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.
Warning signs for Trump as pessimistic outlook on the economy grows among Americans
Trump’s winning issue is becoming one of his biggest liabilities as multiple polls this week reveal growing disapproval numbers on the economy.
Trump, defiant on tariffs, claims trade deals are in the works
The president is foreshadowing deals with multiple trading partners in an apparent effort to quell economic anxiety and prove his tariff plan is working.
US markets have spiraled. Americans had doubts about Trump’s tariffs before that.
Recent polls showed Americans were wary of tariffs, even before the president launched his plan to realign the global trade order.
Trump says tariff policies ‘WILL NEVER CHANGE’ amid plunging stocks, Chinese response
The president’s sweeping tariff plan has thrown markets into chaos and risks sparking a global trade war.
‘There are no guarantees’: Scott Bessent won’t rule out a recession
He also said he isn’t worried about stock market turbulence, following the worst week in the market in two years.
“Musk Is Scamming the City of Memphis”: Meet Two Brothers Fighting Colossus, Musk’s xAI Data Center
We speak with two brothers who are fighting Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI over its massive data center in Memphis, Tennessee, used to run its chatbot Grok. The facility is next to historically Black neighborhoods and is powered by 35 pollution-spewing methane gas turbines the company is using without legal permits. Musk says he wants to continue expanding the project.
A Hollywood Anachronism That Still Holds Up
There’s a legendary bit of movie-nerd lore that sums up Hollywood’s shift away from using intricate little puppets. During preproduction on Jurassic Park, the stop-motion artist Phil Tippett was working to create animatronic dinosaurs—and then a visual-effects demo helped convince Steven Spielberg that CGI was ready to handle the assignment. After watching the digitally created reptiles himself, Tippett exclaimed, “I think I’m extinct,” a paraphrase of which made it into the script.
The Demise of Outdoor Dining Isn’t Really Anyone’s Preference. So How Did We End Up Here?
“This rollout has been nothing short of disastrous,” one council member said.
The One Thing That Drives Trump
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
In The Atlantic’s June 2025 cover story, staff writers Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer report deeply into the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Donald Trump
Editor’s Note: Read The Atlantic’s related cover story, “‘I Run the Country and the World.’”
On Thursday, April 24, I joined my colleagues Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer in the White House to interview President Donald Trump. The story behind this meeting is a strange one, told in their new Atlantic cover story, which you can read here.
Ashley and Michael had been seeking an Oval Office meeting for some time.
Trump administration to close a civil rights office in RFK Jr.’s HHS
CMS’ Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights develops civil rights compliance policy for agency workers.
The End of Chicken-Breast Dominance
Few things in life are both cheaper and better, but for a long time, this was true of the chicken thigh. Its superiority was passed like a shibboleth among food connoisseurs: Thighs are juicier, tastier, are almost half the price—preferable in just about every way to the boneless, skinless, flavorless breasts that reign supreme in America.
Well, the secret’s out.
Former Social Security Chief Martin O’Malley Warns of “Collapse of the Entire System” Under Trump
Social Security recipients could soon see their benefits interrupted or delayed as a flood of cuts hits the agency, thanks to the efforts of Elon Musk and DOGE. Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor who served as Social Security commissioner under President Biden, says the system is on the brink of collapse as the Trump administration pushes out thousands of staffers and peddles lies about who actually benefits from its services.
“Abuse of Power”: Trump Admin’s “Bizarre” Arrest of Milwaukee Judge Shocks Legal Community
On Friday, FBI agents arrested a county judge in Milwaukee and charged her with obstructing justice and concealing an individual from arrest. After an undocumented immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, appeared before her in court on an unrelated misdemeanor charge, Judge Hannah Dugan learned that ICE agents were waiting in the hallway outside her courtroom to arrest him.
Three U.S. Citizen Children, Including 4-Year-Old Battling 4th Stage Cancer, Deported to Honduras
The Trump administration has deported three U.S. citizen children to Honduras: a 4-year-old who was actively receiving treatment for a rare form of stage 4 cancer, his 7-year-old sister, and a 2-year-old girl who was separated from her father and expelled with her undocumented pregnant mother. The mothers were coerced into taking their U.S. citizen children and prohibited from communicating with other family members or their lawyers until they arrived in Honduras.
Say Goodbye to Hollywood
The industry seems to be moving away from Hollywood in search of cheaper labor.
Why Does Buying Weed—and Other Drugs—Feel So Weird These Days?
I think I’ve figured out a major part of the problem.
Many Ex-Trumpers Hate the Tariffs. Not This One.
Your gadgets might have gotten pricier. Your stocks might have tanked. But Wilbur Ross says it’s all a part of the plan.
Money Talks: Why Are Student Loans So Broken?
Jillian Berman joins Emily Peck to discuss her new book on our dysfunctional student loans system.
RFK Jr. isn’t staying in his lane. Trump is thrilled.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expanded his authority well beyond the bounds of a traditional health secretary.
‘A gut punch’: Trump admin cuts wipe out firefighter health and safety programs
People in and out of government told POLITICO that they fear the cuts will lead to major backsliding on understanding firefighters’ health risks.
Once all-powerful, pharma’s allies in Washington are fleeting
The industry is struggling to find its voice as Trump and RFK Jr. rage against it.
Clinics begin closing as Trump admin continues freeze on family planning funds
Dozens of medical providers have struggled to stay afloat since more than $65 million dollars for the Title X family planning program was withheld on April 1.
Trump Administration to Judges: ‘We Will Find You’
The arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan over allegedly obstructing the apprehension of an undocumented immigrant is an attempt to intimidate the judiciary. You can just ask Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“What has happened to our judiciary is beyond me,” Bondi told Fox News, commenting on Dugan’s arrest. “They’re deranged. I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law, and they are not.