Today's Liberal News

Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Gift-Giving Edition

Updated with new questions at 3 p.m. ET on November 19, 2025.
If I have provided you with any factoids in the course of Atlantic Trivia, I apologize, because a factoid, properly, is not a small, interesting fact. A factoid is a piece of information that looks like a fact but is untrue. Norman Mailer popularized the term in 1973, very intentionally giving it the suffix -oid. Is a humanoid not a creature whose appearance suggests humanity but whose nature belies it? Thus is it with factoid.

The End of the American Empire

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On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on the recent gifts given to President Donald Trump by the Swiss government.

Eight Plot-Heavy Books That Will Keep You Turning Pages

The literary landscape of the 21st century seems more and more divided when it comes to one particular aspect: plot. Some books have it; others don’t. The have-nots have gotten a lot of critical attention in recent years: Think of novels that read like an extended internal monologue, describing in intimate detail the thoughts, feelings, and impressions of a protagonist.

“Data Crunch”: AI Boom Threatens to Entrench Fossil Fuels and Compromise Climate Goals

A new report titled “Data Crunch: How the AI Boom Threatens to Entrench Fossil Fuels and Compromise Climate Goals” from the Center for Biological Diversity warns the booming artificial intelligence industry’s high resource consumption threatens the world’s climate goals, despite rosy prognoses of AI’s projected benefits. Co-author Jean Su says that the increasing use of AI for military applications offsets any positives it offers for climate change mitigation.

Sudanese Researcher Lina Yassin on COP30 Climate Talks, UAE-Funded Proxy War in Sudan over Gold & More

Sudanese climate diplomacy researcher Lina Yassin is supporting the Least Developed Countries Group at the U.N. climate summit in Belém, Brazil. The group is composed of 44 countries, including Sudan, whose cumulative emissions amount to less than 1% of total global emissions. “They are the countries that have the least amount of resources to respond to the climate crisis,” explains Yassin.

Susana Muhamad, Ex-Colombian Environment Minister, on COP30 Talks, Trump, Gaza & More

At the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, we sit down with Colombian environmentalist Susana Muhamad, who served as Colombia’s minister of environment and sustainable development from 2022 to 2025. Muhamad discusses the U.N.’s mandate to mitigate the acceleration of human-caused climate change and condemns the powerful, diverting influence of the fossil fuel lobby.

“Bring the Truth Out of the Shadows”: Survivors Hail Congressional Vote to Release Epstein Files

Congress has finally voted to compel the Justice Department to release the files on Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender and power broker. After a near-unanimous vote in both legislative chambers, President Trump now says he will sign the bill into law. We play statements from a press conference held by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, who are celebrating the long-awaited win for transparency and accountability.

“Just Transition”: Polluting Countries Must Take Responsibility for Extreme Climate Change

With negotiations in their second week here at the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, we get an update on the United Nations talks from Asad Rehman, chief executive of Friends of the Earth. He says COP30 is taking place against a backdrop of rising far-right authoritarianism, climate denial, and genocide in Gaza, which are all testing the “rules-based system” underpinning the U.N. climate framework.

Trump Told a Woman, ‘Quiet, Piggy,’ When She Asked Him About Epstein

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.
“Keep your voice down.”
“That’s enough of you.”
“Be nice; don’t be threatening.”
“There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
“Quiet, piggy.

Today’s Atlantic Trivia: The Sound of One Hand Clapping

Updated with new questions at 4:50 p.m. ET on November 18, 2025.
If I have provided you with any factoids in the course of Atlantic Trivia, I apologize, because a factoid, properly, is not a small, interesting fact. A factoid is a piece of information that looks like a fact but is untrue. Norman Mailer popularized the term in 1973, very intentionally giving it the suffix -oid. Is a humanoid not a creature whose appearance suggests humanity but whose nature belies it? Thus is it with factoid.

Advent Calendars Are Totally Out of Control

It is believed that in the fourth century, European followers of the still-newish religion called Christianity first formally observed the period in December leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. They called it “the advent,” from the Latin word for “approach” or “arrival,” and it was a somber time, one for preparation and contemplation. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory composed many of the texts still associated with the advent, at least as it is practiced by Catholics.