Arts, entertainment, and more.

April 20 2007 3:48 PM

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

March 5 2015 4:48 PM The NRA’s New Low The gun rights group just took a personal swipe at Gabby Giffords. Alec MacGillis

Why the Wisconsin State Legislature Is Scott Walker’s Secret Weapon

The Only People Who Will Suffer if the Supreme Court Limits Obamacare Live in Red States

The Long History of Black Americans Arming Themselves in Self-Defense—and Why We Ignore It

Will the Logic That Gutted Obamacare in 2012 Save It This Time?

Ferguson’s Police and City Officials Are the True Criminals

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Defense Attorney: “It Was Him”

Obamacare Arguments at the Supreme Court Were Silly, Bombastic, and Condescending

Business

Moneybox

March 5 2015 5:17 PM McDonald’s Is Finally Phasing Out Antibiotics in Chicken. Thank Chipotle. Alison Griswold

Kroger Is Coming After Whole Foods in the Fancy Quinoa Business

The World Is Running Out of Places to Store All of Its Oil

Thanks to Government Uncertainty, the Wind Energy Business Is About to Stop Growing

There’s Nothing Quaint About Etsy’s IPO

Ringling Brothers Says It Will Stop Using Elephants in Its Circus Act After Years of Animal-Abuse Allegations

All Hail Austin, Texas, the Boomingest Big City of All

Just Over Half of Americans Want Congress to Fix Obamacare if the Supreme Court Wrecks It

Life

Outward

March 5 2015 2:50 PM Florida’s Vicious Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill Easily Survives Its First Vote Mark Joseph Stern

Wellesley Is Right to Admit Transgender Women. Women’s Colleges Should Be for All Women.

These Okinawan Beaches Have Star-Shaped Sand

Sex Tapes and Silly Questions: U.K. Authorities Routinely Humiliate LGBT Asylum Seekers

What’s It Like to Be LGBTQ in … Greece

Study Finds Students Give Lower Ratings to Asian Professors. Is Racism to Blame?

Mark Twain’s Memory Builder Game Will (Probably Not) Help You Learn Historical Dates

Why Do People Steal Palm Trees?

Double X

The XX Factor

March 5 2015 4:31 PM Catholic Bishops Want to Deny Raped Migrant Girls Access to Health Care Amanda Marcotte

How Evangelicals Took Sex Trafficking From Feminists and Made It a Christian Cause Célèbre

This Gender Discrimination Trial Reveals the Subtle Way Sexism Happens in Silicon Valley

Unintended Pregnancy Is Expensive. For Taxpayers.

There Are More Men Named John Than Women Running Large Companies

CPS Finds “Free Range” Parents Responsible for Unsubstantiated Child Neglect. Now What?

How Barbara Mikulski Transformed the Senate

Why Do Poor Women Have More Abortions?

Slate Plus

Plus Roundups

March 5 2015 11:29 AM What We Like Right Now Our favorite picks for the week of March 2, curated by Slate writers and editors.

Why It’s Wrong to Fondle Fido

Gabfest Bonus Segment: Why Parks and Rec Was a National Treasure

I Was a Slate Commenter; Now I’m a Slate Writer. Ask Me Anything.

Walking Dead Podcast Early Release: Episode 12, "Remember"

Arts

Television

March 5 2015 4:58 PM Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Netflix’s new Tina Fey comedy may be the new 30 Rock—with an even bigger heart. Willa Paskin

The Trailer for the Next Gillian Flynn Movie Looks Like Gone Girl Meets Serial

Elena Ferrante’s Paris Review Interview Finally Convinced Me to Stop Caring Who She Really Is

MoMA’s Björk Show Is a Disaster

Are Edible Coffee Cups Really a Good Idea? I Made Some to Find Out.

Spoiler Special: House of Cards Season 3

Hanya Yanagihara in Conversation With Her Editor

Technology

Future Tense

March 5 2015 6:21 PM If You Thought the Net Neutrality Debate Was Resolved, You Were Impressively Optimistic Lily Hay Newman

Could Immersive Virtual Reality Tech Solve World Problems?

I Tried to Watch CSI: Cyber, I Really Did

A Crazy Experiment Attempts to Document Change With a Photo Taken Over 1,000 Years

Netizen Report: China Continues to Crack Down on Virtual Private Networks

A New Approach to Education Technology Takes Emotions Into Account

How Technology Is Changing Our Choices and the Values That Help Us Make Them

Health & Science

Bad Astronomy

March 5 2015 1:49 PM Four Planets Await After Sunset Phil Plait

Pregnant Women Have a Right to Work, and That Right Is Often Trampled On

Galaxy on the Edge

If You Shake With Someone, Do You Sniff Your Hand Afterward?

Thinking About God Makes People More Willing to Take Risks

Google Updates Health Page Results to Promote Vaccination

Rosetta Dips Close to a Comet and Spots Its Shadow

Sports

Sports Nut

Feb. 26 2015 7:41 PM Game, Set, and (Fixed) Match Pro tennis has a match-fixing problem in its lower ranks. Ben Rothenberg

What’s the Hardest Shot in Bowling? It’s Not the 7-10 Split.

Has ASU Discovered the Holy Grail of Free-Throw Distraction?

How John Wall Became the Most Entertaining Player in the NBA

Dean Smith’s Political Approach to Being a Coach Is Missed Now More Than Ever

Why Handball’s World Championship in Qatar Should Worry World Cup Fans

Seattle Didn’t Throw Away the Super Bowl. The Patriots Won It.