The religious right says abortion awakened evangelical politics after Roe v. Wade. But Paul Weyrich, one of the movement’s chief architects, told a very different story about how the coalition began.
The Convert Who Never Believed
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The Cheerleaders of Catastrophe: What Trump Has Unleashed
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What happens when political loyalty overwhelms conscience? From rhetoric about American cities to violence against a protester demanding the Epstein files, this essay examines the moral consequences of politics built around allegiance to a leader.
Loyalty Over Competence: The Trump Administration’s Revolving Door of Mediocrity
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Katie Zacharia's appointment as White House press secretary raises questions about professional qualifications, political loyalty, and accountability. What should matter most when choosing people to serve in government?
The Trials That Weren’t
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Two grand juries voted to indict Donald Trump in separate federal cases. Neither case ever reached a trial jury. How did forty-four criminal counts disappear without the evidence being tested at trial?
The Save America Act That Saves Nothing
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The Save America Act promises to protect American elections. But if noncitizen voting is already prohibited, what problem is the legislation actually solving, and at what cost to eligible voters?
The Art of the Con: The Denmark Way
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Did America secure something fundamentally new in Greenland, or expand an arrangement that has existed for generations? This essay examines the new U.S.–Denmark–Greenland security agreement, the 1951 defense pact, NATO, sovereignty, and the difference between political victory and diplomatic reality.
When the Press Becomes the Enemy
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What happens when political leaders stop challenging unfavorable reporting and begin challenging journalists' legitimacy? This essay examines the White House press-access dispute through the history of authoritarian attacks on independent journalism.
Don’t Let Them Read About Slavery—Let Them Watch the Execution
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Can calls to shield children from disturbing history coexist with proposals for public executions? This essay examines parental-rights rhetoric, capital punishment, due process, and competing ideas about what children should be permitted to witness.
The Hero of the Right-Wing Jury Room
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Should a lone holdout juror automatically be considered a hero? This essay examines jury deliberations, voir dire, and why the integrity of the justice system depends on evidence rather than personalities. Pull Quote "Being outnumbered does not make you courageous. Being alone does not make you correct." Pull Quote Placement Recommendation Insert the pull quote immediately after this paragraph:...
Justice Without Understanding Is Merely Vengeance
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Why does the insanity defense exist? This essay examines the history of criminal responsibility, the legal concept of mens rea, and why modern justice distinguishes between committing an act and being legally responsible for it.