Congress could finally pass a Covid bill. They’ll soon have to do it all again.
Public health leaders warn that short-term bursts of cash are creating gaps in preparedness, leaving millions vulnerable to a new Covid surge.
Today's Liberal News
The Emotion Missing From the Workplace
Before a recent virtual talk I gave to an executive team, the moderator asked attendees to share in the chat box how they were feeling that morning.
America Is Staring Down Its First So What? Wave
If the United States has been riding a COVID-19 ’coaster for the past two-plus years, New York and a flush of states in the Northeast have consistently been seated in the train’s front car. And right now, in those parts of the country, coronavirus cases are, once again, going up. The rest of America may soon follow, now that BA.2—the more annoying, faster-spreading sister of the original Omicron variant, BA.
A Poor People’s Pandemic: Report Reveals Poor Died from COVID at Twice the Rate of Wealthy in U.S.
The newly released “Poor People’s Pandemic Report” shows poor people died from COVID at twice the rate of wealthy Americans and that people of color were more likely to die than white populations. “Our country has gotten used to unnecessary death, especially when it’s the death of poor people,” says Rev. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign.
Poor in El Salvador Face Brunt of Crackdown on Gang Violence as Gov’t Suspends Rights, Arrests 6,000+
We go to El Salvador for an update on how the government under President Nayib Bukele has arrested over 6,000 people since a 30-day state of emergency was imposed following a wave of violence. The state of exception has suspended freedom of assembly and weakened due process rights for those arrested, including an extension of how long people can be held without charge.
Pakistan in Crisis After PM Imran Khan Dissolved Parliament & Accused U.S. of Plotting Regime Change
Pakistan is facing a constitutional crisis after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolved the country’s National Assembly and called for new elections in an effort to block an attempt to remove him from power. Khan was facing a no-confidence vote in Parliament that would have unseated him, but his allies blocked the vote from happening.
A Neutral Ukraine Is a Dangerous Idea
As secret and not-so-secret peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv proceed amid fierce fighting, Ukraine’s “neutrality” has reemerged as Vladimir Putin’s key condition for ending the war that he started. The Ukrainians’ supposed lack of neutrality—that is, their repudiation of pro-Moscow rulers and their tilt toward the West—was the Russian president’s excuse for invading.
Biden administration to end controversial border policy in May
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which invoked the controversial order in March 2020 to limit the spread of Covid-19, said the policy is no longer needed to protect public health.
‘Recognition of failure’: A shift urged in global vaccination strategy
Health organizations again seek to prioritize at-risk populations for Covid shots.
House passes insulin bill over insurers’ opposition
Despite concerns about the bill’s policy and strategy from both sides of the aisle, nearly all House Democrats as well as a dozen Republicans voted for it Thursday.
Biden’s mounting midterm threat: Inflation angst outweighing historic job growth
White House officials deny any sense of panic over the economy or their midterm chances.
Democrats want to crack down on Wall Street. Guess who’s getting in the way.
The administration’s difficulties in getting bank cop nominees through a Democratic-controlled Senate underscore the fault lines within the party over how to approach financial regulation.
Opinion | When It Comes to Inflation, Our Focus Should Be On the Cost of Housing
The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates — but Congress has a chance to bring real relief.
U.S. inflation soared 7.9 percent in past year, a fresh 40-year high
The increase reported by the Labor Department reflected the 12 months ending in February and didn’t include most of the oil and gas price increases that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb.
Russia oil shock looms over Fed inflation fight
The Fed is already expected to begin a campaign of interest rate increases next month in a bid to remove its support for economic growth amid a blistering job market and rapidly rising prices.
Chris Hedges on Jailed WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange’s Wedding: He’s “Crumbling” in London Prison
Imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is “crumbling” physically and psychologically, says journalist Chris Hedges, who last week attended Assange’s wedding to his longtime partner Stella Moris at London’s Belmarsh prison. Assange has been behind bars for nearly three years awaiting a possible extradition to the United States on espionage charges for publishing documents revealing war crimes committed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Disappeared”: Chris Hedges Responds to YouTube Deleting His 6-Year Archive of RT America Shows
YouTube has deleted the entire archive of “On Contact,” an Emmy-nominated television show by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges which was hosted on the Russian government-funded news channel RT America. We speak with Hedges, who connects the YouTube censorship of his show to a growing crackdown on dissenting voices in American media.
