The Angle

The Angle: Rate My Democracy Edition

Slate’s daily newsletter on religious freedom in Mississippi, democracy in North Carolina, and actor-driven movies.

Then–Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens to North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory during a campaign rally on Nov. 5, 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Mea culpa: A widely covered study claiming that North Carolina is no longer a democracy in the wake of the state GOP’s recent machinations may not hold water. Andrew Gelman takes a closer look at the claims that a ton of outlets, including Slate, repeated last month.

Whose religion? Attorney Roberta Kaplan writes about her experience fighting Mississippi’s HB 1523, which cloaks discrimination against LGBTQ people in the name of “religious freedom.” Something that worked surprisingly well? Testimony from a circuit-riding Southern rabbi.

Actor as center: The Movie Club is currently in session, looking back at the films of 2016, and discussants Mark Harris and Bilge Ebiri are saying interesting things about the actor as auteur—aka “acteurism.” (Put that one in your back pocket.)

Not that hard: Is the notorious caramel almond tart from Chez Panisse really impossible to make? Not so bad, Kristen Miglore writes—and it’s delicious.

For fun: Goop’s latest beauty book is extremely worried about your intestines.

Don’t tell them about the caramel almond tart,

Rebecca