Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: Bannon’s trial begins; House still expects delivery of Jan. 6 Secret Service texts

Donald Trump adviser and coup supporter Steve Bannon’s trial for criminal contempt of Congress began with jury selection today; given the glibness with which Bannon ignored House subpoenas, it may be a short trial, indeed. The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 coup is now expecting Secret Service texts from that date to be delivered by tomorrow, after originally being told by Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general that the messages had been deleted.

This skydiving video is all we could talk about today, so we had to share it with you

If there’s one thing social media is good for, it’s recirculating events that have slightly faded from collective memory—or simply happened before viewers were around to see them. While this phenomenon can sometimes (unfortunately) mean folks are spreading misinformation by presenting photos or videos as though they’re current events, other times it’s just a way for people to react to and bond over moments that were, well, viral-worthy.

Florida parents angry over DeSantis’ failure to order COVID vaccines for infants and young children

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fully engaged when it comes to combating imaginary threats to children such as “critical race theory” and “LGBTQ indoctrination.” But the so-called pro-life governor is AWOL when it comes to protecting children against a life-threatening disease like COVID-19.

Last month, DeSantis distanced his state from the Biden administration’s efforts to vaccinate infants and young children against COVID-19.

Daily Kos Elections 2Q 2022 House fundraising reports roundup

Quarterly fundraising reports for federal candidates covering the period from April 1 to June 30 were due at the Federal Elections Commission on July 15 by 11:59 PM ET. Below is our chart of fundraising numbers for every House incumbent (excluding those who’ve said they’re retiring) and any other notable candidates.

As always, all numbers are in thousands. The chart, and an explanation of each column, can be found below. You can also view this chart in spreadsheet form.

The Fate of States’ Rights After Roe

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.The anti-abortion movement spent decades citing states’ rights as an argument for overturning Roe. That facade fell away within weeks.But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.
New COVID vaccines will be ready this fall. America won’t be.

20 Reader Ideas for Who Could Replace Biden

This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Bill McKibben: Record Heat Wave in Europe Is Latest Warning That Action on Climate Can’t Wait

A scorching heat wave continues to fuel wildfires across southern Europe and parts of North Africa, resulting in hundreds of heat-related deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. The record-breaking temperatures come as Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has effectively killed President Biden’s Build Back Better climate legislation after stringing Biden along for 18 months. “It’s appalling, but it’s not unexpected.

Bill McKibben: Egypt U.N. Climate Summit Must Demand Freedom for Jailed Activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah

We speak with climate author and activist Bill McKibben, who is pushing for the climate movement to demand the release of Egyptian prisoner and human rights activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah ahead of the next U.N. climate conference, which will be hosted in Egypt. McKibben says releasing El-Fattah to the U.K., which has agreed to house him, would be “the easiest of gestures” by Egypt, whose authoritarian leader met Saturday with President Biden.

Biden Fails to Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable for Khashoggi Murder. Now UAE Arrests His Lawyer.

President Biden met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Friday, as the Saudis agreed to increase oil production as well as open their airspace to Israeli commercial flights. Biden says he told the crown prince he held him responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was a U.S. resident, though Biden’s claims were later contradicted by a top Saudi official.

Do Animals Dream?

This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday. Sign up for it here.      The octopus is still, suspended upside down on the glass wall of her tank, just below water level. Her eyes are shut, her eight arms knotted snug behind her head, her pale-gray body gently pulsing. She is sleeping.

The War in Ukraine Is Dividing Lifelong Friends

Friends whom my parents haven’t seen in decades call every year for my birthday. Some have never met me. I was 2 when my family immigrated to Los Angeles from Chișinău, Moldova, in 1993. My whole life, I’ve watched my parents keep in close touch with friends who continued to live in former Soviet republics.

James Webb’s Role in Purge of LGBTQ+ NASA Workers Prompts Push to Name Telescope After Harriet Tubman

The release of the first images from NASA’s new flagship James Webb Space Telescope brought renewed attention to the controversy over naming the telescope after James Webb, who led NASA ahead of the Apollo moon landings in the 1960s. He also played a key role in purging LGBTQ+ people from NASA in what was known as the “lavender scare,” and before that at the State Department under President Truman.

A Look Back in Time: How NASA’s Webb Telescope Gives Humanity a Revolutionary New View of Cosmos

NASA released revolutionary new images of the cosmos this week that were taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful space observatory to date. Launched in 2021, the JWST was designed to study star and planet formation with exponentially more accuracy and detail than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. “We can actually essentially watch the formation of stars,” says astrophysicist Katie Mack.