Progressive News Feeds

Since my readers introduced me to Issa Rae’s web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl , I’ve wished someone would give Rae, whose biting, original, low-budget show has earned her a well-deserved following, a deal and the resources to take her show national. Now, Shonda Rhimes, one of the few women and few African-Americans who can basically get a network to greenlight anything she wants, has found a way to do precisely that. Through her Shondaland production company, Rhimes has helped Rae sell a new serie s, I Hate La Dudes , about the sole woman on an internet radio talk show, to ABC.

Tags: author, celebrity, comedy, director, economy, health, internet, lgbt, oprah-winfrey, progressive news, shonda-rhimes, yahoo

After six seasons, the CBC hit series Little Mosque on the Prairie finally closed up shop earlier this year, but it’s got a new lease on life on Hulu, which is releasing it as simply Little Mosque . It’s a move I’m excited by, for a lot of different reasons, not least of which is that I love the show and I’m pleased to see it picked up and brought to more potential viewers

Tags: action, alyssa, clinton, comedy, media, politics, progressive news, science, security, war

I have to admit that, in a week full of absolute ridiculousness in politics, I’m feeling refreshed by the return of my favorite political joke of the cycle, Key & Peele ‘s skits about Luther, President Obama’s anger translator: Key and Peele Get More: Comedy Central , Funny Videos , Funny TV Shows It’s wonderfully cathartic to hear Luther spit “I did not realize that was an option,” about Romney’s refusal to release his tax returns in contrast to the mountain of disclosure President Obama’s been required to do in response to deeply specious claims about his citizenship. I don’t want to see Obama lose his cool during the election, even as I’m angry at the double standard that would condemn him as an angry black man. But Luther is my favorite fictional surrogate for the President, and Obama himself is a fan as well .

Tags: author, comedy, cool, creator, election, liberal, politics, science, videos

Eric Anderson co-founded space tourism company Space Adventures in 1998, and in 2010 launched Planetary Resources to develop the technology to “expand Earth’s natural resource base.” Planetary Resources’ president is former NASA engineer Chris Lewicki , who was flight director for Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Not content with sending the first tourist into space and landing NASA’s Mars rovers between them, they have an outlandish plan to mine asteroids, backed by Google billionaires.

Tags: article, chris-lewicki, comedy, costs-seattle, director, facebook, political, progressive news, science, slate, slate-group

“ Prog Spring : The brief rise and inevitable fall of the world’s most hated pop music,” by David Weigel. Weigel’s opus explores the overstuffed, visionary madness of progressive (“prog”) rock. In Part 1 , the Nice’s Keith Emerson buys an electric organ and lays the groundwork for the movement

Tags: ad-choices, article, article-toolbar, articles, chunky-buttons, comedy, emr, political, progressive news

Every weekend, Longform shares a collection of great stories from its archive with Slate . For daily picks of new and classic nonfiction, check out Longform or follow @longform on Twitter.

Tags: articles, author, backupify-frank, comedy, costs-seattle, facebook, progressive news, science, taibbi-friedman, writing-bitter

Elections a rich source for ‘ Campaign ‘ director Jay Roach. August 9, 2012 By Michael Leave a Comment.

Tags: barack-obama, books, comedy, congress, dvd, entertainment, feeds, movies, news, photos, video

Mitt Romney’s not-so-excellent adventure abroad (“ Romneyshambles ,” the Brits are calling it) has been many things: shabby, hilarious, scandalous, an enlivening hoot to a dreary election season. One thing it shouldn’t be, though, is surprising.

Tags: author, british, comedy, dna, facebook, olympics, realistic-fake, silicon-valley, slate-group

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has broken from family tradition by appearing publicly with his wife , Ri Sol-ju. The happy couple attended an amusement park opening ceremony and a concert featuring actors in unlicensed Disney character costumes. Can the Walt Disney Company stop North Koreans from wearing Mickey Mouse costumes

Tags: articles, comedy, dna, facebook, science, silicon-valley, slate, staging-stuffy, technology

Would it be the Fawlty Towers of Olympic Ceremonies? Would the spirit of Benny Hill invade the turf

Tags: articles, comedy, documentary, facebook, facebook-help, health, media, progressive news, silicon-valley, slate, staging-stuffy, technology