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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Family driven out of town after daughter is raped *

Oct 13th, 2013 | Filed by

Not in Afghanistan or Somalia, but Missouri.… Read the rest



Disney animator says it’s so hard to animate women *

Oct 9th, 2013 | Filed by

Why? “Because they have to go through these range of emotions, but you have to keep them pretty.”… Read the rest



Ally Fogg on Jesus & Mo and LSE *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

Jesus and Mo is anti-religious satire at its best, invariably humane, intelligent, and often very funny.… Read the rest



AHS statement on LSE incident *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

The National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies strongly condemns the actions of the LSESU.… Read the rest



Independent on Jesus&Mo and LSE Student Union *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

Includes an example of the cartoon – the one where Jesus says “Hi I’m Jesus.” Daring.… Read the rest



How bishops pushed for a shutdown over birth control *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

No cardinal was ever made to interrupt his education for an unplanned pregnancy; no bishop ever endured the pain, blood, and terror of a life-threatening labor.… Read the rest



Elizabeth Smart on her nine months of hell *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

Smart says Mitchell believed that anything in the world was his for the taking, and that he was a man who never cared for anyone even as he ranted about God.… Read the rest



Nebraska Supreme Court to foster child: no abortion for you *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

She’s 16: not old enough, the judges ruled, to decide on her own to have an abortion. Old enough to bear and raise a child though.… Read the rest



Bishops make it official: forced childbirth more important than feeding babies *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter urging House Republicans to shut down the government over insurance coverage for contraception.… Read the rest



Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan vow to target Malala Yousafzai again *

Oct 8th, 2013 | Filed by

“Islam prohibits killing women…except those that support the infidels in their war against our religion,” said their spokesman.… Read the rest



Atheism added to Irish non-denominational schools *

Oct 1st, 2013 | Filed by

7% of pupils will receive instruction on secular belief systems starting next year. The other 93% of students go to schools run by the Catholic church.… Read the rest



Leo Igwe on witchcraft mentality and freethought in northern Ghana *

Sep 12th, 2013 | Filed by

Witchcraft accusation in Africa is still a reason to kill, torture, murder, lynch, abandon and exile children and elderly persons from their homes.… Read the rest



Bangladesh: 4 atheist bloggers charged with “defaming Islam” *

Sep 10th, 2013 | Filed by

“They have been indicted…with defaming Islam, the Prophet Mohammed and other religions through their Internet writings. They spread malice against all religions,” the judge said.… Read the rest



Malala Yousafzai opens the new Library of Birmingham *

Sep 3rd, 2013 | Filed by

Addressing the public, Malala said she was feeling very proud the building had been designed by a woman and the city was now her second home after her “beloved Pakistan”.… Read the rest



David Robert Grimes on six stubborn myths about cancer *

Aug 30th, 2013 | Filed by

“Cancer rates are rising” – true, but that’s because we’re living longer.… Read the rest



The Guardian on John Scalzi the internet troll-slayer *

Aug 27th, 2013 | Filed by

This weekend, he again turned the tables on a troll who seemed to think calling Scalzi a feminist would be an insult.… Read the rest



Scalzi on what a feminist looks like *

Aug 27th, 2013 | Filed by

The right way to use the meme generator.… Read the rest



Syria: MSF says symptoms suggest a neurotoxic agent *

Aug 27th, 2013 | Filed by

Medecins Sans Frontieres says hospitals it supports in Syria treated about 3,600 patients with “neurotoxic symptoms”, of whom 355 have died.… Read the rest



Finally, polyandry gets a chance *

Aug 26th, 2013 | Filed by

A woman in Kenya refused to choose between her two partners, so they agreed to share.… Read the rest



On blasphemy, wielding both standards and stories *

Aug 26th, 2013 | Filed by

Michael DeDora on using personal stories of persecution as well as arguments to enlighten.… Read the rest