Today's Liberal News

Floods, Fires & Heat Waves: Michael Mann on “The New Climate War” & the Fight to Take Back the Planet

We speak with leading climate scientist Michael Mann about the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis around the world. He says he and other scientists predicted the extreme weather events now wreaking havoc. “We said that if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels and elevating the levels of carbon pollution in the atmosphere and we continue to warm up the planet, we will see unprecedented heat waves and wildfires and floods and droughts and superstorms,” says Mann.

“Landslide”: Michael Wolff on Trump’s Final Days in Office & Why He Still Rules the Republican Party

As a special congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection prepares to hold its first hearings later this month, we speak with author Michael Wolff, whose new book, “Landslide,” provides fresh details about former President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election, how he spurred his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol and why he still holds the reins in the party.

The Richest Babysitter in the World

During the interview, I realized almost immediately that the woman was pregnant—I guessed she was about halfway along—but she didn’t remark on it, and of course neither did I. Over the phone, we’d discussed only her 3-year-old daughter. The woman, whose name was Diane, was looking for a babysitter for the girl, whose name was Sophie, two mornings a week from 9 a.m. to noon, for $10 an hour.

The Rise of Must-Read TV

Illustrations by Vanessa SabaIf you want a preview of next year’s Emmy Awards, just take a walk past your local bookstore. According to data drawn from Publishers Marketplace, the industry’s clearinghouse for news and self-reported book deals, literary adaptations to television have been on a steady climb.

As Delta Variant Drives COVID-19 Uptick, Pfizer Pushes 3rd Shot in U.S. Despite Global Vaccination Lag

After months of decline in COVID-19 cases in the United States due in part to widely available vaccines, the number of new cases per day is on the rise again. Pfizer representatives met with U.S. regulators and vaccine experts to seek emergency use authorization for a second booster dose of its vaccine, as health experts are continuing to highlight the growing gap in administered vaccinations between rich and low-income countries.

Threats force openly trans magician to cancel shows for kids at public library in Wyoming

Many people have fond memories of going to the library as a young person. Maybe to check out books or movies, maybe to use the computer or internet, or maybe to attend programming put on for kids and teenagers. Mikayla Oz, a magician based in Iowa, shared her own experience getting started with magic in libraries with local outlet K2News, describing her younger self as thinking magic was the “coolest thing” in the world.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Don’t Mess with Session edition

As an erudite consumer of this missive, you’ve likely heard about the Big Sexy state legislative news for the week, which is that Texas state House Democrats decided to derail that bogus special session I wrote about in this space last week.

Texas House Dems were able to bring that session—during which GOP Gov.

The Most Random Space Crew Ever

Jeff Bezos has finalized the manifest for his company’s first passenger flight to space, and it’s a rather unusual bunch.There’s Bezos himself, the richest person in the world, who sold some of his Amazon stock to fund his space venture, Blue Origin. His brother, Mark, with whom he wanted to share the experience. Wally Funk, an 82-year-old American pilot who in the early 1960s passed the same training tests designed for male astronauts, but was rejected by NASA.

Lawmakers urge release of trans people and individuals with HIV, citing dangerous ICE conditions

Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois is again leading a call urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end the detention of transgender people and people with HIV. A letter, addressed to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Alejandro Mayorakas and acting ICE Director Tae Johnson, is signed by a number of progressive champions and joined by nearly 70 organizations.