Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.

We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.

A note about links

Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.


Baptist Seminary on the Godly Woman *

Nov 3rd, 2007 | Filed by

Lecturer Ashley Smith laid out the biblical basis for what she calls ‘the glorious inequalities of life.’… Read the rest



Theocracy Now *

Nov 3rd, 2007 | Filed by

Reporting from the ‘Value Voters Summit.’… Read the rest



Co-epidemic Spreading in Sub-Saharan Africa *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

Half of all new TB cases in sub-Saharan Africa are now HIV co-infected.… Read the rest



The Eye of the Storm is in sub-Saharan Africa *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

The largely unnoticed collision of HIV and TB has exploded to create a deadly co-epidemic.… Read the rest



Katha Pollitt Skeptical of Horowitz’s Feminism *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

Ayaan Hirsi Ali gets bad press on the left. Why?… Read the rest



Murder of Uzbek Reporter Condemned *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

CPJ urges a thorough inquiry into the murder of outspoken journalist Alisher Saipov.… Read the rest



What is Debate Really For? *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

Plato, Rousseau, Mill, Arendt and Habermas discuss with Cmdr Taco.… Read the rest



Evidence for Nonhuman Primate Language *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

The point here is not to deny Kanzi’s achievements but to quantify them correctly. … Read the rest



Aznar and Bush, February 2003 *

Nov 2nd, 2007 | Filed by

Bush: I am an optimist, because I believe that I’m right. I’m at peace with myself.… Read the rest



Mearsheimer and Walt *

Nov 1st, 2007 | Filed by

They acknowledge that realist theory fails to explain the outsize influence of the Israel lobby.… Read the rest



Science Pursues Truth, not Consensus *

Nov 1st, 2007 | Filed by

Good science involves open debate, in which dissents are sharpened and clarified, not smoothed over. … Read the rest



Catherine Bennett on ‘Shared Values’ *

Nov 1st, 2007 | Filed by

Is it because only half its population is oppressed that we share values with Saudi Arabia but not with Burma?… Read the rest



Anthony Giddens on Debating Diversity *

Nov 1st, 2007 | Filed by

Facts should be brought out in the open, not dismissed for ideological reasons. … Read the rest



On Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

Barbara Ehrenreich interrogates Ann Coulter’s concern for women’s rights.… Read the rest



Ann Coulter at USC and on CNBC *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

Cites threat of religious fundamentalism, says Jews need to be ‘perfected’ by turning Christian.… Read the rest



Cherie Blair on Culture Religion and Women’s Rights *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

Said all major world religions share ‘insistence on the dignity of all God’s people.’ Really?… Read the rest



Booth QC: Women’s Rights are a Universal Ethic *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

Differences of culture or religion cannot be used as a justification for denying equal rights to women.… Read the rest



Catholic League Pitches Fit Over Philip Pullman *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

Militant atheist – aggressive – in-your-face assault – offensive – despicable – pernicious.… Read the rest



Beatification of a Torturer *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

One of the 498 ‘martyrs’ of the Spanish Civil War is charged with torturing a prisoner in 1896.… Read the rest



Martha Nussbaum on Ethical Cosmopolitanism *

Oct 31st, 2007 | Filed by

The political is a place of ‘overlapping consensus.’… Read the rest