Today's Liberal News
The COVID Relief Bill Makes One Big, Risky Bet
It’ll only be enough if the vaccination effort doesn’t blow it.
Coronavirus dampens Christmas joy in Bethlehem and elsewhere
The holiday takes on a surreal feel in some places.
Census armies pivot to vaccine outreach with minorities
“It’s not as easy as the census,” said one CEO of a Chicago nonprofit. “It’s a deeper conversation.
Locked-down California runs out of reasons for surprising surge
America’s most populous state has become one of the nation’s worst epicenters for the coronavirus.
Trump Mocked After He Claims Twitter Censorship Leads To Communism
“Doesn’t Congress know that communism starts when a private corporation flags my s**ty tweets?” one Twitter user joked.
Jared Kushner Played Key Role In White House Pardon ‘Free-For-All’
“If you want to make something happen, go to Jared,” a source told Yahoo! News about how the Trump administration managed an avalanche of clemency requests.
The Atlantic Daily: Our Favorite Things of 2020
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.In a slog of a year, new releases brought structure to the calendar. (Remember the Tiger King phase of quarantine? Or the Folklore one?)But what projects stood out the most? The critics on our Culture team are busy recapping 2020’s best works.
Help! Should I Make My Wife Sign a Contract for Every Decision We Make?
We make compromises, then she moves the goal posts.
Ask a Teacher: Apparently I’m “Stifling” My 9-Year-Old’s Independence
The only way my son does his schoolwork is if I sit by his side.
My Husband Can’t Stop Telling Everyone a Strange, Paranoid Lie About Me
Even his therapist believes him!
Help! My Grandma Found Out I’m Gay and Banned Me From Christmas
I am getting depressed at the thought of being alone for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Congress sends Covid package and spending measure to Trump
The president has thrown the fate of the bill into jeopardy.
Fed enters Biden era with clipped wings and a warning from Republicans
Congress curbed the central bank’s emergency lending despite the economy’s continuing struggles.
Biden adds former Obama budget official, onetime Warren aide to economic team
Biden added that the appointees have “broad viewpoints on how to build a stronger and more inclusive middle class.
Fed sees less severe recession this year but warns of tough winter
Officials said they expect the U.S. economy to shrink by 2.4 percent this year, a brighter forecast than they offered just three months ago.
Biden faces a massive boom ahead — or maybe another recession first
Vaccine euphoria is giving economic forecasters hope for a blockbuster 2021 and stretching stock market valuations to historic highs. It’s a setup that leaves no room for error.
Western Sahara: A Rare Look Inside Africa’s Last Colony as U.S. Recognizes Moroccan Occupation
The United States has become the first nation in the world to recognize Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara. The Trump administration announced the major policy shift on December 10 — International Human Rights Day — as part of a deal that saw Morocco become the fourth Arab nation to normalize ties to Israel in recent months.
California Is 40% Latinx. In Alex Padilla, It Will Finally Have Its First Latinx Senator
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has been named by Governor Gavin Newsom to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, making history as the first Latinx senator to represent the state. Padilla was first elected to public office at 26, when he joined the Los Angeles City Council, and went on to serve two terms in the state Senate, followed by two terms as the state’s secretary of state.
Diane Ravitch: Biden’s Pick for Education Secretary Must Overturn DeVos’s Attack on Public Schools
President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Connecticut public schools commissioner Miguel Cardona for secretary of education, tapping a third Latinx person to join his Cabinet. Cardona is a former teacher who represents a sharp break from outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who urged career employees at the Education Department earlier this month to “be the resistance” to the incoming administration.
Friday Night Owls: Decades of kids’ letters sent to Operation Santa expose violence of U.S. poverty
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week
26 DAYS UNTIL JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE
Caleb Brennan at The New Republic writes—Operation Santa Is a Horror Story About American Poverty:
On a cloudy Christmas Eve in 1907, Mary McGann, a 10-year-old Irish girl living in Hell’s Kitchen with her younger brother and mother, wrote a letter to Santa Claus.
A child’s musical encounter with a wild orca: ‘See Daddy? It worked!’
There’s no education like the kind that children receive in the outdoors, particularly when they get to experience up-close some of the wonders that nature has to offer.
Sidney Powell’s Key Election Witness Is A Pro-Trump Podcaster Once Sued For Fraud: Report
Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman has been accused by North Dakota’s attorney general of assuming false identities to “deceive people,” says lawsuit.
Dear U.S. media: Can we skip the ‘Kamala Harris’ ancestral village’ stories from now on?
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has spoken movingly of her family in India—from her memories of walking on the beach with her grandfather during visits to Chennai to her statement, in her Democratic National Convention speech, that “Family is my uncles, my aunts and my chittis.” It’s a reminder of her immigrant parents—in particular of her mother’s courage in coming to the U.S.
Some happy-ish endings for typically awful 2020 social media stories
My home state of Idaho has been distinguishing itself with awfulness of late, once again making national news for deplorability, well-documented here by fellow Idaho native (and escapee) David Neiwert.
Here are 9 new or forthcoming books by LGBTQ writers you don’t want to miss
This far into the pandemic most of us are feeling restless, overwhelmed, and just plain exhausted. As the weather cools in much of the country, many of us are also feeling worried, too, about how to spend the coming months. Yes, we all want to be safe and socially distance. And yes, many of us are also feeling bored. One solution? Read!
If reading isn’t quite your thing, audiobooks can be a true gift.
Trump Golfs In Florida While COVID Relief Swings In The Balance
Washington is reeling over the president’s demand as failure to agree on the bill puts millions of Americans in peril.
Judge Delays Execution Of Only Woman On Federal Death Row
Judge: DOJ unlawfully rescheduled the Jan. 12 execution of Lisa Montgomery, a mentally ill victim of sex trafficking.
The Books Briefing: The Best Books of 2020
This year has highlighted the particularities of that thing called reading. Some found books impossible to pick up; sustained attention to text on a page is hard when the world is in so much pain. Others turned to literature anew, rediscovering the ways it can refresh and inspire.