Today's Liberal News

As conservatorship abuse gains more attention, more activists speak out against it

by Sravya Tadepalli

This article was originally published at Prism

Disability advocates in California have given their blessing to proposed legislation that would curb the power of conservators and promote less restrictive alternatives to conservatorships. Conservatorship abuse gained a national spotlight when singer-songwriter Britney Spears fought to be released from a 13-year conservatorship that allowed her father to have full control over her person and assets.

I’ve decided it’s time for me to build a little free library of banned books

Let me explain something about my carpentry skills: As a young kid, I was required in eighth grade to go through “Shop” class, where we worked with power tools and learned everything there was to know about being a good “young man.” Girls took Home Economics and boys, Shop. We were not given a choice in the matter. My goodness do I wish I could have swapped, because I had no ability, at all, to work a power tool.

The possibility of first Black woman SCOTUS nominee prompts misogynoirist pushback

by Natasha Ishak

This article was originally published at Prism

Last week, Justice Stephen Breyer surprised the public by announcing his retirement, paving a path for President Joe Biden to pick a liberal replacement to fill the retiring jurist’s seat on the Supreme Court. The president had repeatedly stated he would nominate a Black woman to the court during his presidential campaign and reaffirmed his pledge to do so.

Starbucks workers keep organizing despite anti-union campaign, this week in the war on workers

Los Angeles. Philadelphia. Tallahassee. Starbucks workers are moving to unionize all across the country following two union victories out of three elections held in Buffalo in late 2021. They’re getting some great community support—if you’re ordering at Starbucks, especially one where there’s a union effort, you can join in by giving your name as “union strong” or another pro-worker message.

The End of the Republicans’ Big Tent

The best way to understand a controversial new resolution from the Republican National Committee censuring Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger is not, as some people have suggested, to legitimize the January 6 attack on the Capitol, but as something more primal: Trump service. The resolution hardly changes a thing—the two lawmakers are already personae non gratae in the party—but it seems designed to pacify the angry ochre god-king and his acolytes.

The Surprising Innovations of Jackass Forever

The power of Jackass has always rested with the peanut gallery. Almost every ridiculous, painful stunt Johnny Knoxville and his gang of nimrods have pulled over the past 20-plus years has come with a reliable laugh track: the rest of the ensemble gathered around to watch, doubled over and cackling as someone subjects themselves to unspeakable injury.

Beware the FOMO Bullies of Technology

Sign up for Charlie’s newsletter, Galaxy Brain, here.Here is my confession: I’m traumatized by a David Letterman clip. It’s from November 1995, and Letterman’s guest is a young, bespectacled Bill Gates. The video starts with a question from the legendary late-night host: “What about this internet thing?” he asks.

The Humiliating Ohio Senate Race

Bernie Moreno should have been a contender. Instead, he has dropped out of the race for Ohio’s Senate seat after spending millions of his own money and never reaching even fifth place in polls of the Republican primary. It’s a story with a lesson, a very sad lesson.Moreno, age 54, declared last year for the seat now held by Ohio Republican Rob Portman.

Can China Ever Reopen?

One day in January 2020, a team of experts from Beijing arrived in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins and assess the scale of an outbreak of a mysterious virus. At least 60 people in Wuhan had already fallen ill. Troublingly, cases had begun to surface in Thailand and Japan.The same day, Chinese President Xi Jinping departed from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where he had met with the country’s leaders.

Let’s acknowledge the truth. Prince’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was the best ever. Happy Prince Day!

The first concert I ever saw was Prince in Washington, D.C. in 1984. I snuck out of my house and joined up with four of my closest girlfriends. Terrified for my little preteen life, we gathered together in a small group to protect ourselves from the massive and sexually charged crowd, but that night I became a lifelong Prince fan. 

Truthfully, I fell in love with the Purple One with the Dirty Mind album.

Family wants answers after 22-year-old Black man, Amir Locke, shot and killed during no-knock raid

On Wednesday, Minneapolis police executed a no-knock warrant on a downtown apartment and then in the next nine seconds, proceeded to shoot and kill 22-year-old Amir Locke, as he lay wrapped up in a blanket on a couch. Interim police Chief Amelia Huffman told reporters that the shooting took place around 7 a.m. The officers who entered the apartment were SWAT team members acting on warrants in service of the St. Paul Police Department.