Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

The Voting Rights Act is all but dead. Prepare for maximum gerrymandering.

Get yourself a man who loves you as much as Justice Samuel Alito loves partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which was handed down on Wednesday, was expected to deal a mortal blow to a longstanding federal rule that guarantees Black and Latino voters a minimum level of representation in some […]

The sad, ugly debate behind the new Michael Jackson biopic

The new biopic Michael, about the tortured King of Pop, had a record-breaking opening weekend — despite the fact that the film celebrates the musical legacy of Michael Jackson, a man credibly accused of sexually abusing multiple children.  After the success of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, it was tempting to think that there was […]

We’re missing the economic fallout of the Iran war — just like we did with Covid

In the early weeks of the Covid pandemic, in those days when public spaces emptied and hospitals filled up, I used to see this magazine cover from 2017 being passed around social media. The story was a familiar one to me, because I was the one who had written it: The posts were all versions […]

Why famous people want to be death doulas

Nicole Kidman is getting a new job. The actress already dominates TV and film, pulling in tens of millions of dollars a year for roles in hits like Nine Perfect Strangers and Babygirl. Her new gig is less glamorous, way less lucrative, and maybe more necessary: She’s training to be a death doula. Death doulas, […]

This billionaire could be California’s next governor — and he wants to arrest Stephen Miller

The California governor’s race isn’t just important for Californians. At a moment where the federal government is sabotaging American democracy from within, the question of how the leader of the union’s wealthiest and most populous state responds — and the ways they use their powers to challenge federal authority — has major implications for the country. […]