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Photograph of Ryan White surrounded by imagery related to the AIDS crisis and activism

The Tragedy of Ryan White

How politicians used the story of one young patient to neglect the AIDS crisis

Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen in “Dune: Prophecy”

Dune: Prophecy and the Decline of the Spin-Off

The new prequel on HBO plays like a watered-down “Game of Thrones.”

Samuel P. Catlin

How Cancel Culture Panics Ate the World

A giant squid representing American cancel culture fears spreading across the globe

Samuel P. Catlin

How Cancel Culture Panics Ate the World

Books & the Arts

A bottle of Artificial Intelligence potion on a futuristic background

Edward Ongweso Jr.

AI Scams Are the Point

Propaganda and deceit are a feature of AI, not its downfall.

A photo of musician and songwriter Randy Newman at a piano on stage in an empty auditorium

Randy Newman’s Genius for Political Irony

Few singer-songwriters have such fun getting under listeners’ skin.