Congrats, you survived the holidays. And if you’re lucky, with mere flesh wounds. Don’t worry, there’s always a chance for pumpkin-spice dismemberment over next year’s roast. At least that’s how the cliche goes.  But in these times of intense political feeling, a Tiny Tim miracle occurred in our house. Somehow the extended family swore off

Taxes and tariffs took center stage Thursday at the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s intended Treasury secretary nominee, Scott Bessent. Republicans and Democrats sparred over who would benefit most from extending more than $4 trillion in tax cuts enacted during the first Trump administration. Bessent warned of “devastating” consequences if they

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized marketing of 20 nicotine pouches — the first time the products have been greenlit by the agency. Nicotine pouches are tobacco-free sachets filled with nicotine and flavorings that are held between the gums and lips similar to snus, another smokeless tobacco product. Proponents of the pouches argue

Under tough questioning Thursday by Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the EPA, affirmed a belief in climate change while pledging strict interpretation of the country’s environmental laws. Zeldin, a former House lawmaker from New York, is expected to be confirmed based on strong support from Republicans. That left

Politics It’s time to prepare for the worst-case scenario under Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. At his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth refused to state whether he would follow an

Jurisprudence Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The Supreme Court heard arguments in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton on Wednesday, a major First Amendment case that serves as good barometer

Jurisprudence Jack Smith made clear that Donald Trump is anything but exonerated. Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images and Drew Angerer/Getty Images. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. This is a pop-up edition of Slate’s Keeping Up

War Stories This is not a totally done deal yet. People celebrate in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday after news of a ceasefire deal being reached amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. Youssef Alzanoun/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Sign up for the Slatest to get the most

Jurisprudence Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn in during the Jan. 15 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination to be U.S. attorney general. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. As

WASHINGTON  —  Thanks to the internet and smartphones, children today have instant access to vast amounts of online pornography, much of it graphic, violent and degrading, Texas state attorneys told the Supreme Court on Wednesday. They urged justices to restore the rules of an earlier era, when X-rated theaters and bookstores had an adults-only policy.

Neil Gaiman, the bestselling fantasy author behind “The Sandman” comic books, and novels and shows “American Gods” and “Good Omens,” has emphatically denied ever engaging in nonconsensual sexual conduct after several women accused him of sexual assault in a New York magazine article. Eight women accused the 64-year-old British scribe of assault, abuse and coercion

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that the much-maligned red dye No. 3 will be banned in the United States because it has been shown to cause cancer in animals. The decision, lauded by consumer advocacy groups, comes a full 25 years after scientists at the agency determined that rats fed large amounts of