“They” Just Made the Dictionary
British singer Sam Smith recently announced on Twitter that they are nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. Alberto Valdes/ ZUMA Pres On Tuesday, Merriam-Webster announced that it had added a nonbinary definition for the singular pronoun “they,” taking the dictionary out of the business of policing gender absolutes. This is not some radical break with the…
I’m Racist. You’re Racist. We’re All Racist. Here’s How to Fix It.
Marlena Sloss/Getty Ibram X. Kendi, a black man descended from slaves, raised predominantly in black neighborhoods, and educated at a historically black college, admits he was a racist. It’s not enough to simply be “not racist,” says Kendi, a National Book Award-winning author and professor at American University. To undo the racism that society programs…
With a Click of the Like Button, a Trump HUD Official Violated Federal Law
Cheriss May/Zuma Lynne Patton, the New York and New Jersey regional administrator at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is well-known for her active and often controversial social media presence, in which she often attacks liberals and expresses admiration for President Donald Trump. But her laissez-faire attitude about how government officials should conduct themselves…
Anti-Semites are Using a Popular Chat App to Compile a List of Jewish People
Yui Mok/PA Wire/AP Anti-Semetic trolls are creating an online list of Jewish people who are critical of white nationalism. Since its creation almost a month ago, it has become the fastest-growing alt-right group on the popular Telegram chat service. The list is mostly made of archived tweets from individuals criticizing white supremacy, misogyny, and other…
Confess Your Climate Sins? Seriously?
What in the name of all that’s holy is this? Seriously? Confess your climate sins? Are reeducation camps next? Congratulations, NBC. This is probably the most efficient possible way to ensure that nothing gets done about climate change. In one stroke it: Perpetuates the myth that voluntary individual action makes much of a difference. Makes…
Trump’s New National Security Adviser Is Another Iran Hawk
Robert C. O’Brien, the State Department’s lead hostage negotiator, returns to the courthouse on the third day of the A$AP Rocky assault trial in Stockholm.Michael Campanella/Getty Eight days after ousting John Bolton as national security adviser, President Donald Trump named the State Department’s top hostage negotiator, Robert C. O’Brien, to the job. A former colleague…