Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: U.S. democracy now seen as threatened; counties sue to keep detention profits

In the news today: The United States drops in status to that of a “backsliding” democracy, say experts—and it’s entirely because hoax-promoting Republicanism is now challenging the legitimacy of elections. The nation continues the interminable wait to see whether two Democratic senators can be coaxed into taking urgent climate and infrastructure action, even if it may mean one fewer Maserati in D.C. parking lots.

CNN’s ‘feel-good’ stories are seriously starting to piss me off

CNN has a segment called “The Good Stuff.”

A newsletter for the good in life.

Every Saturday, we’ll bring you the big headlines that make you smile, plus stories of fascinating discoveries, everyday heroes, inspiring movements and great things happening right in your backyard.

The stories are supposed to be heartwarming. Instead, I find them disgusting. Let me know if you catch what I mean.

13-year-old boy uses his Make-A-Wish to feed homeless because Mississippi officials don’t

Last year, 13-year-old Adeola “Abraham” Olagbegi was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, aplastic anemia, that required him to undergo surgery for a bone marrow transplant. The good news is that Olagbegi’s transplant was a success. Olagbegi had another bit of good news coming his way on top of his successful surgery: The Make-A-Wish foundation was going to grant him a wish.

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.

Everything Is a Multivitamin

In 1993, a SWAT team equipped with night-vision goggles and assault rifles surrounded Mel Gibson’s mansion under the cover of darkness. They burst into the home, eventually finding the movie star wearing a bathrobe in his kitchen. Gibson put his hands up and the agents cuffed him immediately, over protestations that he had done nothing wrong, and certainly nothing dangerous. His crime? The possession of vitamin C tablets.

Adele’s Shocking Attack on Complacency

No one broke Adele’s heart this time. Until now, her music has centered on the brutality of romantic rejection—the way it can throw a human soul against a wall, snapping bones that never heal right, instilling a kind of existential PTSD. Yet, though her new album is about “divorce, babe, divorce,” betrayal, cruelty, and nasty rumors are for once not part of the story.

Anthony Huber Was a Hero: Victim of Kyle Rittenhouse Remembered for Trying to Save Lives At Protest

The parents of Anthony Huber, one of two men killed by Kyle Rittenhouse, say they are heartbroken and angry over the jury’s Friday verdict, and argue it failed to deliver justice for any of Rittenhouse’s victims. In a statement Friday, they said: “Make no mistake: our fight to hold those responsible for Anthony’s death accountable continues in full force.

“In Our DNA”: Jacob Blake’s Father & Uncle on the Family’s Long History of Racial Justice Activism

Jacob Blake Sr., whose son was shot by Kenosha police in 2020 and left partially paralyzed, says the family is part of a larger movement fighting for victims of police violence and racial injustice. “We were always pro-Black activists and then after this happened to my son, we’ve become activists for everyone who’s been affected,” he says. The Blake family has a long history of activism going back to the civil rights movement and beyond.

Jacob Blake’s Family Hails Rare Conviction of KC Police Officer Who Shot Dead Cameron Lamb in 2019

In Missouri, white Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere was found guilty Friday of fatally shooting Cameron Lamb, a Black man, who was backing his truck into his garage in December of 2019. DeValkenaere, who had no arrest warrant nor evidence of a crime at the time of shooting, was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. The jury decision was unexpected and may set a precedent for future cases in Missouri.

The System is Broken: Jacob Blake’s Dad & Uncle on Kyle Rittenhouse Acquittal for Vigilante Killings

Protests erupted nationwide after a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on all five counts for fatally shooting two people and wounding a third last year during protests sparked by the police shooting that left Jacob Blake paralyzed. Kyle Rittenhouse claimed he acted in self-defense when he killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum with an AR-15-style rifle. The jury’s decision was announced Friday afternoon after about 26 hours of deliberations.

The Package Is the Message

Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin
Of all the things I’ve purchased during the pandemic, the most useful has been a box cutter. Until last summer, I had put off buying one for more than 15 years, through no fewer than nine apartment moves’ worth of unpacking with dull scissors and countless struggles against shipping boxes bound by tape reinforced with tiny threads. This knife entered my life as a tool for some minor home repairs, but it’s scarcely exited my right hand since.

Trust the Teachers

Every effective American teacher seeks the trust of society, of parents, and of the young people they teach. Public education as a whole depends on these bonds of trust. Our divisive politics regarding how to teach children about slavery, race, and other difficult subjects in school has broken that trust.Anyone who has ever taught for one day knows that trust must be earned.