Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: Manchin might(?) agree to do a thing; Republicans take anger out on war vets

The Senate dance of determining what Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin will vote for took another turn yesterday with an announcement that he’d agreed to support … well, something. The idea of the Senate doing any something at all, however, led Senate Republicans to take out their anger on a previously popular bill that would provide expanded medical care for poisoned war veterans. Yes, that’s how Republicanism works now.

NewsNation hires Chris Cuomo as host for fall prime-time show

On Tuesday night, Chris Cuomo made one of his first on-air appearances anywhere since being fired from CNN last December over his role in helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fend off accusations of sexual harassment. Cuomo’s appearance came on NewsNation, the fledgling news channel that replaced WGN America.

Russian media still loves Trump: ‘He was destroying the leadership of the United States’

To this day, it remains utterly gobsmacking that Donald Trump got even one vote for president of the United States, much less tens of millions. He had no relevant experience in politics or, from the looks of it, business. And as humans go, he was a pretty below-average tapeworm.

And yet, somehow, the wheel of cosmically unlikely events slid right past “Zombie Gandhi gnaws your nips off” and landed squarely on “Donald Trump is president.

Ukraine update: Taking out the Dnipro River bridges creates opportunities that go way beyond Kherson

Ukraine has launched long-range artillery or HIMARS rockets into the Antonivskyi Bridge east of Kherson for a third night in a row, causing additional damage and closing the bridge to any kind of vehicular traffic. At Darivka, east of Kherson, the bridge across the Inhulets River that connects the city to traffic coming across the Kakhovka Bridge is also down, and the pontoon bridge which Russia had constructed there appears to be completely gone.

Democrats in … Array?

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.Well, folks, it looks like Congress still has the capacity to surprise us.But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.
The January 6 hearings are changing Republicans’ minds.
Is this a recession? Wrong question.

Nine Books Every Sports Lover Should Read

Intellectual sports lovers, to borrow from Martin Amis, are “a beleaguered crew,” fated to be “despised by intellectuals and [sports]-lovers alike.” Yet, across literature, scenes depicting heartstopping goals, impossible tennis shots, thundering bowling strikes, and last-minute baskets abound. Sometimes, these games are only offhand events in characters’ lives. At other moments, they signify something greater—an entry into a protagonist’s interior.

Is This a Recession? Wrong Question.

The U.S. economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter, guaranteeing a robust news cycle of people shouting the word recession back and forth at each other. President Joe Biden has assured the public that the U.S. economy is not actually in a recession, while conservative media will surely use today’s report to state confidently that it is.So are we in a recession, or not? That’s the wrong question to ask. But before explaining why, let me try to answer it.

The Problem With Saying Oontz Oontz

A shock awaited Drake’s fans when they first hit “Play” on his latest album. A gentle instrumental intro lulled the ears for 37 seconds. Then the second track, “Falling Back,” cut in, the audio equivalent of a jump scare in a horror movie.

Taliban Rule an “Epic Failure” for Afghanistan with Widespread Poverty, Crackdown on Women & Girls

As next month marks one year since the United States officially withdrew from Afghanistan, we look at the Taliban-ruled country’s devastating economic and humanitarian crisis that has unfolded since. Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary describes the dire situation as “an epic failure by the Taliban as the de facto rulers in terms of not stopping their crackdown against the Afghan people” while they cope with flash floods, food shortages and more. He adds that the U.S.

Ukrainian Feminist: We Need Western Solidarity in Fighting Russian Imperialism

We speak to Oksana Dutchak, a Ukrainian feminist and co-editor of the leftist journal Spilne, who fled to Germany because of the “inability to live under the constant pressure of fear” as Russian invaded. She says Western leftists and feminists who have misgivings about Western military support for Ukraine often overlook that Ukrainians are fighting for self-determination and against imperialism.

Puerto Rico: House Dems Criticized over Handling of Bill to Let Residents Choose Status of Territory

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have introduced the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would allow residents of the longtime U.S. colony to begin the process of self-determination and decide on the island’s territorial status. The bill sets up three options for residents to choose from in a referendum — U.S. statehood, independence or sovereignty in free association with the United States — and commits Congress to abide by the results.