Today's Liberal News

The Modern Olympics Invented the Marathon

The Paris Olympics’ picturesque marathon course will take runners past many of the city’s highlights—the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre’s glass pyramid, the Eiffel Tower. But it will miss, by miles, a plain one-block street in the 13th arrondissement named Rue Michel-Bréal. That’s a shame, given that Michel Bréal is the reason anyone ever ran a marathon on purpose.

An Army of Sea Urchins Could Help Save Coral Reefs

This article was originally published by Hakai Magazine.
South of Tampa Bay, in Florida, wedged between a quiet neighborhood and a mangrove forest, custom-designed aquariums are home to thousands of sea-urchin larvae that tumble and drift through the water. Scientists with the Florida Aquarium and the University of Florida care for the little urchins, checking them daily under microscopes for signs that they’re maturing into juveniles, which look like miniature versions of the adults.

Famine in Sudan: Activist Marine Alneel Says International Community Must Act

Senior United Nations officials are calling on the international community for help in getting humanitarian aid into Sudan after a famine was declared in at least one part of the Darfur region following 15 months of war between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Officials say perhaps 26 million people are at risk from acute hunger, but Sudanese activist Marine Alneel warns that the true scope of the crisis could be much larger.

The Goldilocks Theory of Out-of-Office Messages

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Some workers use their vacation out-of-office message to make a big statement about their relationship to their job. But it’s okay to simply say you’ll be away.

Generative AI’s Slop Era

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Tech companies believe that generative AI can transform how we find information online, replacing traditional search engines with bots that synthesize knowledge into a more interactive format.

The Truth About Trump’s Press Conference

Donald Trump’s public events are a challenge for anyone who writes about him. His rallies and press conferences are rich sources of material, fountains of molten weirdness that blurp up stuff that would sink the career of any other politician. By the time they’re over, all of the attendees are covered in gloppy nonsense.

Olympics Photo of the Day: Roaring Across the Finish Line

Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty
Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States crosses the finish line first, winning gold in the women’s 4x100m-relay final on a rainy day at Stade de France. Richardson ran the anchor leg of the relay, following legs by team members Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas. Great Britain came in second place, and Germany won the bronze medal.
Previously:
August 8: British sport climber Molly Thompson-Smith hangs on by her fingertips.

Sorry, You Need a Neck Fan

This summer, one question has been living rent-free in my head: Do I look like a giant dork? Faced with miserable heat and humidity, I have surrendered to JisuLife, the maker of a plastic sea-green neck fan that spurts cool air onto my face. Mine was $28.30; it’s rechargeable and looks absolutely ridiculous—like if Beats headphones had a baby with a travel pillow.
At one point, I put on my best summer clothes for a dinner out and then wrapped the device around my neck before leaving the house.

NYC Journalist Faces Hate Crime Charge for Allegedly Filming Gaza Protest Action; Police Raid Home

Press freedom groups are raising alarm after New York police arrested and charged videographer Samuel Seligson for allegedly filming pro-Palestinian activists hurling red paint at the homes of top officials of the Brooklyn Museum, part of a campaign by activists demanding the institution divest from Israel. Seligson faces eight counts of criminal mischief with a hate crime enhancement, which is a felony. Police also raided his home twice.

“Uncommitted” Co-Chair Layla Elabed on Meeting Kamala Harris, Pressing VP for Arms Embargo on Israel

We speak with the co-chair of the Uncommitted National Movement, who briefly met with Vice President Kamala Harris this week as the Democratic presidential candidate is under pressure to define her platform on Palestine. Layla Elabed spoke with Harris before her rally in Michigan to press her on a ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on Israel. “I was very emotional in that brief exchange.

“New Dawn” in Bangladesh? Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus Sworn In as PM After Student Protests

We go to Dhaka for an update as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is sworn in to lead Bangladesh’s caretaker government just days after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled the country amid a wave of student-led protests over inequality and corruption. Yunus is known as the “banker to the poor” and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work developing microloans that helped lift millions out of poverty.