San Francisco – not just start-ups and juice bars
"Here, you can buy crab cocktails and shellfish straight off the boats themselves and of course indulge in that long-honoured tradition of clam chowder served in giant sourdough bowl."
Westminster on the Potomac: The Americani(z)ation of British Politics
"The growing interest in the US’s idiosyncratic take on football is not the only way in which the world’s largest economy has come to influence British culture."
The secret life of a Frat Bro: Debauchery, hedony, and misogyny
The promise of huge parties, limitless booze, and a social scene that feels like it should last forever. The opportunity to join a band...
The 2022 Midterms: An oversimplified guide to why Democrats are (probably) screwed
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an American politician in possession of a House or Senate seat must be perpetually engaged in campaigning....
Gun Laws in America Are The Problem: Trust me, I Grew Up There
CW: Violence
“Crouching in a corner and holding your breath as you hear voices and sirens outside is the norm for me.” Three years on from the Parkland shooting in Florida, Anvee Bhutani uses anecdotal experience to argue why gun reform is necessary.
Oxford research shows ancient bonds between dogs and humans
"A team of international geneticists and archaeologists, which includes Oxford University’s Professor Greger Larson, have discovered that dogs arrived with the first European settlers around 23,000 years ago."
Capitol Riots: Putsch and Prejudice
'It is difficult to overstate the rage I feel against America’s right wing for allowing us to get to this point. Shame on Mitch McConnell. Shame on Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. Shame on every Republican who acquitted Trump of impeachment charges. Shame on the entire Trump family and every single one of his enablers.
The American Story, Part One: The Founding
"More pertinently, America’s slave-owning ‘fathers’ understood ‘freedom’ because they denied it to others.... Slave-holder Thomas Jefferson was qualified to write the Declaration of Independence, in part, because it was he who understood ‘freedom’ and its denial best."
A Eulogy for America’s Postal Service
"This is a public and unadulterated attempt to sway the presidential election through suppressing postal voting."
Nothing to celebrate: Fourth of July and its role in ignoring Native American history
"Much like Mount Rushmore, Independence Day places a disproportionate emphasis on a narrative of glory, justice, and equality in US history, choosing to acknowledge far too little of the Native American experience."
Comfort food of China
When my parents and my older brother arrived at the Los Angeles airport in the spring of 1997, their worth became one-tenth of what...
The Huffman scandal: just another story of privilege and bribery?
Last week, Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman was sentenced as part of Operation Varsity Blues, the college admissions scandal, receiving 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service, and one year’s probation.
Lazy Rich Caucasians: the legacy of the college admissions scandal
The story’s intrigue has stopped people focusing on what is actually important.
Right-wing dark money comes to Oxford student politics
Turning Point USA aims to shift student politics to the right; its tactics have included intimidating academics and covertly funnelling thousands of dollars into student political campaigns