Today's Liberal News

‘Just shoot ’em’—New book details Trump’s orders to ‘beat the f*ck’ out of racism protesters

Donald Trump is no longer in office but evidence of the violence he encouraged during his term continues to surface. According to a book by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender, Trump suggested targeting protestors using extreme military force several times. While the suggestions were rejected by the country’s top general, they depict the reality of Trump’s attempts at abusing his power.

‘Trump Train’ thugs who attacked Biden campaign bus sued under Ku Klux Klan Act

The “Trump Train” vigilantes who endangered a Biden campaign bus in Texas last fall are going to have to answer for their actions in court. A White House staffer, a former Texas state representative and two Biden campaign staff are suing the Trumpers involved, alleging that they violated the Ku Klux Klan Act in a coordinated and illegal act of political intimidation.

No One Imagined Giant Lizard Nests Would Be This Weird

After many futile hours of shoveling dirt under the scorching Australian sun, Sean Doody began to think that he had made an embarrassing mistake and was—quite literally—digging himself into a hole.  Doody is a herpetologist from the University of South Florida who has spent years studying Australia’s yellow-spotted goanna—a predatory monitor lizard with long claws, a whiplike tail, and a sinuous, muscular body that can reach five feet in length.

The Books Briefing: What Literary Letters Reveal

“Mr. Higginson,” an unpublished, reclusive 31-year-old poet wrote to an Atlantic contributor—a man she had never met—in 1862. “Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? The mind is so near itself it cannot see distinctly, and I have none to ask.” The letter, with its quaint phrases and handwriting that looked almost like bird tracks, was unsigned, and accompanied by a card nestled under a smaller envelope.

How 1 Friend Can Change the Course of Your Life

Each installment of “The Friendship Files” features a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship.This week she talks with two men whose friendship of convenience—Mitchell served as an unofficial guide when Judo moved to his hometown, and vice versa—grew more intimate as they became embedded in each other’s lives.

Afghan President Ghani Visits White House as His Government Nears Collapse

The Taliban have continued seizing districts in Afghanistan ahead of the U.S. military pullout set for September 11, now holding twice as much territory as they did two months ago. According to a Wall Street Journal report, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the government of Afghanistan could collapse within six months of the U.S. withdrawal. The Biden administration is reportedly planning to keep 650 troops in Afghanistan after the September 11 deadline, and the U.S.

A Political Solution Is the Only Way: Crisis Escalates in Ethiopia Amid War, Famine & Elections

An Ethiopian military bombing of a marketplace in the Tigray region killed at least 64 people in one of the deadliest attacks since government forces invaded the region last November. The bombing came just a day after Ethiopians voted in national and regional elections, but polls could not open in some areas due to ongoing fighting. The country is still waiting for results that will determine if the ruling coalition, led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, stays in power.

Fast. Furious. Funny?

Every Fast and Furious movie strains credulity, but F9 shatters it so completely, even the production’s own characters have noticed. In the ninth main installment of one of Universal’s most durable film franchises, Dominic Toretto (played by Vin Diesel) and his trusty band of drag-racing ex-cons are so indestructible that they ride out bullets, land mines, and the void of outer space. (I repeat: Outer. Space.

The UFO Trap

UFOs can be fun. See: the official sign on the road near Area 51, which dubs it the Extraterrestrial Highway. UFOs can be weird. See: E.T. phoning home with a MacGyvered communication device. But UFOs are also a national-security story, a government-contracting story, a conspiracy-culture story, and a technoscientific story. They are a human story.