Today's Liberal News

Contributing Writers

DeepSeek vs. Silicon Valley: In Shock to Big Tech, Chinese Startup Overtakes U.S. AI

For a fraction of the cost, Chinese startup DeepSeek’s free, open-source artificial intelligence is outcompeting the world’s previous leading AI model, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, upending the financial predictions of Silicon Valley and causing major turmoil in the U.S. stock market. This comes just after President Trump announced a $500 billion private sector investment plan to boost AI infrastructure in the United States and amid the threat of a major trade war between the U.S. and China.

Sheinbaum vs. Trump: How Mexico’s Popular First Woman President Is Navigating Hostile U.S. Policy

We take a look at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first 100 days in office with Edwin Ackerman, an expert on Mexican politics. Sheinbaum has proved enormously popular with the Mexican public, championing populist reforms and issuing forceful rebukes of Donald Trump’s scapegoating and demonization of Latin America, including his attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and his threat to enact crushing tariffs on Mexico, the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner.

WATCH: Caroline Kennedy Slams Cousin RFK Jr. as “Dangerous” and a “Predator” in Video to Senate

As Senate confirmation hearings begin Wednesday for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, his cousin Caroline Kennedy has published a video slamming him as holding “dangerous and willfully misinformed” views on vaccines and other public health issues. Caroline Kennedy is the former U.S. ambassador to Japan and Australia and daughter of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s uncle.

“Complete Chaos”: Medicaid, Meals on Wheels & More on Chopping Block as Trump Freezes Trillions

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has temporarily halted President Trump’s attempt to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans, including university and nonprofit funding, food assistance, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits and more. The Trump administration said the shocking move was a part of its assessment of whether various government programs align with its agenda.

Genocide Denial in Holocaust Studies: Scholar Raz Segal on Gaza & 80 Years After Auschwitz Liberation

Holocaust survivors on Monday marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where Nazi Germany exterminated over 1 million Jews and other minority groups between 1940 and 1945. The commemoration comes as the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles worldwide and far-right forces gain strength across Europe and the United States.

As ICE Conducts Made-for-TV Raids, Cities from Chicago to Newark Resist Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is ramping up raids across the United States, arresting more than 1,000 people in operations Monday after detaining a similar number on Sunday. Immigrant communities and their allies say the raids violate human rights, the Constitution, and are being carried out in retaliation against sanctuary cities that have policies aimed at protecting undocumented residents.

Christian Nationalist at the Pentagon: Pete Hegseth’s Calvinist Sect Embraces Confederacy, Crusades

The Senate has confirmed former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary by just one vote. Hegseth has “very clear” ties to extreme Christian nationalism, as well as a history of alleged sexual assault and abuse. Logan Davis, a reporter in Denver, Colorado, who grew up in the same classical Christian educational movement that Hegseth is raising his family in, explains the problematic ideology that shapes it.

Trump Halts Refugee Admissions, Stranding Thousands Approved to Enter U.S., Fleeing War, Persecution

We look at the impact of President Trump’s halting of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program with Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, a faith-based nonprofit that helps place and resource refugees upon their arrival in the U.S. as part of the program. Some 100,000 refugees were settled in the United States last year under the highly selective program, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades.

“Anxiety and Fear”: Immigrants Under Attack as Trump Militarizes Border, Ramps Up Deportation Flights

A dramatic standoff between the U.S. and Colombia unfolded Sunday with Colombian President Gustavo Petro turning back two U.S. military planes that were carrying deported migrants in shackles, saying immigrants should be treated with dignity. The two countries then traded tariff threats before announcing a deal in which Colombia would begin accepting flights of deported migrants. Meanwhile, Trump has sent 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, further militarizing the region.

Pressure Grows to Free Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah & Stop Harassment of Hossam Bahgat

We discuss the cases of two of Egypt’s most prominent political activists, Hossam Bahgat and Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who have both been persecuted by the Egyptian government for exposing its human rights abuses. Bahgat is facing a new round of harassment from Egyptian security forces, while El-Fattah remains in prison past his expected release. El-Fattah’s mother, the Cairo University professor Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike for nearly four months in the U.K.

Journalist Peter Greste, Once Jailed in Egypt, Joins Hunger Strike for Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s Freedom

The prominent British Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah remains imprisoned in Cairo even after he completed his five-year sentence last September. Fattah came to prominence during the Egyptian revolution as a blogger and political activist, and he has been jailed multiple times by the authoritarian government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for his advocacy. His family and supporters continue to demand his freedom and have pressed the U.K. government to pressure Egypt into releasing him.

Marcus Garvey’s Pardon Is Part of Undoing “Harms of the Past,” Honoring Black History: Justin Hansford

As one of his last acts in office, President Joe Biden issued a posthumous pardon for Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X and generations of civil rights leaders. Advocates and congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey for years, with supporters arguing that Garvey’s 1923 mail fraud conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the popular leader who spoke of racial pride and self-reliance.

“Shock and Awe”: Immigration Raids Begin as Judge Halts Unconstitutional Birthright Citizenship Order

As the Trump administration launches what it touts as the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history, we look at how immigrant communities and advocates are fighting back. The administration already faces some setbacks, including in its attempt to end birthright citizenship, which a federal judge halted Thursday from going into effect because it was “blatantly unconstitutional.

Israel Continues Deadly Attack on Jenin; Trump Lifts Sanctions on Extremist West Bank Settlers

While a ceasefire is largely holding in Gaza, Israel is intensifying attacks on the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military has killed at least 13 people in a major military operation targeting Jenin that began on Tuesday when Israeli troops raided the city, backed by airstrikes, drones and U.S.-made Apache helicopters, following a six-week siege. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers in the West Bank have been “emboldened” by Trump’s lifting of sanctions on far-right Israeli settler groups.

Journalist Peter Greste, Once Jailed in Egypt, Joins Hunger Strike for Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s Freedom

The prominent British Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah remains imprisoned in Cairo even after he completed his five-year sentence last September. Fattah came to prominence during the Egyptian revolution as a blogger and political activist, and he has been jailed multiple times by the authoritarian government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for his advocacy. His family and supporters continue to demand his freedom and have pressed the U.K. government to pressure Egypt into releasing him.

Marcus Garvey’s Pardon Is Part of Undoing “Harms of the Past,” Honoring Black History: Justin Hansford

As one of his last acts in office, President Joe Biden issued a posthumous pardon for Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X and generations of civil rights leaders. Advocates and congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey for years, with supporters arguing that Garvey’s 1923 mail fraud conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the popular leader who spoke of racial pride and self-reliance.

“Shock and Awe”: Immigration Raids Begin as Judge Halts Unconstitutional Birthright Citizenship Order

As the Trump administration launches what it touts as the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history, we look at how immigrant communities and advocates are fighting back. The administration already faces some setbacks, including in its attempt to end birthright citizenship, which a federal judge halted Thursday from going into effect because it was “blatantly unconstitutional.

Israel Continues Deadly Attack on Jenin; Trump Lifts Sanctions on Extremist West Bank Settlers

While a ceasefire is largely holding in Gaza, Israel is intensifying attacks on the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military has killed at least 13 people in a major military operation targeting Jenin that began on Tuesday when Israeli troops raided the city, backed by airstrikes, drones and U.S.-made Apache helicopters, following a six-week siege. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers in the West Bank have been “emboldened” by Trump’s lifting of sanctions on far-right Israeli settler groups.

Trump’s First Week Back

Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings or watch full episodes here.
Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders, rolling back Biden-era policies and pardoning January 6 rioters. On Washington Week With The Atlantic, panelists joined to discuss the president’s first week back in office.