In New Dashcam Video, Madison Cawthorn Seems Surprised Car Is Registered To Dad
A news station gets the second of three dashcam videos of the GOP congressman’s traffic stops by the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
News Roundup: Republicans make it clear that they are finished with bipartisanship on any level
As Garfield says, “I love lasagna!” The United States Congress is poised do two things this coming week: Confirm the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and add more serious sanctions to pressure Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. Not surprisingly, the Republican Party is somehow standing in the way of both maneuvers. This stonewalling is not a business as usual reiteration of previous political battles from the 20th century—this is new.
Ukraine update: Zelenskyy visits Bucha; Russian military continues to withdraw northern forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Bucha and Irpin today; Russia retreated from both cities in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks but left behind evidence of horrific war crimes perpetrated during their scant few weeks of occupation. The bodies of civilians are still being collected, some of them with their hands bound behind their backs.
Republicans are about to kill cannabis legalization. Could that help Democrats in the midterms?
A teacher once told me to write what you know. Since there’s very little call for stories about incrementally turning into Gollum as I shun natural light, social interaction, and the impudent inveigling of relatives trying to coax me out of my Reefer Madness redoubts and into the so-called “world,” I like to write about weed.
Jen Psaki Shuts Down Fox News Reporter On Florida’s ‘Heartbreaking’ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
In her response to Peter Doocy, she called the law a “reflection of politicians in Florida propagating misinformed, hateful policies.
Video of 11-year-old Prince supporting striking teachers unearthed by Minneapolis news station
Archival video footage offers an amazing glimpse into the past that provides context for today. During my time at CBS, it was a joy to watch my colleagues pull together last-minute packages celebrating the lives of luminaries or tying in segments from the past into segments that better inform the public about major issues.
Winning 2022 and beyond in the ultimate tipping point state: Wisconsin
The U.S. Supreme Court has again threatened our freedom to vote, this time in Wisconsin. As part of their “shadow docket,” the right-wing majority threw out a Wisconsin map that would have given Black voters the representation they deserve.
Now is the time to get angry, but to also build the groundwork to defend our democracy.
Wisconsin is the ultimate “tipping point” state. President Joe Biden won it by 21,000 votes in 2020, and in 2022 we have a key U.
Ukrainian Americans Protest California Church Talk By Putin Defender Tucker Carlson
A megachurch hosted the Kremlin-positive Fox News host — just as horrifying images of murdered civilians in Ukraine emerged.
Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney Announce Support For Ketanji Brown Jackson
Three Republican senators — including Susan Collins — have now said they will vote to confirm the Supreme Court nominee.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis Signs Law To Protect Abortion Rights
The new law guarantees access to reproductive care before and after pregnancy and bans local governments from imposing their own restrictions.
Biden admin plots fix to Obamacare’s ‘family glitch,’ expand coverage
The move would target loophole that keeps about 5 million people from qualifying for subsidized health plans
How Jon Batiste Broke Grammys Expectations
The Grammys giving Album of the Year to a release that peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200 might seem to call into question the very meaning of Album of the Year. Yet no one should be too perplexed that the Recording Academy handed last night’s final prize to We Are, by Jon Batiste, the accomplished jazz pianist and bandleader (and the music director of this publication).
The Horror of Bucha
Warning: This story contains graphic imagery.On the morning of March 4, a teacher was sheltering in a basement in Bucha, an old railroad stop northwest of Kyiv that over the centuries had grown into a verdant suburb. The town lay along the Russian military’s intended path of conquest, leading into the Ukrainian capital. And while the invaders struggled to realize their overarching plan, they gained a toehold in Bucha.At 7 a.m.