Uncle Ben, CEO?

The strange history of racist spokescharacters.

By David Segal

Click here to read a slide-show essay about the history of racist spokescharacters.

News & Politics

Politics

Jan. 23 2015 7:09 PM Iowa’s Early Birds Republican presidential candidates are trying to figure out the secret of success in the Hawkeye State. John Dickerson

Did the Charlie Hebdo Murders Really Represent Something New?

The Kentucky Senator Who Beat Mitch McConnell at His Own Game

The Seven Types of Cybercriminals

#MuckReads: Bad Science, Crazy Mining Laws, and Other Horror Stories

Eight Lessons From the Charlie Hebdo Attacks

Texas’ Experts Used Discredited Science—and Lied—to Restrict Abortion

Business

Moneybox

Jan. 23 2015 7:41 PM I Was a Flight Attendant, and I Also Thought SkyMall Was Incredibly Weird Jeff Friedrich

Uber Study Finds Driving for Uber Is Great. Uber Study Is Flawed.

Can This One Weird Trick Save Europe’s Economy?

Delta Way Oversold Two Flights of People Heading to the Sundance Film Festival

Kids’ Birthday Parties Have Become Absurdly Extravagant. Here’s How We Let It Happen.

Uber Raises Another $1.6 Billion in Funding, Because Why Not Have More Money

Tootsie Roll CEO’s Death Shines Wall Street Spotlight on Secretive Candy Empire

Life

Quora

Jan. 25 2015 7:11 AM How Can I Get My Cat to Like Me More? Quora Contributor

Are You Grilling Italian Sausages on Your Radiator? For the Love of God, Turn Down Your Heat.

The Magnificent Ottoman Ruins of Ishak Pasha Palace

These Sleek Pop-Up Rentals Designed for Broke Millennials Redefine Prefab Housing

I Am Ready to Declare a Truce in the Gay Cake Wars

A Close Reading of SkyMall

The Info-Dense Maps Civilians Used to Follow WWII From the Home Front

Double X

The XX Factor

Jan. 22 2015 12:21 PM GOP Women Stopped the 20-Week Abortion Bill. That’s Not Standing Up for Reproductive Rights. Amanda Marcotte

Ultra-Orthodox Women in Israel Are Treated Horribly. So They Started Their Own Party.

Boehner Applauded Equal Pay at Last Year’s State of the Union. Why Not This Year?

Obama Declares Child Care “a Must Have”

What Happens When Kids Eat Pizza

The Pope Tells Catholics Not to Breed “Like Rabbits” but Refuses to Endorse Contraception

Sororities Want to Fight Sexual Assault By Throwing Their Own Booze-Fueled Ragers

Slate Plus

Slate Picks

Jan. 23 2015 11:55 AM What Happened at Slate This Week? Traffic swami Jeremy Stahl tallies his favorite stories of the week, from #Ballghazi to #SotU. Jeremy Stahl

A Spoiler-Filled Podcast on American Horror Story: Freak Show Episode 13

What Should Slate Do in 2015? Tell Slate’s Editor in Chief.

A Spoiler-Filled Podcast on Downton Abbey Episode 3

Mark Joseph Stern on What You Should Read From Slate This Week

Arts

Brow Beat

Jan. 25 2015 5:26 PM Zachary Quinto on Why He Wanted to Make a Movie About an “Ex-Gay” Activist Forrest Wickman

Watch SNL’s Hilarious Spoofs of Ballghazi and The Bachelor

Exploring Shanghai With Sidecar Motorcyclists

Michael Shannon and Ramin Bahrani on How Shannon Improvised His Last Line in 99 Homes

Listen to “Four Five Seconds,” the New Song By Kanye West, Rihanna, and Paul McCartney

Ramin Bahrani on Why He Dedicated His New Movie to Roger Ebert