most, an entry to an exclusive world. So Galinda cashes in some of her cred to bestow some normalizing popularity on her green-skinned classmate who, in one night, becomes her friend.

If you are woman of color who counts among her former friends a Galinda-type, what happens next may seem familiar. It may have somewhat prepared you for the way things turned out on Nov. 5. As Elphaba’s profile rises, Galinda glides with her in her wake . . . until the moment comes that forces Miss Upland to choose between joining her BFF in righteous exile and increasing her popularity on a gargantuan scale.

Assuming you’ve seen “The Wizard of Oz” — and more people have than read Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which inspired the musical – you already know what decision she makes.

“Her green skin is but an outward manifestorium of her twisted nature,” says the person calling for Elphaba to be hunted. “This distortion . . . this repulsion . . . this Wicked Witch.”

Elphaba is none of those things. We’ve seen that. Glinda knows it too. But obeying the man in charge works out better for Glinda. Oz's history proves it. So does American history.

The beauty of “Wicked” the movie is that it ends on the story’s highest note, with Elphaba choosing to resist and fly free instead of complying with a corrupt government. The CGI glamour throughout “Wicked” can be intoxicating, but in this climax it enables Erivo’s Elphaba to soar like a comet and declare her independence with exhilarated determination:

So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky

As someone told me lately

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly"

It’s a temporary victory. It’s also a gift to the disenchanted who need reminding that there’s nothing new about the story we’re living in, that the people who stand to be harmed more than most will still grasp for the popular choice if it means they get to ride in a pretty bubble. But I’d much rather be like the pariah holding on to magic in her bag and a broom that’s no longer meant for cleaning up other people’s messes.

"Wicked" is now playing in theaters nationwide.

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What’s the difference between gelato and ice cream? One contains more air

As the weather gets warmer, it's the perfect time for ice cream or a gelato. Who am I kidding? It's the perfect time year round.

But what's the difference between gelato and ice cream?

Not everyone agrees. Some people say they're made with different amounts of fat. Others say it's all about the air content.

To add to the confusion, gelato is the Italian word for any type of ice cream. But in Australia, gelato refers to the frozen dessert of Italian origin.

How are they similar?

Ice cream and gelato are both sweet desserts served cold. They both contain varying amounts of cream, milk, sugar, flavors, and sometimes eggs.

The fat component from the cream provides the richness, smoothness and body. Eggs are normally associated with gelato but can also be added to ice cream to enhance the richness.

Most commercial ice creams and gelato also contain emulsifiers. These are food additives that act as a stabiliser by preventing liquids that normally don't mix from separating. Emulsifiers have been linked to numerous gut symptoms. However most of the evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies, and there is limited robust evidence of this in humans.

Ice cream and gelato are both made by churning (whipping) the ingredients, leading to air bubbles forming. In fact, it's the air bubbles that allow us to eat these desserts frozen. It gives them a palatable texture and mouthfeel by making the mixture softer and lighter. Imagine how hard it would be to eat a hard lump of frozen dessert.

Many people assume both ice cream and gelato are good sources of calcium, presumably because they're made from dairy products. But due to the low proportions of milk (it's mostly cream, which contains less calcium), they both only provide about 65 milligrams of calcium per half cup. That's about 7% of the daily calcium requirements for adults aged 19-50.

They also both contain small amounts of protein – about 2-3 grams per half cup. That's only about 5% of your daily protein requirements.

So ice cream and gelato are not a valuable source of calcium and protein, making them of low nutritional value. That's why they're regarded as "sometimes" foods.

The Conversation, CC BY-SA

How are they different?

It's about the air

The speed at which the mixture is churned can determine the amount of air it contains. This impacts the product's thickness and smoothness.

Ice cream is traditionally churned faster than gelato. This means more air is incorporated, making it feel fluffy and creamy compared to gelato, which tends to feels thicker and richer.

It's about the ice

Churning at a slower speed, as you would typically for gelato, also increases the size of ice crystals. Large ice crystals give a coarse icy texture, compared to a creamier texture from smaller ice crystals in ice cream.

How about the fat?

Although many websites say ice cream contains more fat than gelato, this is a tricky one to tease out.

In Australia, food standards say ice cream should contain at least 100g milk fat per kilogram (or 10% milk fat).

So products with less fat need to be called something else – frozen dessert, iced confection, even gelato. So, in theory, a lower-fat product made the same way as ice cream could be called gelato. Non-dairy products made the same way as ice cream could also be called gelato.

So how much milk fat does gelato need to contain? I can't find any legal requirements in Australia or elsewhere. Cooking websites often refer to it having 4-9% milk fat. But depending on the recipe, it could be higher.

Fat content also differs from flavor to flavor. For example, if you compare the nutritional content of half a cup of vanilla ice cream with half a cup of vanilla gelato, the ice cream has 2g more fat. Other flavors will give different results.

How about the sugar or kilojules?

If we just compare half a cup of vanilla ice cream with half a cup of vanilla gelato, the gelato has about 3g more sugar. Again, different flavors will give different results. The difference in kilojoules is very small – 15kJ per half cup.

Overall, which one's healthier?

Effectively there is little difference nutritionally between ice cream and gelato.

But brands and flavors vary considerably. They each use different amounts of cream, eggs and other ingredients. So kilojoule, fat and sugar content can vary considerably too.

