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Larry Flynt, Who Built a Porn Empire With Hustler, Dies at 78

"Mr. Flynt’s interpretation was simpler. 'If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me,' he said, 'then it will protect all of you. Because I’m the worst'."

Will Insurrection Lead to Terrorism?

by Martha Crenshaw

An expert on terrorism and political violence looks to other examples of insurrection to ask what the hardcore extremists at the center of the Capitol riots are likely to do next. Such groups and the recruits they gained on January 6 are likely to become more isolated, but more extreme, and have access to guns unlike any other extremists in the world.

Houston Hip-Hop and Chinese Chicken

by Alana Dao

The story of a restaurant run by Chinese immigrants in Houston is the story of the growth of the diverse Gulf coast metropolis and its fusion of ethnic cultures.

January 6 Was Just One Day in a Sustained Campaign

by Richard H. Pildes

A constitutional law professor argues for a broad perspective in the Senate trial; the questions at stake for the rule of law and Trump's accountability for a months-long effort to undermine democracy are too important to focus only on January 6. 

Trump’s Lawyers Lost the Day

by David Frum

David Frum argues that Trump's lawyers ignored history, contradicted their own arguments, and made it impossible for Republican senators to claim any motive other than political expediency when they vote to acquit.

We Were the Last of the Nice Negro Girls

by Anna Deavere Smith

The playwright and performance artist Anna Deavere Smith recalls her educational experiences at a small historically white college during the Civil Rights era, and the way the campus climate spurred her fellow Black students to develop a distinct identity. 

France’s New Public Enemy: America’s Woke Left

A body of American critical theory about the nexus of difference and power has proved threatening to a French intellectual elite that is historically invested in the nation's formally color-blind republican traditions even as ethnic and religious diversity exposes the gaps in those traditions. 

Behind these Names, You’ll Find Stories of L.A.'S Black History

The city of Los Angeles's early Anglo history was marked by the national conflict over slavery, and local decisions granting freedom to Black Angelenos shaped the city. Longtime LA Times columnist Patt Morrison discusses the public markers to African American history in the city. 

Trump Probably Won't Speak at His Impeachment Trial. That May be a Good Thing

Columnist Hayes Brown suggests that there's enough evidence Democrats can bring against Trump without giving him a public platform to espouse conspiracy theories. German authorities came to regret giving Hitler such a platform in 1924, as summarized by historian Volker Ullrich.

Holocaust Scholars Ordered to Apologize in Polish Libel Case

"The Polish League Against Defamation is ideologically aligned with the country’s ruling party, and the scholars see that as an indication the case is part of a government-backed effort to promote its historical narrative."

Biden Can Advance Racial Justice, but Only if Democratic Senators Ditch an Old Tradition

The Senate's "blue slip" rule allows senators to privately exercise a veto over judicial nominations for their state. Like the filibuster, it has been used to derail the nominations of liberal judges as well as women and judges of color. A liberal judicial advocate argues that it should be scrapped. 

Mary Wilson, Co-Founder of the Supremes, Dies at 76

Mary Wilson was sometimes overshadowed by Diana Ross in the popular Motown group, but her peers recognized her contributions to the Supremes and popular music. 

The Forces That Stopped Obama’s Recovery Will Not Stop Biden’s

by Jonathan Chait

Has the bipartisan Washington elite preoccupation with budget deficits faded since the Obama Administration's troubled efforts to promote economic recovery in 2009? Will austerity wreck Biden's goals too? Jon Chait says that moment has passed. 

Vice President Kamala Harris Could Kill the Filibuster Herself

Columnist Hayes Brown looks at Kamala Harris's tiebreaking role in the context of the changing prestige and power of vice presidents from John Adams to Mike Pence. 

UA Trustees vote to remove George Wallace’s name from UAB building

“This is simply the right thing to do,” Trustee Judge John England Jr. 

The Constitution Doesn’t Bar Trump’s Impeachment Trial

Attorney Chuck Cooper argues that the Senate's discretionary power to bar a convicted officer from holding office in the future means that it is perfectly permissible to try Trump even though his term in office has ended. 

The Biggest Lesson of GameStop

The GameStop episode highlights a dangerous development in the last 40 years of capitalism's history: the linking of broad-based purchasing power to the fluctuating prices of financial assets held in retirement accounts. 

In Beleaguered Babylon, Doing Battle Against Time, Water and Modern Civilization

The ancient city of Babylon is a World Heritage Site, but it faces threats old and new. As some of its walls crumble, preservationists are fighting to preserve the past.

Students Protest Firing of Arkansas Teacher Who Called Lawmakers Out Over 1619 Project Curriculum

"Your recent bill is an appalling attempt to FURTHER whitewash history. It is absolutely nothing less than an attempt to codify white supremacy in Arkansas schools. Stay the f*** out of my curriculum," teacher Josh Depner wrote. 

Virginia House votes to turn ‘Jefferson Davis Highway’ into ‘Emancipation Highway’

The bill, which has bipartisan support, would rename any stretches of  US Route 1 still named for the Confederate president as "Emancipation Highway" but would not reflect segments of the road already renamed by local authorities.