Today's Liberal News

As Biden Pledges Police Funding to Curb Gun Violence, Activists Call for Community Investment

President Joe Biden has vowed to crack down on illegal gun dealers and to boost funding for police departments as part of an effort to combat a spike in gun violence across the country. Rejecting calls by activists to defund the police, Biden said cities could expand their police forces by diverting federal money allocated for the pandemic. He also pledged to strengthen enforcement of existing gun laws.

Over-the-counter birth control will give young people more control over their health

This story was originally published at Prism.

By Micaela Gaviola

I was 20 years old the first time I had a conversation with my parents about making an appointment to go to the OB-GYN. My parents were confused and not keen to talk about it—making an appointment didn’t seem necessary in their eyes since I wasn’t sexually active. I wanted to get more information, to take charge of my health, and to plan ahead, so I made the appointment myself.

The New York Times’ Charles Blow speaks truth to all Democrats

There aren’t that many columnists in the U.S. media today who have proven themselves to be completely aware of what the Republican Party has transformed itself into in the last four years. Charles Blow of The New York Times is one of them.

For those who haven’t already internalized them, Blow has some sage words of advice to Democrats at this strange point in time. The bottom line: Forget about any ideals of compromise with the Republican Party.

Progressive Buffalo mayoral candidate shocks in major election upset: ‘I hate to say I told you so’

On Tuesday night, India Walton, the socialist candidate for mayor of Buffalo, New York, won the Democratic primary election against four-term incumbent Byron Brown. The nurse and organizer’s victory over Brown has not yet been acknowledged by the Brown campaign (as of Wednesday morning and the writing of this story). The Washington Post reports, however, that there are not enough outstanding absentee ballots left to change the current results.

Schools can’t address racism until they acknowledge how they got to this point

This story was originally published at Prism.

By Frank Gettridge

The past year has been tough on educators as health and safety overwhelmed instruction and learning. Moreover, an abrupt shift to remote learning made it difficult for schools to prioritize much beyond ensuring students and families had the resources they needed to thrive in an unpredictable and unimaginable circumstance.