Today's Liberal News
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
What Role Does HR Play in the #MeToo Era?
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.
It’s still the economy: What TV ads tell us about each campaign’s closing message
The final paid messages: Economy, culture wars and character.
Harris is pounding Trump on fascism. Some Dems think that’s a mistake.
Harris has ratcheted up her warnings about the dangers of a second Trump term in recent weeks.
There’s a Reason Harris’ Campaign Is Locked in on Quick Fixes
The Democratic nominee isn’t campaigning much on the Biden administration’s bigger, slower-moving policies.
Janet Yellen Defends Her Record – and Delivers a Warning
The Treasury secretary is defending her legacy — and warning that the stability of the U.S. economy is at stake.
Harris dismisses Trump as ‘not serious’ on the economy in MSNBC interview
It was her first solo interview with a national network as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Iraqis Tortured at Abu Ghraib Win $42 Million Judgment Against U.S. Military Contractor CACI
A federal jury in Virginia has ordered the U.S. military contractor CACI Premier Technology to pay a total of $42 million to three Iraqi men who were tortured at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. The landmark verdict comes after 16 years of litigation and marks the first time a civilian contractor has been found legally responsible for the gruesome abuses at Abu Ghraib.
The RFK Jr. Effect
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Among Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet nominations is a pick that has alarmed the scientific community: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.
GOP backlash against RFK Jr.’s nomination could jeopardize his confirmation
The president of the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said “there’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we have concerns about” Kennedy.
The Bluesky Bubble
Bluesky, a Twitter-style, short-post social-media site, has exploded in popularity since last week, adding 1 million users in just that time. A lot of people hate X—especially if they hate Elon Musk, or Donald Trump, or Nazis, or algorithmic feeds, or shadowbanning, or impersonation, or engagement farming, or porn hustling. Can Bluesky be the fix for all those woes, and a lasting replacement for the site that once was Twitter? I really doubt it.
Washington’s lobbyists are stunned Trump chose RFK Jr.
They’re holding their fire and hoping Senate allies will block his confirmation as HHS secretary.
Alex Jones Just Went Somewhere Else
Alex Jones looked different in the final hours of Infowars, as though he were ready for something new. Broadcasting from his Austin studio for the last time yesterday, Jones had shaved his head and ditched his standard shirt and blazer (no tie) in favor of a T-shirt with a massive red Infowars logo. For $49.99, you could buy the same shirt on his website.
AI’s Fingerprints Were All Over the Election
The images and videos were hard to miss in the days leading up to November 5. There was Donald Trump with the chiseled musculature of Superman, hovering over a row of skyscrapers. Trump and Kamala Harris squaring off in bright-red uniforms (McDonald’s logo for Trump, hammer-and-sickle insignia for Harris). People had clearly used AI to create these—an effort to show support for their candidate or to troll their opponents. But the images didn’t stop after Trump won.
RFK Jr. Collects His Reward
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s movement has repeatedly been written off as a farce, a stunt, a distraction. Now Donald Trump has nominated him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, where, if confirmed, he’ll oversee a life-and-death corner of the federal government.
RFK Jr.’s operation had been building toward this moment for months.
Historian Enzo Traverso: Israel Is Using the Memory of the Holocaust to Justify Genocide in Gaza
In the acclaimed new book Gaza Faces History, historian Enzo Traverso challenges Western attitudes toward Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza by reckoning with the larger historical context of the Holocaust and the Nakba. Traverso details how memorializing the Holocaust became a sort of “civil religion” that honored human rights and the values of Western liberal democracies after the Second World War.
A New Crusade? Trump Taps Christian Nationalists Pete Hegseth & Mike Huckabee to Top Posts
Concerns are mounting over Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth. Hegseth is a vocal opponent of the military’s multiculturalism and decision to allow women to serve in combat, promises to purge the military of generals disloyal to Trump and sports tattoos connected with neo-Nazi and white nationalist movements.
“He Will Make America Sick”: Trump Picks Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Head HHS
Public health officials are decrying President-elect Donald Trump for selecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, Kennedy would head a sprawling agency that oversees drug, vaccine and food safety, as well as medical research. Kennedy is one of the nation’s most prominent vaccine skeptics and has spread numerous public health conspiracy theories. Kennedy has claimed HIV may not cause AIDS.
It’s Time to Start Calling “Megadonors” What They Really Are
Americans should be alarmed and outraged at the role money is playing in their democracy.
Money Talks: Where Did Victoria’s Secret Lose Us?
The authors of ‘Selling Sexy’ discuss the iconic store’s heyday and dwindling legacy.
What the Markets Had to Say About the Election Results
The stock market was excited by the Trump win. The bond market, less so.
Tech Billionaires Quickly Proved the Only Thing They Care About This Week
The only agenda item for tech titans is protecting their bottom lines.
Unfortunately, the Vibe on Fox News Right Now Says It All
The network’s anchors and panelists are trying to be professional while also just waiting for the opportunity to gloat about Donald Trump.
‘Been a long time since I felt that way’: Sexually transmitted infection numbers provide new hope
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday shows meaningful declines in STI rates between 2022 and 2023.
Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures
Most of the bills target mifepristone — the drug used in more than two-thirds of abortions nationwide.
RFK Jr.: ‘We’re not gonna take vaccines away from anybody’
The former Democrat-turned-Trump-ally gave more details on the role the president-elect envisions for him.