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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


How Right Wing the Left Can Sound *

Aug 27th, 2006 | Filed by

No longer will opponents of multiculturalism be silenced by reflex accusation of racism.… Read the rest



FDA Approves OTC Access for Plan B *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

Women 18 and over can get emergency contraception without prescription; girls under 18 can’t.… Read the rest



Planned Parenthood on Teenage Pregnancy *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

Dismay at scientifically baseless restrictions that deny teenagers otc access to backup birth control. … Read the rest



Scary Opinions on Politics and Religion *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

69% agreed that liberals have ‘gone too far in trying to keep religion out of schools and government.’… Read the rest



Barriers to Muslim Women in Sports *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

Hard to swim in a chador.… Read the rest



Don’t Wanna Be Cohered *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

Opaque waffle about cohesion and communities on the ground.… Read the rest



Malaysian ‘Apostate’ Under Death Threat *

Aug 26th, 2006 | Filed by

Civil courts said Malays could not renounce Islam because Constitution defined Malays as Muslims.… Read the rest



Tom Morris on a Confused Reverend *

Aug 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Who moans about that old canard ‘genetic determinism’.… Read the rest



Pamela Bone: Muslim Sisters Need our Help *

Aug 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Why do few Western feminists speak out about the cruelty blighting the lives of millions of women?… Read the rest



David Thompson on Cultural Equivalence *

Aug 25th, 2006 | Filed by

It underlies the fashion for religious protectionism, whereby reason and science are called religions.… Read the rest



Cass Sunstein on Fear as a Political Tool *

Aug 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Visceral fear and outrage may lead people to prefer the candidate who seems more aggressive.… Read the rest



Islamists Oppose Rewriting Hudood Ordinance *

Aug 25th, 2006 | Filed by

Women must produce four male witnesses to prove rape or risk 100 lashes or death by stoning.… Read the rest



Focus on Evidence is not ‘Fascist’ *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

If the authors are interested in European thought, they should reflect on what Sartre meant by ‘bad faith.’… Read the rest



Events of Interest to Skeptics *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Edinburgh, Norwich, Glasgow, London.… Read the rest



Somali Woman Publicly Flogged *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

11 lashes for selling $1 worth of cannabis; she pleaded innocence while being beaten.… Read the rest



Ehsan Masood on Leadership Troubles *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

It’s time to move on from the idea of (mostly male) British Muslim ‘community leaders.’… Read the rest



Francis Wheen’s ‘Biography’ of Das Kapital *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

Elements of the Gothic novel, Victorian melodrama, black farce, Greek tragedy and satirical utopia.… Read the rest



A N Wilson Reviews Roger Scruton *

Aug 24th, 2006 | Filed by

For a man whose calling is telling the truth it was a blow to be ‘exposed as the lickspittle of tobacco giants.’… Read the rest



Roger Scruton: Beware Irony-free Religion *

Aug 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

It is from a posture of irony that every real negotiation, offer of peace, acceptance of the other, begins.… Read the rest



Jesus and Mo Do Religion With Irony *

Aug 23rd, 2006 | Filed by

The barmaid helps them.… Read the rest