Grok is Gross
Lizzie O’Leary joins to break down the story of the disturbing deepfakes being created by X’s AI chatbot.
Today's Liberal News
The CBS Evening Debut of Tony Dokoupil Was Embarrassing in Ways I Didn’t Know Possible
At least the debut of the “America-loving” newscast was an apt metaphor for America right now.
Money Talks: The Agony and Ecstasy of Barbie
Barbieland author Tarpley Hitt tells us all about the checkered past of the world’s most famous doll.
So Was it a Good Year for US Markets or Nah?
2025 was an interesting year for US stock markets and global dealmaking.
RFK Jr.’s theories about vaccines are about to be tested
American kids are no longer routinely being recommended shots against hepatitis A, meningitis, rotavirus and the flu.
Parents on RFK Jr.’s advice on sweets: ‘Completely unrealistic’
The health secretary’s new dietary guidelines tell parents to cut the added sugar until their kids turn 11.
Trump’s plan to strong-arm insurers into lower prices is met with skepticism
There are reasons to be skeptical that voluntary cuts by insurance companies could bring significant, lasting health care savings for Americans.
The GOP’s Obamacare defectors were more numerous than expected
The group was led by members in swing seats and those who represent many constituents facing rising health insurance premiums.
When Church Was a Queer Space
Outward’s hosts sit down with the host and co-creator of When We All Get to Heaven.
Remembering, with the People of MCC San Francisco, AIDS Still Isn’t Over.
The neighborhood changes, the church moves, people forget and remember “the AIDS years,” but AIDS isn’t over.
What Happens When You Organize Church Around AIDS – and AIDS Changes?
The AIDS cocktail opens new possibilities. And MCC San Francisco tries to use the experience of AIDS to make bigger social change.
The Church’s Pastor Gets Diagnosed with AIDS. And the Church Wonders How Much They Might Lose.
The church’s minister gets sick and everyone knows it.
A Church Romance Between a Hula Dancer and a Lumbersexual Blossoms in a Dangerous Time.
The church’s “it couple” faces AIDS, caregiving, and loss as part of a pair, part of families, and part of a community.
Vance tries to thread affordability needle in Rust Belt
The vice president fine-tunes Trump’s economic message, but he’s only got so much wiggle room.
Ex-Trump voters swung hard to Democrats over costs in NJ & VA, new research shows
Voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 and swung to Democrats in this year’s Virginia and New Jersey elections did so over economic concerns, according to focus groups conducted by a Democratic pollster and obtained by POLITICO.
Democrats think they’ve found their 2026 message — and Miami just backed it up
In races across the country, Democrats focused on promises to make life more affordable — even as they offered contrasting approaches.
Voters sour on Trump’s handling of the economy in new poll
The White House plans to make affordability a key selling point for Republicans across the board as the 2026 midterm elections come into focus.
“All the Walls Came Down”: L.A. Fire Survivors Fight Foreclosure & Demand Justice in Altadena
We look at All the Walls Came Down, a new short documentary directed by filmmaker Ondi Timoner that looks back at the devastating 2025 fires in Los Angeles, which destroyed Timoner’s home and left the historically Black community of Altadena in ruins. The film, which has been shortlisted for an Academy Award, follows community organizer Heavenly Hughes as residents confront the aftermath of the fires and organize to rebuild their town.
Trump goons find new heinous way to attack Somali communities
The Trump administration’s all-out war on Somali people continues.
In the latest move, the brittle and ghoulish White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X that President Donald Trump is ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalis.
“Somali migrants with TPS will be required to leave the country by March 17,” she wrote.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
The U.S.
Cartoon: Minneapol-I.C.E.
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Related | ICE killed an unarmed citizen. Republicans keep trying to justify it.
Elon Musk Cannot Get Away With This
Will Elon Musk face any consequences for his despicable sexual-harassment bot?
For more than a week, beginning late last month, anyone could go online and use a tool owned and promoted by the world’s richest man to modify a picture of basically any person, even a child, and undress them. This was not some deepfake nudify app that you had to pay to download on a shady backwater website or a dark-web message board.
Can Democrats capitalize on latest House Republican exit?
Yet another GOP lawmaker announced on Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in November, joining a long list of Republicans choosing to head for the exits or run for different office rather than return to possibly minority status in 2027.
Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida said in a statement that his fifth term will be his last, opening up the Sunshine State’s 2nd Congressional District for the first time in a decade.
None of This Should Have Happened
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
After an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, forensic examinations of videos of the incident emerged within hours.
MAGA influencer’s face-plant shows pitfall in creator culture
Many of those who call themselves journalists these days have a very different set of standards than the old guard. That was resoundingly apparent when MAGA “independent journalist” Nick Shirley sat down with fellow creator Andrew Callaghan for an interview and their conversation highlighted major pitfalls within the journalistic creator economy.
Texas Sends Plato Back to His Cave
Thomas Jefferson loathed Plato. In 1814, he wrote to John Adams that he had been reading the Republic and came away unimpressed: “Bringing Plato to the test of reason, take from him his sophisms, futilities, & incomprehensibilities, and what remains?” The only reason the Greek philosopher is so revered, Jefferson opined, is that “education is chiefly in the hands of persons who, from their profession, have an interest in the reputation and the dreams of Plato.
The Recap: Clintons won’t bow to Epstein probe, and racist cartoonist gets Trump send-off
A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know.
Abolish ICE? America is warming to the idea.
More and more people are turning on Trump’s deportation gestapo.
Some Republicans find a spine—with Trump ‘doubling down on stupid’
Finally, Republicans have found a line that Trump can’t cross.
Today’s Atlantic Trivia: On, Yes, the Gay Hockey Show
Updated with new questions at 2:45 p.m. ET on January 13, 2026.
Welcome back to Atlantic Trivia! Are you hungry for more?
I hope that while I’ve been away, you have been enjoying plenty of food for thought—literally. Research shows that berries help improve memory and that a walnut-heavy diet is associated with higher cognitive performance. Fatty fish and leafy greens are linked to slower cognitive decline. Caffeine is a brain boost too.
Why Is Trump So Determined to Completely Break America’s Economy?
The president’s feud with the Fed chair has crossed a dangerous line—and it could unravel America’s economy.
Lawsuit dismissed after Trump admin quietly restored tens of millions to Planned Parenthood
Progressive groups dropped their case against HHS over the withheld family planning funds, but other challenges continue.
Ilhan Omar Rips Elon Musk Over ‘Laughable’ Error: ‘One Of The Dumbest People On Earth’
The tech billionaire appeared to give Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) the easiest layup of her career by amplifying an easily debunked conspiracy theory about her.