Today's Liberal News
This Afghan Family Secured U.S. Visas. But They Can’t Get On A Flight.
Nearly every day, the family of five set out to the airport from their home in Kabul only to be met by other desperate Afghans and large crowds.
Powell walks high wire as Fed plans to ease support for Biden’s economy
Central bank chief seeks to avoid market turmoil as president weighs tapping him for a second term.
Justice Breyer Hints At Retirement Plans: Not Going ‘To Stay There Till I Die’
The 83-year-old said in a new interview that he is struggling to decide when he should step down from the Supreme Court.
The Absurdity of Police Comparing Vaccine Mandates to Nazi Germany
It was after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that she would pursue a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all city employees that the local Fraternal Order of Police president, John Catanzara, finally understood what it was like to be a Jew in Hitler’s Germany.“We’re in America, G-ddamn it. We don’t want to be forced to do anything. Period,” Catanzara said, as transcribed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Pandemic Is Making Dads Reevaluate Their Work-Life Balance
Zac Eash had originally planned to be home for two weeks when he became a father. But his daughter was born in early March 2020, and, well, you know. “We both got to spend a lot of time with her the first four months of her life,” Eash, a middle-school teacher living in Ames, Iowa, who finished out the school year remotely, told me.When in-person classes resumed late last summer, Eash was acutely aware of how much less time he had with his wife and baby daughter, and he missed it.
Schrödinger’s Planet
Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET on August 27, 2021.In 2006, astronomers gathered in Prague to consider a very basic question: How many planets are in our solar system? Was it nine, or was it actually eight, or perhaps as many as 12? By the end of the conference, after several polite debates and “lots of heated hallway discussions,” the verdict was in. Under the new rules of planethood, the solar system had eight planets, and Pluto wasn’t one of them.
The Books Briefing: Cultivate a Love of Reading Early On
Patrick Zachmann / Magnum
This week, kids and teachers across the United States went back to school, after a year and a half of remote learning and Zoom fatigue. This school year is likely to be a mess—again—and among all of the pandemic considerations, teachers are also contending with keeping students engaged in and out of the classroom.
California Recall: Right-Wing Radio Host Who Once Mentored Stephen Miller Could Replace Gov. Newsom
The conservative talk radio host Larry Elder is now the Republican front-runner challenging Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom in a special election that could also shape national politics. California voters cast ballots on September 14 on whether to recall Newsom, after a right-wing campaign to unseat the governor garnered enough signatures to trigger the vote.
Ex-Pence Aide: Stephen Miller’s “Racist Hysteria” Made It Harder for Afghan Allies to Get Visas
As thousands of people in Afghanistan attempt to flee the country before the United States’ withdrawal on August 31, we look at how the Trump administration made it much harder for Afghans who worked with the U.S. to apply and receive what is known as a special immigrant visa, or SIV.
Who Is ISIS-K? Anti-Taliban, Anti-U.S. Terror Group Claims Responsibility for Kabul Suicide Bombs
We speak with Haroun Rahimi, assistant professor of law at the American University of Afghanistan, about the Islamic State affiliate that claimed responsibility for this week’s devastating suicide bombings at Kabul airport, which killed more than 110 people, including 13 U.S. troops. Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, is a puritanical group that is “critical of all other sects of Islam,” says Rahimi.
“Mayhem”: Chaotic Scenes at Kabul Airport as Suicide Bombs Kill 110+ Afghans & U.S. Troops
We go to Kabul, Afghanistan, for an update as the death toll from twin suicide bomb attack outside the airport has topped 110 people, including 13 U.S. troops. The suicide bombers struck near the crowded gates of the airport where thousands of Afghans had gathered in an attempt to flee the country before the withdrawal of U.S. troops on August 31.
Dear Care and Feeding: Our Teen Is Ruining Family Fun With Her Newfound Love of Cancel Culture
Parenting advice on new activists, nail polish, and wedding woes.
Dentists, insurers aim to pare down Dems’ Medicare expansion
Prospects for Medicare expansion are further complicated by a price tag that could exceed $350 billion over a decade and surpass the cost of other health priorities under discussion.
My Husband Is Using Me for Money—but I Don’t Want to Divorce Him
He spends his meager income on his motorcycle and cigarettes.
My Partner’s Food Addiction Is Breaking Our Budget
We’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on unnecessary takeout and groceries.
The Perverse Reason It’s Easier to Build New Highways Than New Subways
A well-meaning rule is working completely backward.
I Want to Make Sure My Girlfriend’s Daughter Doesn’t Get a Penny When I Die
And I would rather they find out after I’m gone.
Abbott bans Covid vaccine mandates in Texas, regardless of FDA approval status
The executive order comes after the governor, who is recovering from his own case of Covid, touted the vaccine as the reason for his “brief & mild” infection.
Experts on WHO team say search for coronavirus origins has stalled
They noted among other things that Chinese officials are still reluctant to share some raw data, citing concerns over patient confidentiality.
Delta Air Lines health surcharge for vaccines could cascade across industries
Health care costs for those infected with Covid-19 are significant, and some employers may follow Delta’s lead.
J&J says second-dose study supports use of booster shots
The findings come as the Biden administration is firming up plans to roll out booster shots to adults in late September.
Holes in reporting of breakthrough Covid cases hamper CDC response
The agency originally tried to track all infections in vaccinated people, from mild to severe. But in May it decided to focus on the most severe cases.
U.S. jobless claims near pandemic low as economy strengthens
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell to 375,000 from 387,000 the previous week.
House Dem campaign chief warns the majority at risk without message reboot
“We’re not trying to hide this,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s executive director said.
Biden’s economic gains come with newer worries about the future
Some economists have already begun to ease back on forecasts for the rest of this year.
U.S. economy surpasses prepandemic size with 6.5% Q2 growth
The growth is another sign that the nation has achieved a sustained recovery from the pandemic recession.
Virus resurgence menaces economy just as rescue programs unravel
A new wave of cases followed by the looming expiration of enhanced jobless benefits, a ban on evictions and other rescue programs is sparking concern among lawmakers and economists.