Jack Denton
Pacific Standard
Contact Jack
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Jack:
Can Virtual Reality Replace Psychedelic Drugs?
A new ayahuasca "experience" at the Tribeca Film Festival puts the question of whether drug trips can be artificially recreated to the test. → Read More
Freedom Fries, Miracle Molecules, and the Politics of American Language
The Department of Energy recently tried to rebrand natural gas as "molecules of U.S. freedom," continuing a long tradition of industry-inspired government propaganda. → Read More
Is Landmarking a Tool of Gentrification or a Bulwark Against It?
From YIMBYs to NIMBYs, the Strand's recent historic preservation is a Rorschach test for activists of many stripes. Who's right? → Read More
A Generation of Hip-Hop Was Given Away for Free. Can It Be Archived?
They won't be lost to fire, like much of the Universal Music catalog, but who will save the mixtapes? → Read More
What Is With All the Bad Corporate Tweets?
Burger King is depressed, Netflix is horny, and Chase is mocking its customers for being broke. Why? → Read More
Archiving Grief Five Years After the Isla Vista Attacks
A misogyny-fueled killing spree spurred reams of news coverage. Now an online archive aims to allow a community to tell its own story of grief. → Read More
Talking Barr's Redactions of the Mueller Report With the 'Yoda of Official Secrecy'
The attorney general will add four categories of redactions to the special counsel's report on Trump campaign collusion with Russia. Can each be challenged? → Read More
What Is Musical Genre Exactly?
Billboard's decision to remove Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" from its country chart exposes how artists' race and class—more than their sounds—have always defined genre. → Read More
Barry Bonds, Martha Stewart, and Donald Trump: Obstructing What?
There's historical precedent for prosecuting obstruction of justice without proving an underlying crime. → Read More
Millions of Mosque Shooting Videos Were Uploaded to Facebook. Who's to Blame?
Facebook and YouTube rushed to remove violent videos. An expert discusses why we need a "reckoning" for online content moderation. → Read More
Your Boss Can't Ask How Many Testicles You Have. Why Can NFL Coaches?
A cornerback prospect was reportedly asked about his private parts at the NFL combine. Does anti-discrimination law cover the NFL? → Read More
Does the First Amendment Protect Vanity License Plates and Bumper Stickers?
Dave Assman's attempt to get his last name on a Canadian plate has thrust the question back into the United States spotlight. → Read More
Why Does the Bubonic Plague Still Exist Today? The Answer Could Be in the Soil.
Last month, a third cat in Wyoming was diagnosed with the plague, two years after a massive outbreak in Madagascar. Are amoebas or rodents to blame? → Read More
Icebergs of Fat, Oil, and Grease Are Growing in the Sewers Beneath Our Feet. Here's Why.
Thanks to wasteful sanitation habits, so-called "fatbergs" have increased in recent years—costing taxpayers in cities around the world a small fortune. → Read More
The Weird History of Unorthodox Sentencing in the U.S.
A man convicted in an illegal, multi-year deer poaching scheme, was sentenced to watch Bambi once a month. While the punishment is certainly unique, the methodology isn't. → Read More
Inside an Idaho Homeowners Association's Frosty War Over One Resident's Lurid Christmas Pageant
A federal jury awarded $75,000 to a couple after their homeowners association tried to prevent them from putting on a week-long Christmas extravaganza. It's a rare loss for homeowners associations, which usually have a broad authority for Grinchiness. → Read More
How the Wisconsin Legislature's Power Grab Could Affect Pardons
If the package is signed into law, Scott Walker's unforgiving clemency legacy could continue. → Read More
Does Vezt Provide Songwriters With Their Business Model of the Future?
Vezt trumpets itself as the savior of the struggling performer. But can the fledgeling start-up help artists get by? And can the company itself survive long enough to find out? → Read More
How Queens Is Pushing Back Against Amazon HQ2
At a rally on Wednesday, local politicians and activists excoriated Governor Andrew Cuomo for offering Amazon massive subsidies that could have gone to schools. → Read More
A Guide to the Almost-Countries of the World
From Liberland to Sealand, a partial tour of semi-autonomous, breakaway states. → Read More