Should you still eat them? Yes, absolutely if you enjoy them. However, both are classified as sometimes foods due to their added sugar and low level of nutrients. And perhaps limit your serve size.

Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

“Corporate abuse”: Kroger and Albertsons are in hot water over alleged strike sabotage

Supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, already under scrutiny for their proposed $24.6 billion merger, are now facing a new class-action lawsuit that alleges the companies conspired against unionized workers during a 2022 strike. The suit, which was filed in Colorado, accuses the companies of entering a “no-poach” agreement which illegally undermined workers’ bargaining power.

The lead plaintiff, Valarie Morgan, is a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 who led King Soopers contract negotiations from 2021 to 2022. She and the other grocery workers who claim they are similarly affected are represented by the progressive legal nonprofit, Towards Justice. Morgan claims the companies colluded to prevent Albertsons, which owns Safeway stores in Colorado, from hiring workers striking against King Soopers, which is a Kroger subsidiary.

“I want to stand up for all the workers who were harmed by this corporate abuse,” Morgan said in a statement. “These companies rigged the system against us, undermining our right to fight for better pay and fair treatment through our unions.”

"They're admitting it": Experts say megamerger helps corporations that used pandemic to raise costs

In 2022, more than 8,000 King Soopers employees walked off the job as they demanded higher wages and improved working conditions. The strike ended with a new contract, but the new lawsuit contends the alleged no-poach agreement limited employees’ leverage and cost workers potential gains during bargaining. According to The Denver Post, Morgan’s lawsuit targets “the same alleged ‘no-poach’ deal that Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Kroger and Albertsons Cos. agreed to when members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 went on strike against King Soopers.”

Weiser’s lawsuit — which was filed in February and sought to block the merger between Kroger and Albertsons — alleges that emails between senior labor executives at both companies, disclosed during the inquiry, revealed that an Albertsons executive promised not to hire striking King Soopers workers or solicit their pharmacy customers, violating the state’s antitrust laws.

According to the Denver Post, the complaint about the agreements is independent of the merger.“But the fact that the company entered into such agreements and thought they could get away with it, underscores why competition matters, to consumers, to workers, to farmers and to our communities,” Weiser said.

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At the time, Kroger’s legal team rejected claims that the correspondence constitutes unlawful agreement. During the Colorado trial, as reported by Colorado Newsline, a lawyer for Kroger argued the companies were not engaging in a “quid pro quo,” but only sought to understand each other’s intent.

“That’s all my client did — asked Albertsons, ‘This is what your folks are doing. This is what our folks are doing. What is your intent?’” said Kroger attorney Matt Wolf. “That is not an unlawful question. Responding to that question is not unlawful. That is not an agreement.”

In a statement sent to Salon via email, a Kroger spokesperson said of the lawsuits: “There were no non-solicitation or so-called no-poach agreements between Kroger and Albertsons. Kroger competes for talent in a broad and diverse labor market, including from non-grocery, non-union retailers like restaurants, food service companies, conveniences, warehouses and more. In fact, data shows that only 1 [to] 2.5% of Kroger associates come from and/or move to Albertsons.”

However, union officials see it differently. Kim Cordova, the president of the UFCW Local 7, said the group’s members “could have made even more gains if these corporations had not broken the law behind our backs.”

“Had we known the companies were working in tandem, in a coordinated effort to hurt the members, we believe the outcome would have been different,” Cordova told the Denver Post.

The lawsuit, filed in Colorado state court, seeks financial compensation for lost wages and an injunction to prevent similar agreements in the future. It also claims the companies’ actions violated Colorado’s antitrust laws, which prohibit agreements that restrain competition.

This latest controversy adds fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding Kroger and Albertsons’ proposed merger, which has drawn opposition from labor groups, consumer advocates and government regulators. Critics of the deal argue that combining two of the largest grocery chains in the country could stifle competition, which might lead to higher prices for customers and layoffs and worsened conditions for workers.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed its own lawsuit to block the merger, citing antitrust concerns. The agency argues that the deal would reduce competition and lead to price increases for consumers.

"Hardworking Coloradans deserve better."

To address regulatory concerns, Kroger and Albertsons have proposed divesting hundreds of stores, particularly in regions where their operations overlap. Earlier this year, the companies announced plans to sell Safeway locations in Arizona and other areas.

Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran has defended the merger as a strategic necessity to compete with non-union retail giants like Walmart, Amazon and Costco. “I have deep concerns when I look forward about our competitive condition,” Sankaran said earlier this year. “If you don’t fundamentally change your competitive condition as you look out two, three, four years, your financial condition will deteriorate. I’m losing more of our customers’ dollars to Costco and Walmart than to Kroger.”

However, labor leaders argue that such corporate moves prioritize profits over people.

“Coloradans remember the King Soopers strike well. Many of us refused to cross the picket line to support workers’ right to fair wages,” David Seligman, executive director of Towards Justice, said in a statement. “Little did we know that these companies had worked behind the scenes to rig the game. Their illegal scheme hurt workers, consumers, and the broader community. That’s what this case is about.”

As the lawsuit unfolds, it underscores broader tensions in the grocery industry over labor rights and market consolidation. For workers like Morgan, the fight is about more than wages; it’s about accountability.

“Hardworking Coloradans deserve better,” she said.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a statement from Kroger.

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