Culture

T he difference between coca leaves and cocaine, a Peruvian friend once quipped, is the difference between traveling by mule and jet plane. A clever line, but one that misses an essential point. The effects of the leaves and the drug are not comparable. To equate coca with the raw …

Pope Francis made his first public appearance Sunday since his weeks-long hospital stay, briefly greeting the crowd in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Sitting in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen nasal cannula, Pope Francis told worshippers, “Happy Sunday to everyone. Thank you very much,” ABC News reports. Pope …

Billy McFarland denied reports of the government of Playa Del Carmen stating “no registration exists” for his Fyre Fest 2 event on the books for next month. Hours after the Mexican city’s statement Friday, McFarland alleged that he had his paperwork in order for the event to take place. “Fyre …

In a video statement posted to social media, Russell Brand denied charges of rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault that were brought against him in the U.K. earlier today. “I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family … I …

When Vermont native Noah Kahan released an extended version of his hit 2022 album Stick Season — 2024’s Stick Season (Forever) — the tracklist featured some of the album’s biggest successes reimagined with artists like Gregory Alan Isakov, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, and Post Malone. But it’s Kahan’s entry with …

Olivia Munn would rather Jeff Bezos not send his fiancée Lauren Sanchez and her celebrity friends to outer space. On Thursday, the actress appeared on Today with Jenna and Friends and questioned the decision-making behind sending the all-female crew on the Blue Origin mission. “What are they doing? Why? I …

Sentebale, the charity that Prince Harry cofounded in 2006 with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso to help children in southern Africa, will now be subject to a government probe by the U.K.’s Charity Commission. Both co-founding princes resigned on March 26 citing irreconcilable differences with Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the organization’s chairperson. Other …

Since launching in 2016, Overwatch has led a charge for the hero shooter as a genre. Several imitators have cropped up over the years, all attempting to claim their stake, but some exceptions aside, almost all of them have failed. A huge part of its success stems from its consistent …

On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione’s legal team, led by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, responded in a statement. “By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has …

Last fall, Momodou Taal, a dual Gambian and U.K. citizen working toward a Ph.D. in Africana studies at Cornell University, was facing suspension and the loss of his F-1 student visa because he had attended a pro-Palestine campus demonstration. As he told Rolling Stone at the time, having his legal …