Current Affairs | Culture & Politics

Articles by Emily Topping

In Defense of 'The Drama'

May 01, 2026

A24's newest dark comedy has drawn ire from critics, but the film is a triumph in discomfort.

by Emily Topping

Why America is Obsessed with Protein (And War)

March 24, 2026

The wave of high-protein everything shows a country trying to eat its way out of weakness.

by Emily Topping

Don’t Let Elon Musk Implant a Device in Your Skull

February 09, 2026

The world’s richest man is obsessed with putting Neuralink chips in people’s brains and integrating their minds with AI. He can’t be trusted with this technology.

by Emily Topping

Ban Prediction Markets

January 29, 2026

They don’t produce knowledge, they can’t prevent insider trading, and they turn politics, war, and death into a cash-out.

by Emily Topping

Lost Lessons from America’s Wildest Reality TV Show

December 29, 2025

The producers of “Kid Nation” expected chaos when they dropped 40 children in the desert. What they got was cooperation—until adults intervened.

by Emily Topping

How Corporations Convinced America that Litter is Our Fault

December 23, 2025

The "Keep America Beautiful" campaign urged Americans to pick up their trash—so that companies could keep producing it.

by Emily Topping

How a Cash-Strapped Louisiana is Profiting from Trump’s Deportation Frenzy

November 21, 2025

Louisiana’s long history of extracting profit from human captivity now fuels Trump’s deportation surge.

by Emily Topping

Comedy’s Favorite Truth-Tellers are Playing Jester for the Saudi Prince

September 26, 2025

At the Riyadh Comedy Festival, American comics are using a laugh track to drown out the sounds of a bone saw.

by Emily Topping