Front Page: Most Popular Stories from Slate Magazine

The Problem With Super-Muscly Pigs

A version of this article first appeared in the Spring 2016 edition of Issues in Science & Technology.

The Other Side of His Wall

To listen to this episode of Trumpcast, use the player below:

Title I Is Supposed to Fund Our Poorest Schools

On Wednesday, U.S. News & World Report released a comprehensive analysis showing that Title I, the federal program created as part of civil rights–era legislation to meet the needs of low-income students, is still flawed. A significant portion of the $14.5 billion spent via Title I each year is funneled to students in wealthier districts: Nearly 20 percent, or $2.6 billion, goes to wealthier-than-average districts, while many districts with high concentrations of poverty are shortchanged.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

To say that the Lonely Island’s new movie Popstar is the best film parody of popular music since This Is Spinal Tap is to do it a disservice. That’s because Popstar is just about theonly film parody of pop music since Spinal Tap. This is, as the poet said, crazy, but it’s only while watching Popstar that you realize exactly how crazy this is. In the three decades since Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer donned the blown-out wigs of Spinal Tap, pop has undergone a revolution only matched by the 30-year revolution that culminated in Spinal Tap. (The previous revolution was led by rock, while the new one is led by hip-hop, electronic music, and Swedish dudes named Karl.) This, it turns out, is the source of Popstar’s greatest weakness and its greatest strength. While the movie initially appears to be a spoof of Justin Bieber’s blockbuster concert documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Popstar’s own subtitle is Never Stop Never Stopping), in fact it’s a spoof of a whole new era of pop decadence. When it loses focus, it’s because there are far too many rich targets to lampoon.

Could Coal Have Survived by Going Green?

Coal is getting killed in the U.S. That’s largely because its main customer, the electricity industry, is switching to fuels or sources that are either cheaper or cleaner (or both), like natural gas and renewables. In March, for example, coal accounted for only 24 percent of electricity generated down in the U.S.—that’s down from 33 percent in March 2015 and from 41 percent in March 2014. So far this year, U.S. coal production is just two-thirds of what is was last year.

The Welfare Quiz

When it comes to welfare, misconceptions abound about who gets it, how much they get, and why. That confusion has intensified in the two decades since the 1996 welfare reform bill reimagined how welfare dollars are distributed. The quiz below will test your perceptions about welfare—and might change those perceptions, too.

The Disconnected

This article is part of the series “Welfare Reform: 20 Years Later,” a collaboration between Slate and Marketplace. You can listen to Marketplace’s podcast on welfare, “The Uncertain Hour,” here.

The Worst Great Songwriter

I irritated some friends this week by opening a conversation, “Is Paul Simon the worst great songwriter, or the best terrible songwriter?” Of course, it would be silly to call him terrible, the now–74-year-old creator of so many classic songs. But like a lot of people, I think, I’m put off by some vague irritant even when I’m enjoying Simon’s music. There is the industry gossip about him being unpleasant to people (up to and including Art Garfunkel), but that’s not what I mean. It’s closer to one friend’s feeling that Simon’s performances are “covered in film,” as if a thin plastic wrapper prevented them from touching her. Others brought up Billy Joel as a more egregious case. But if that similarly mouthy and doo-wop–preoccupied fellow East Coaster is more ham-handed than Simon, at least he can revel in his schlocky humanity, making him fit for karaoke bars where a Simon song would stiff.

Introducing The Angle

There is a lot to read on the internet. At Slate, we think the most satisfying stories are the ones that change your mind in some way: by making a case with rigor and wit; by explaining some corner of the world so you see it in new light; or by pointing your attention toward unfamiliar territory. We strive to make work that’s worth your time.

Understanding The Gene

Listen to Episode No. 102 of Live at Politics & Prose:

Corrections

In a June 2 Browbeat, Aisha Harris misstated that Lin-Manuel Miranda made an official announcement about the date of his final show. He did not. In addition, Miranda will play Jack, not Bert, in Mary Poppins Returns.

Slate News Quiz

Welcome to Slate’s weekly news quiz. It’s Friday, which means it’s time to test your knowledge on the week’s news events. Your host, Ray Hamel, has concocted questions on news topics ranging from politics to business, from culture to sports to science.

The “Is Trump the Gorilla and America the Kid?” Edition

To listen to the discussion, use the player below:

The Angle: Certainly Not Edition 

Let’s say, hypothetically, Donald Trump wins the presidency, and the Republicans control both houses of Congress. Will the party stand in the way of Trump’s objectives, at all? Not likely, writes Isaac Chotiner. “If you don’t think the authoritarian candidate and the ideologues in the House and Senate will make peace, you haven’t been paying attention for the last month,” Chotiner writes (in a piece published before Paul Ryan’s capitulation to Trump on Thursday afternoon). “Both sides could very easily get what they most desire in a Trump presidency. The results would be terrifying.”

Hillary Clinton Just Kicked Trump in the Shins

For those who thought Hillary Clinton needed proxies or a running mate to attack Donald Trump with the savagery required of a long-slog campaign, her Thursday speech in San Diego should be a mind-changer.

The Myth of Kitty Genovese’s Murder

Listen to Episode 510 of Slate’s The Gist:

There Is No Justice in Cleveland Sports, Only Irony

The last time a Cleveland sports team won a major professional championship, Scott Raab was in the stands. It was 1964, the champs were the Jim Brown–led Cleveland Browns, and Raab was 12 years old. Fifty-two years later, Raab and his fellow Clevelanders are still waiting for a sequel.

Why Donald Trump Is Flailing

There is a widespread belief that Donald Trump is immune to criticism, that he’s the new Teflon Don. And the proof of his apparent invulnerability is his success against a field of Republican leading lights. By beating 16 other candidates for the party’s nomination, goes the argument, Trump demonstrated his singular strength as a political force. But this is a retcon.

Are Hobbies Sexist? 

Last week, David Brooks wrote a column for the New York Times suggesting that voters can’t relate to Hillary Clinton because she doesn’t have hobbies. In this week’s edition of theDoubleX Gabfest, hosts Noreen Malone, Hanna Rosin, and June Thomas question that article and the sexism embedded in hobbies. Why are some activities considered as hobbies for men but necessities for women? And what does Hillary Clinton do in her free time?

This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain on #Content.

Drugs aren’t the only thing that can addle our brains. New research confirms what your brain may feel following a long, uncontrolled binge through the depths of your social media feeds: The content we devour on the internet really can have a lasting effect on our cognitive abilities. At least, so says a new study published by the International Journal of Business Administration this May.

Getting In Episode 9C: Tips for Athletes, Summer Essay Writing, and Our Take on Test Prep

Listen to Episode 9C of Getting In: