Less than an hour after Donald Trump was shot, one of my most liberal friends posted a meme making light of the situation. I phoned to confront the callousness. Things got heated. When I blurted, “Stop acting like a 2-year-old,”…
Your guide to the Supreme Court’s upcoming blockbuster decisions
The United States Supreme Court is poised to issue decisions soon on a blockbuster list of important issues that could impact nearly every American, including abortion, the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, guns, homeless people, and social media…
Digital pastor Benjamin Cremer knows how to talk about faith and politics because he has lived on both sides of aisle
Benjamin Cremer experienced a call to ministry when he was 7 years old. He never could have imagined his congregation would be an online community of people fleeing toxic faith. Raised in extreme fundamentalism in Boise, Idaho, Cremer today seeks…
Sen. Katie Britt takes up her cross in a ‘master class’ of far-right manipulation
Republicans and Democrats alike have panned Sen. Katie Britt’s response to last week’s State of the Union address, but Professor Sheri Rogers of Grand Valley State University in Michigan is one of the few people with an explanation for why…
Supreme Court considers ‘most important First Amendment cases of the internet era’
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week on a simple but far-reaching question: Do companies like X, Facebook and YouTube have the right to moderate user content on their platforms? The court’s decision, expected in June, could change what…
Senators grill social media execs about child safety ‘crisis’
Republicans and Democrats came together Wednesday to criticize executives from Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Discord for creating a nationwide “crisis” by putting profits ahead of protecting children and teens from bullying, harassment, exploitation, mental illness, sexual trafficking and even…
We face a cultural crisis, not just a political one
As Jeanie and I danced the night away in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve — yes, we actually did that, although I admit I ended up with a twisted knee, a sadly predictable outcome for a man of my rapidly…
When social media photos transport me
It happens a lot with me in this last month of the year. December being Christmastime and also with more than just a few weddings having been scheduled then, I often see photos on Facebook of people I know, or…
‘Social media posts never change minds’ — and other lies I love to hate
Note: This article includes significant discussion of profanity. The previous record for most f-bombs and insults aimed at me in an e-message was from a graduate student’s mother who was upset with her adult child’s grade in my class….