popular culture

Seems like the Vatican is aiming for a Grammy, announcing a new “classical pop” record (or classical pope, in this case) today, just in time for holiday gift-giving.

For the first time in years, it looks like al-Qaeda might actually be shaking in its boots.

Two recent studies reveal that Westerners are more aggressive toward perceived Muslims and less likely to be sensitive to Muslim patients’ needs.

What is the significance of the fact that Michael Jackson has joined the faith of bin Laden and the Ayatollah Khomeini?

The Religious Right attacks Obama’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services as a “pro-life nightmare.”

There are plenty of reasons for concern over Obama’s appointment of Rahm Emanuel, but guilt by association is a downward spiral.

Is the Obama campaign a candidacy or a movement? Civil Rights leaders in Birmingham talk about the meaning of the Obama campaign.

A pair of desperate Republicans attempt to smear their opponents with suspect claims about their religious commitments. Responses were swift and harsh.

A mole in the Good Ol’ Boy network reveals that many still buy into the myth that Obama’s a Muslim—particularly in Texas.

Baseball is an exhausting thing to care about, a continual source of heartbreak, an elaborate choreography of loss, and a sentimental education in what such losing means.