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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Katha Pollitt on a submissive wife for president *

Aug 25th, 2011 | Filed by

“The Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands,’” she told the crowd at a Minnesota megachurch.… Read the rest



9 things to know about Perry’s prayer event *

Aug 25th, 2011 | Filed by

NAR’s agenda of theocratic dominion over all aspects of society is threatening to modern secular democracy and the religious pluralism it protects.… Read the rest



Rick Perry’s Army of God *

Aug 25th, 2011 | Filed by

A chain of powerful prophecies had proclaimed that Texas was “The Prophet State,” anointed by God to lead the United States into revival and Godly government.… Read the rest



An underreported sector of the Religious Right *

Aug 25th, 2011 | Filed by

Rick Perry may have been counting on the fact that most Americans would not be able to distinguish the apostles from any other conservative evangelicals.… Read the rest



Meet The New Apostolic Reformation *

Aug 25th, 2011 | Filed by

This stuff is even crazier than the other crazy stuff – and these are the people who organized Rick Perry’s prayer rally.… Read the rest



Fake rave reviews for sale *

Aug 24th, 2011 | Filed by

As online retailers increasingly depend on reviews as a sales tool, an industry of fibbers and promoters has sprung up to buy and sell raves for a pittance.… Read the rest



Education is the key to Afghanistan’s future *

Aug 24th, 2011 | Filed by

Investing in Afghanistan’s teachers could have been one of the cheapest, quickest ways to reinvigorate the country’s human capital.… Read the rest



Jeffrey Toobin on the Thomases v Obama *

Aug 24th, 2011 | Filed by

As the Justice has assumed an influential role on the Roberts Court, his wife  has helped lead the public war against the Administration.… Read the rest



The illusion of asymmetric insight *

Aug 24th, 2011 | Filed by

You believe you see more of other people’s icebergs than they see of yours; meanwhile, they think the same thing about you.… Read the rest



Paying attention to what isn’t there *

Aug 24th, 2011 | Filed by

If it should be there and isn’t, that could be significant.… Read the rest



Dawkins to Perry: evolution is a fact *

Aug 23rd, 2011 | Filed by

Evolution is not some recondite backwater of science, ignorance of which would be pardonable.… Read the rest



UK: company threatens critics with libel action *

Aug 23rd, 2011 | Filed by

Because Atos Healthcare are out-sourced work by the public sector they are allowed to sue for defamation.… Read the rest



Vatican used Irish bank loans to pay US victims *

Aug 23rd, 2011 | Filed by

Allied Irish Bank guaranteed hundreds of millions, which allowed the Archdiocese of LA to avoid court and opening documents to scrutiny.… Read the rest



Al Jazeera: fighting rages at Gaddafi compound *

Aug 23rd, 2011 | Filed by

Rebels have entered the fortified compound in Bab al-Azizya in Tripoli, amid intensified fighting with forces loyal to Gaddafi.… Read the rest



Guardian liveblogging on Libya *

Aug 23rd, 2011 | Filed by

Rebels have taken Gaddafi’s compound.… Read the rest



Public health blogger shut down by employers *

Aug 22nd, 2011 | Filed by

He disagreed with a pharmaceuticals “entrepreneur” – who sent email threats to his employer, a state health department.… Read the rest



Obituary of liberal secularism in Pakistan *

Aug 22nd, 2011 | Filed by

Radicalism is going to be the future of a country where the religious and political right are increasingly gaining strength and followers.… Read the rest



Discovered: the oldest fossils on earth *

Aug 22nd, 2011 | Filed by

The microscopic fossils show convincing evidence for cells and bacteria living in an oxygen-free world over 3.4 billion years ago.… Read the rest



BBC on religion as big business in Nigeria *

Aug 22nd, 2011 | Filed by

“Nigerians have become desperate, and gullible, and these churches service this market,” says Leo Igwe.… Read the rest



Breast ironing in Cameroon *

Aug 21st, 2011 | Filed by

Girls’ breasts are flattened with hot stones or pestles to make the girls less desirable and to delay pregnancy.… Read the rest