Today's Liberal News

Tuesday Night Owls: Climate hawks relieved by Biden win and say they’ll ‘push where we need to push’

Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week

Georgina Gustin at Inside Climate News writes—With Biden’s Win, Climate Activists See New Potential But Say They’ll ‘Push Where We Need to Push’

Even before Joe Biden won the presidential election on Saturday, climate activists and environmental groups began vowing to push the new president for aggressive action on climate and strategizing for a Biden administration.

Well, that didn’t go as planned: Observers Trump asks to scope out election fraud find no such case

President Donald Trump resumed his usual claims of pending victory Tuesday in an election that has been called for his opponent, Joe Biden, since Saturday.  “WE WILL WIN!” the soon-exiting president tweeted optimistically and with little regard for reality. Biden has earned 290 electoral votes to Trump’s 214 and secured more than 76 million votes in total to Trump’s less than 72 million, according to the Associated Press.

North Carolina organizers fight to remove a racist sheriff and Confederate monuments

When Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson talks about what inspired him to run for the North Carolina office he now holds, he often cites the state’s perhaps most famous sheriff: TV’s Andy Griffith. Johnson, who supported the arrest and pepper spraying of demonstrators at a peaceful get-out-the-vote rally ahead of last week’s election, has said he looks to the level-headed, conflict-mediating Mayberry sheriff as an inspiration.

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa’: Fox News cuts off Kayleigh McEnany’s fake news press conference

Fox News and other Murdoch-owned right-wing media outlets have made it clear that they are done with Donald Trump and see no further usefulness in supporting his baseless attempts at stealing the election. This isn’t inconsistent as the cynicism that Fox News has shown in helping to create and promote every fact-free conspiracy theory and piece of misinformation, is why they feel so comfortable walking away now.

DOJ Election Crimes head quits after Barr authorizes probes of Trump’s phony fraud claims

On Monday, Trump Attorney General William Barr distributed a memo to federal prosecutors “authorizing” them to pursue any “apparently-credible allegations” of voting fraud in the 2020 elections. There currently are zero credible claims of such fraud, and it seems obvious that Barr was responding to pressure from delusional fascist Donald Trump to provide backup to Trump’s false claims of fraud.

The Worst Day of the Pandemic Since May

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented surge of hospitalizations across the country. Today, states reported that 61,964 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, more than at any other time in the pandemic. For context, there are now 40 percent more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than there were two weeks ago.Seventeen states are at their current peaks for hospitalizations today.

The Atlantic Daily: Now Is a Very Weird Time for a Vaccine Rollout

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.GETTY / THE ATLANTICAmericans were still processing Joe Biden’s victory when more big news arrived: a breakthrough in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine, courtesy of the drugmaker Pfizer.

How Alex Trebek Made a Mundane Game Show Brilliant

It’s strange to think that a show like Jeopardy became so popular; after all, watching Jeopardy is just watching people answer questions. Although small winning streaks might form, and close calls in the “Final Jeopardy” segment might add some flair, most of the regular season can seem, I dare say, boring. But since the show received a makeover in 1984, it has always transcended its humble premise thanks to the steady hand of its charismatic host, Alex Trebek.

The Lame-Duck Vaccine

Editor’s Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. In the end, there was no October surprise. Donald Trump spent months declaring that a COVID-19 vaccine was imminent, a gambit that failed to pressure the FDA into an approval before Election Day but did succeed, nevertheless, in eroding the American public’s confidence in a vaccine.

Europa’s Mysterious Glow

NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / The AtlanticUpdated at 6:53 p.m. on November 10, 2020.One of Jupiter’s moons might be glowing in the dark.At first glance, this is perhaps unsurprising. Our own moon glows in the dark, reflecting the light of the sun. Jupiter is far away from here, but our star still illuminates the planet and its many moons, including the moon Europa.But Europa is different from the others.

Palestinian Peace Negotiator Saeb Erekat Dies of COVID as Virus Rips Through Occupied Territories

Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, has died at 65 after he became infected with COVID-19. Erekat was a key Palestinian negotiator involved in peace talks for over three decades and stood in staunch opposition to the Trump administration’s Middle East plan, which he called the “fraud of the century,” and condemned recent agreements normalizing relations between Israel and Gulf nations.

As U.S. Faces Out-of-Control Pandemic, Pfizer Raises Hope for Vaccine, But Many Questions Remain

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced that a Phase 3, late-stage study found their potential COVID-19 vaccine showed more than 90% effectiveness. The two-dose vaccine still faces several challenges, including how to store and transport it, since it must be refrigerated at subzero temperatures. Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Laurie Garrett says the news is hopeful, but urges caution. “There’s been no scientific release.