Today's Liberal News

Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice will retire after prominent career in Long Island politics

New York Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Long Island Democrat who spent years as an intra-party critic of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, declared Tuesday that she would not seek a fifth term representing the 4th Congressional District, which is entirely located in Nassau County. The decision was a surprise, as the congresswoman—who turned 57 the day she made her announcement—had given no obvious indication she was looking to leave the House.

The Inimitable P. J. O’Rourke

The journalist and political satirist P. J. O’Rourke, who died today, had a knack for making serious subjects funny. In 11 years of writing for The Atlantic, he covered bleakness—Enron, war memorials—with skepticism and a dash of absurdity. (Explaining his wariness of lawmakers, he wrote: “A chilling characteristic of politicians is that they’re not in it for the money.

Jerusalem Demsas Joins The Atlantic as a Staff Writer

Jerusalem Demsas will join The Atlantic’s editorial staff next month, when she will become a staff writer. Jerusalem is currently at Vox, where she has written extensively on America’s housing crisis and co-hosts The Weeds podcast.“Jerusalem is a force. She is extremely smart, creative, curious, and naturally drawn to counterintuitive ideas and arguments.

National Cuisine Is a Useful Illusion

My first daughter was born in a London hospital, but her surroundings soon felt very Palestinian. By 6 a.m. the morning after she arrived, my mother had brought ijjeh (a herb frittata often made for new mothers) stuffed inside a pita slathered with labneh (a strained yogurt) to my bedside. In the afternoon, she returned with hilbeh (a fenugreek-semolina cake), purported to improve milk supply.

An Off-Ramp from War? Russia Says It Pulled Back Some Troops from Ukraine Border as Talks Continue

Russia has announced plans to pull back some troops from the Ukrainian border in a possible effort to deescalate the standoff over Ukraine but still intends to continue with military exercises in Belarus and the Black Sea. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on Monday the country may drop its bid to join NATO and the U.S. continues to urge U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine, warning a Russian invasion could come as soon as Wednesday.

The Seven Habits of COVID-Resilient Nations

The tweet has stuck with me for months now: a chart of cumulative COVID-19 deaths per capita in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. The U.S. and U.K. lines rise up like mountains relative to the valley of South Korea below. Even as Omicron-related deaths have increased in South Korea more recently, the picture hasn’t changed much.

“American Reckoning”: 55 Years After KKK Murder of Mississippi NAACP Leader, Case Remains Unsolved

This month marks 55 years since the assassination of an NAACP leader. The new documentary “American Reckoning” seeks justice in the cold case of murdered civil rights activist and local NAACP leader Wharlest Jackson Sr. in Natchez, Mississippi. No one was ever charged with his 1967 murder, despite evidence pointing to the involvement of the inner circle of the local Ku Klux Klan. It’s one of many unsolved crimes targeting civil rights activists.

Spotify Signed Joe Rogan for $100 Million But Won’t Hold Him Accountable for Spreading Misinfo, Hate

Comedian Joe Rogan has come under fire for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, using racial slurs and other harmful rhetoric on his Spotify podcast. Musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have pulled their music from the platform in protest of his $100 million contract reportedly paid by Spotify, raising questions how responsible audio platforms should be over hateful content.

News Roundup: EV goes (very) mainstream; Senate to finally patch up U.S. Postal Service

In the news today: As new Democratic infrastructure funding looks to fill out the nation’s roadways with a comprehensive map of new charging stations, car manufacturers looked to fill out Super Bowl commercial time with slick ads for vehicles that leave the combustion engine behind. Some actually good news out of the Senate, where lawmakers aim to undo one of the nastiest attempts to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service—but, of course, there’s a Republican complication.