Today's Liberal News

Former Houston cop faces 20 years in prison for driving man off the road due to election conspiracy

On Tuesday, former Houston police captain Mark Aguirre was indicted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his 2020 attack on and air conditioning technician he believed was secretly transporting 750,000 “harvested ballots.” In the middle of the day, the 64-year-old Aguirre reportedly slammed his SUV into the technician’s work truck and then rushed upon him and pressed a gun to his head.

Why NASA Is Trying to Dodge the Moon

The biggest, most powerful space telescope in history is currently sitting on top of a rocket in French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, awaiting its blazing departure from this planet. The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to point its 18 gold-coated mirrors into the darkness and reveal hidden wonders in the universe. But its last few months on Earth have been a little stressful.

The Case for Industrial Food

Sign up for Conor’s newsletter here.Question of the Week: Food for ThoughtThis week I want to know your most contested opinion on food. Do you eat meat? Hate cheese? Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Is organic produce worth it or a waste of money? Do you care if crops are genetically modified? Would you eat veal? Octopus? Whale? How much do you tip in restaurants? This is your chance to share any and all food-related opinions, even those not captured in the preceding questions.

Yair Lapid: Extremist Violence Is a ‘Stain on Israel’

Yair Lapid will become Israel’s prime minister on August 27, 2023, if things go according to plan—which, in Israeli politics, they almost never do. But when Lapid—the architect of Israel’s current coalition, its foreign minister, and the leader of its largest party—speaks, it matters.

Don’t Be Surprised When You Get Omicron

My breakthrough infection started with a scratchy throat just a few days before Thanksgiving. Because I’m vaccinated, and had just tested negative for COVID-19 two days earlier, I initially brushed off the symptoms as merely a cold. Just to be sure, I got checked again a few days later. Positive. The result felt like a betrayal after 18 months of reporting on the pandemic. And as I walked home from the testing center, I realized that I had no clue what to do next.

A Guide to Mixed-Vaccination-Status Holidays

This time last year, health officials were advising Americans to stay home for the holidays. The CDC cautioned against travel; Anthony Fauci announced that he would be spending Christmas apart from his children for the first time in 30 years. But that grim advice was accompanied by hope for a normal 2021 holiday season: Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use in adults on December 11, 2020, with Moderna’s following close behind.

Iran Nuclear Talks Falter as Biden Admin Threatens “Alternatives” After Squandering Window for Diplomacy

The United States is continuing talks with Iran over its nuclear program after President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. With a new Iranian administration after April’s controversial election, many worry that if talks fail, tensions between the two countries could turn into military escalation fueled by pressure from Israel.

Mark Meadows Held in Contempt of Congress as Jan. 6 Probe Expands. How Long Can Trump Hold Out?

The U.S. House voted to recommend the Department of Justice charge former President Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows with criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. The vote came after the committee released a series of text messages from Republican lawmakers and Fox News hosts to Meadows on January 6 that begged him to convince Trump to tell his followers to leave the Capitol.

Why Biden picked Powell

In the end, President Joe Biden did what many close to him expected: He took a longer-than-anticipated amount of time to arrive at a reasonable, moderate decision that thrilled few but carried limited risk.

News Roundup: Meadows texts, obstruction charges, and new lawsuit sheds light on Jan. 6 probes

In the news today: Significant public movement in the investigation and prosecution of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The House select committee investigating the coup has now released numerous text messages and documents that make a mockery of Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows’ claims of executive privilege—and show just how furiously Trump’s allies were working to create pretexts for voiding the election—including using the military, if necessary.

BIPOC moms are still trying to cope almost two years into the pandemic

by Sakshi Udavant

This story was originally published by Prism.

One evening last year after two months of being stuck inside due to shelter-in-place orders, Chital Mehta, an Indian mother living in Delaware, took her two young kids on a walk and broke down in the middle of the road.

“The lockdown deeply affected my sanity,” she said. “I struggled to engage my children inside our small apartment.

With application deadline just days away, Liberian families and advocates urge program extension

Liberian families in the U.S. won a huge victory in late 2019, following the passage of a pathway to legalization as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The provision, championed by Liberians and their advocates, allows thousands of Liberians with temporary protections to apply for permanent relief. It was a historic win for many families who have been living in limbo.