Today's Liberal News

Meet Zahid Quraishi, the first Muslim in U.S. history to serve as a federal judge

Joining hundreds of firsts that Muslim Americans have seen in the past five years is Judge Zahid Quraishi. He was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to a lifetime seat on a U.S. district court, making him the first Muslim American federal judge in U.S. history.

Senators voted 81-16 to confirm 46-year-old Quraishi to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

‘Essential workers deserve #ResidencyNow,’ immigrants say in day of action pushing for legalization

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and their allies rallied in a number of U.S. cities on Thursday to call on federal lawmakers to enact a pathway to citizenship through the budget reconciliation process. This national day of action by members of the National TPS Alliance comes just days after a devastating, unanimous Supreme Court decision that stands to make it harder for immigrants to gain residency.

The Essential Ed Yong Reading List

In a series of definitive pieces that earned him the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting, The Atlantic’s Ed Yong anticipated the course of the coronavirus pandemic, clarified its dangers, and illuminated the American government’s disastrous failure to curb it.Yong, who has been a staff writer at The Atlantic since 2015, began warning readers about the fragility of America’s pandemic preparedness long before COVID-19 emerged.

Podcast: Is It Over?

Though the coronavirus continues to spread around the world, the end appears to be in sight in the United States. And with that hopeful end, this will mark the last episode of Social Distance.James Hamblin, Maeve Higgins, and returning co-host Katherine Wells gather to say goodbye to the show, reflect on what we’ve learned these past 15 months, and listen to voicemails from past guests.

The Atlantic’s Ed Yong Wins 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting

The Atlantic staff writer Ed Yong has won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. He was awarded journalism’s top honor for his defining coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and how America failed in its response to the virus. This is The Atlantic’s first Pulitzer Prize.
Yong anticipated the course of the pandemic, clarified its dangers, and illuminated the American government’s disastrous failure to curb it.

Trump’s DOJ Was More Dangerous Than We Knew

Sometimes, the actions a government takes look bad at the time, but posterity treats them kindly. Other times, a president might look good in the moment but see his reputation sink in retrospect. Then there’s the Trump administration, and especially its Justice Department, which looked bad when it was in power and now looks even worse.

The Books Briefing: A Better Way to Raise Sons

Peter Turnley / Corbis / Getty
When the psychologist Michael Reichert became a father to sons, he aimed to avoid putting his boys into narrow masculine boxes, an effort that he details in his book, How to Raise a Boy. Still, he sometimes slipped. For example, in a 2019 Atlantic interview, Reichert recalled forcing his young son to face off against bullies rather than offering him a refuge.

Why Germany’s Apology for Its 1904-1908 Genocide in Namibia Does Not Go Far Enough

Germany has apologized for its role in the first genocide of the 20th century, which took place in Namibia, a former colony then known as German South West Africa. Between 1904 and 1908, German colonizers killed tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people in Namibia. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas officially described the massacre as genocide and outlined an offer of more than $1.34 billion in development aid to the Namibian government.

“Julian Is Suffering”: Family of WikiLeaks Founder Assange in U.S. to Demand His Release from Prison

The U.S. State Department is pushing to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from Britain, where Biden is now meeting with leaders during the G7 summit. A U.K. judge blocked Assange’s extradition in January, citing serious mental health concerns. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if brought to the U.S., where he was indicted for violations of the Espionage Act related to the publication of classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes.

“Takeover”: New Doc Chronicles Historic 1970 Young Lords Occupation of Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx

A new film called “Takeover” follows the 12 historic hours on July 14, 1970, when members of the Young Lords Party took over the rundown Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx in New York City. The Young Lords were a radical group founded by Puerto Ricans modeled on the Black Panther Party. Democracy Now! co-host Juan González, a co-founder of the Young Lords, helped organize the action.

Can Britain Be the Ally America Needs?

As Boris Johnson prepares to host Joe Biden and the leaders of the world’s other G7 democracies this weekend, Britain appears to have recovered something of its old self. After years of stasis, slump, and division culminating in last year’s catastrophic COVID-19 response, the country can legitimately count itself in a vanguard of powers leading the globe out of the pandemic.