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A History Of October Surprises (audio)

Although Trump's COVID diagnosis was, perhaps, unexpected, October Surprises have historically involved presidents announcing policy initiatives to improve their reelection prospects. Presidential historians Tim Naftali and Tim Walch discuss.

The Religious Hijacking of the Supreme Court Doesn’t Require Amy Barrett

Five of the court's current justices are already comfortable with a "free exercise supremacy" approach that casts the rights of the religious to mold society to their faith as superior to the rights of women, gays, and minorities to live with dignity.

America May Need International Intervention

by Peter Beinart

When other democracies have fallen into peril, they have sought help from the United Nations. The United States might consider it, writes Peter Beinart, since Black Americans have long had to appeal to the community of nations to intervene to secure their democratic rights. 

‘The Good Lord Bird’ Is Good TV. But Mix Art and Slavery at Your Peril

Critic Carvell Wallace writes of the new television adaptation of James McBride's novel that trying to make entertainment out of the subject matter of slavery is an impossibility in 2020.

John Steinbeck, Bard of the American Worker (Review)

Hailing him as a “major figure in American literature,” Souder further claims Steinbeck has “given the world several books that would last forever.”

Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65

The influential rock guitarist died today at age 65 after a battle with cancer.

Led Zeppelin Victorious in 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism Case

Representatives of the estate of the late Randy Wolfe, who claimed authorship, said the case nevertheless proved its point that "Led Zeppelin are the greatest art thieves of all time."

Hinchliffe Stadium’s Comeback is a Home Run

For Black Americans, the amphitheater-style stadium was home to and embodied the incredible spirit of Negro Leagues baseball. It will now be renovated so its story can be preserved.

Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis Recalls History Of Secrecy On Presidential Health

Barbara Perry, Director of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, says that secrecy and obfuscation about his health "is one precedent this president is following."

Chile at the Barricades

"To walk the streets of Santiago was to read a collective, anonymous scroll of inchoate rage: Abort the police, Die Piñera, ACAB, Bankers to the gallows. The graffiti was on seemingly every wall and sidewalk in the central districts of the city."

“The Death Penalty Is Another Confederate Monument We Must Tear Down.”

A collaborative project examines the history of capital punishment in North Carolina, beginning with an introduction by death penalty litigator Henderson Hill. 

Are Trump And Biden Fighting About Abolishing The Suburbs, Or Desegregating Them?

Beneath the rhetoric rests a genuine policy debate over the extent to which the federal government needs to push municipalities to undo segregation. This debate has been going on since 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act.

University of Iowa Will Halt Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training After White House Executive Order

The university's statement claimed in essence that the threat of losing federal grants and contracts could not be ignored. 

Mellon Foundation to Spend $250 Million to Reimagine Monuments

“The beauty of monuments as a rubric is, it’s really a way of asking, ‘How do we say who we are? How do we teach our history in public places?’” Elizabeth Alexander, the foundation’s president, said.

The Reckless Race to Confirm Amy Coney Barrett Justifies Court Packing

Legal scholars and analysts Quinta Jurecic and Susan Hennessey argue that the extreme rush to confirm Amy Coney Barrett before the election justifies a future Democratic attempt to expand the Supreme Court.

Presidents Don’t Get Privacy. My Father Understood That — Even When He Was Shot

by Patti Davis

Ronald Reagan's daughter recalls the chaotic day when he was shot and argues that the public has a right to know about the president's health.

‘Fifth Girl’ in 1963 Church Bombing Gets an Apology From Alabama’s Governor

Sarah Collins Rudolph has long argued that officials of the state of Alabama incited racial hatred that encouraged the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and that they must compensate her as a culpable party.

Germany’s Far Right Reunified, Too, Making It Much Stronger

German reunification allowed the return of far-right political movements, in large part because communist education in East Germany did not emphasize the role of nazism in the nation's history.

Notre Dame’s President Went Unmasked at White House, Then Tested Positive. Now He’s Under Fire

Student Ashton Weber recently helped create a petition, signed by more than 200 undergraduates, calling for Jenkins to resign because of his repeated failures to follow the public-safety precautions expected of students. 

What Happens If a Presidential Candidate Becomes Incapacitated or Dies?

by Brian C. Kalt

We know who the decision makers would be, but we have no idea what they would decide—and what voters’ reactions would be.