Today's Liberal News

Democrats would pay no political price for reforming the filibuster

For an issue that has so dominated the media during the past two weeks, the views of ordinary Americans toward the legislative filibuster have received remarkably little attention in the way of polling. What emerges most noticeably from those polls that have been conducted is a remarkable degree of indifference, one that most likely stems from Americans’ overall lack of knowledge on the topic.

Fraud expert Kris Kobach claimed to have a device to ‘kill COVID’ but experts say nah

Former Kansas secretary of state, “birther,” and xenophobic voter suppression person Kris Kobach is in the news again. This time it is his most recent endeavor to make money off of the fear of Kansas denizens. Back in October—along with his Wichita-based business partner, CEO of MoJack Distributors Daniel Drake—Kobach pitched legislators in Topeka two magical COVID-19 sanitizer machines.

‘Colored farmers’: YouTube host uses unbelievably racist video to critique Biden policy

Mostly focusing on how systemic racism plays out every day, I rarely write about what may seem like an outdated example of racism—that crystal clear version many people have of a hooded klansman calling a Black person the N-word and demanding that he go back to Africa. Count on YouTube commenter Steven Crowder, however, to remind us all that depiction isn’t so outdated after all.

Why This Wave of Anti-Asian Racism Feels Different

“The indignity of being Asian in this country has been underreported,” the poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong writes in Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. Hong, 44, is the daughter of Korean immigrants and was raised in Los Angeles. Although she has written about race in her poetry, Minor Feelings is her first nonfiction book, a blend of memoir and cultural criticism.

Protests Continue in Myanmar, Despite Crackdown

Last month, Myanmar’s military leaders seized power from elected officials, shortly after an election they viewed unfavorably. In recent weeks, protests against the coup have expanded nationwide, and the police crackdown on demonstrations has escalated. The United Nations estimates that more than 75 people have been killed so far, as security forces fire tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition at demonstrators.

Virtual Event: COVID-19, One Year and Counting

It was unimaginable. A respiratory virus turned global pandemic disrupted every facet of our world. This was something public-health officials had been planning for. Yet most leaders seemed totally unprepared for its onslaught. A year later, half a million Americans have died. Where do we go from here?The Atlantic will explore the year that was, the power of the vaccines to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and the potential return to normalcy.

The Coming Nostalgia for Hyper-Nesting

I’ve spent the pandemic taking daily walks around my neighborhood, along what are now overly familiar blocks. I try to vary my route, but I can tell you which patches of sidewalk are most treacherous, which houses have the most stylish doors, and where the yippiest dogs reside. Last week, a text interrupted this routine, with a link to schedule my first vaccination appointment. For a second, I thought it was spam.

You’re Not Fully Vaccinated the Day of Your Last Dose

For much of 2020, the world pinned its collective post-pandemic plans on a single, glimmering end point: the arrival of an effective COVID-19 vaccine. The resounding refrain of “when I’m vaccinated” has long conjured images of people shedding their masks, hugging their friends, and returning to a semblance of normalcy. And now some vaccinated people are doing exactly that.

“Suave”: New Podcast Follows One Man’s Journey to Freedom After a Life Sentence Without Parole at 17

A new Futuro Media podcast, “Suave,” tells the story of one person’s journey to freedom after receiving a life sentence without parole at the age of 17. David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. For years, Gonzalez and Hinojosa stayed in touch through letters, visits and phone calls that Hinojosa recorded.

With First Native Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, Hope Grows U.S. Will Confront Toxic Uranium Legacy

Deb Haaland, a tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, is being sworn in as secretary of the interior and will be the first Native American ever to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet. Just four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to confirm Haaland, who will manage 500 million acres of federal and tribal land. Haaland will also oversee government relations with 574 federally recognized tribal nations and is expected to address the legacy of uranium mining on Indigenous land and other areas.

Jackson Mayor Demands Help After Month-Long Water Crisis Amid Pandemic, Racism, Broken Infrastructure

Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, have been facing a water crisis over the last five weeks, with many people lacking reliable access to clean drinking water after deadly February winter storms caused pipes and water mains to burst. While water delivery has largely been restored, “boil water” orders remain in effect for most people. The city estimates it could cost $2 billion to fix the city’s water system.