Today's Liberal News

The App That Monetized Doing Nothing

Photographs by Sarah JohnsonAcathedral-like mountain towers above me; a lake laps at my feet; sunshine distilled through pine needles warms my skin. Close your eyes, a voice intones. Let your shoulders fall naturally and keep your chest open. Take a few full, deep breaths to settle into this moment, inhaling deeply and slowly releasing your breath, allowing any tension you may be holding to soften. Fifteen minutes later, the voice asks me to bring my attention back to the room.

Does Tennis Care About Players? Naomi Osaka Quits French Open After Mental Health Plea Ignored

Athletes around the globe are voicing support for tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open after being fined and threatened with disqualification for declining to take part in press conferences due to their effect on her mental health. Prominent athletes, from Stephen Curry to Serena Williams, have come forward to support 23-year-old Osaka, who is a four-time Grand Slam tournament winner.

As Biden Marks 100 Years Since Tulsa Massacre, Calls Grow for Reparations to Close Racial Wealth Gap

President Biden traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, one of the single greatest acts of racist terrorism in U.S. history. Over a span of 18 hours, a white mob burned down what was known as “Black Wall Street,” the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, and killed an estimated 300 African Americans. Duke University professor William Darity says it’s “very impressive” that a sitting U.S.

News Roundup: DeJoy under investigation; Gaetz probe widens; Trump plans new rallies

In the news today: Postmaster General Louise DeJoy joins the ranks of Trump-allied officials known to be under federal investigation. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, already being investigated for the alleged sex trafficking of a minor, is now being probed over a potential cover-up scheme. Donald Trump will soon be reinitiating public rallies—but, according to allies, he’s now so delusional that he believes he could be returned to office by August, toppling Joe Biden.

Trump-loving West Virginia governor admits he’s on the hook for $700 million loan

Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia is your run-of-the-mill Trumpian billionaire. He is considered the wealthiest person in West Virginia even though he’s something of a deadbeat, living off of subsidies, and failing ever upward. He mindlessly parrots whatever the conservative culture war persecution complex-of-the-day may be. Like Trump, Justice owns a golf course. And like Trump, Justice has reportedly made his life’s work dodging taxes and not paying his bills.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Pride Goeth Before edition

It’s June!

Happy Pride Month!

Republicans, unfortunately, are observing in the most awful ways.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off June by signing a bill sent to him by the GOP-controlled legislature that bans transgender girls from competing in women’s sports at the state’s public schools and universities.

Campaign Action

According to Democratic state Rep.

Here’s why people on Twitter are talking about yet another Chick-fil-A boycott

People on all sides of politics have varying opinions on boycotts—namely, whether or not they work and whether or not they’re worth someone’s time. Is an individual refusing to buy from a megacorporation really making a difference? What about people who have limited options due to location or budget? These are the questions that are hard to answer and reinforce the importance of accountability for corporations (and the wealthy people who run and profit from them).

Son of Jeb! launches campaign by boasting that he’s the only Bush who Donald Trump likes

Did you know there’s another Bush politician? No, not warmongering party guy. Not warmongering scary CIA guy. Not the boring guy that Donald Trump used as a punching bag. It’s the son of Jeb and the grandson of George H.—it’s George P. Bush! The “P” stands for psycho-phant Prescott. George P. has announced he will run for Texas attorney general. He’s got a chance as the current attorney general in Texas is Ken Paxton, and unlike Ken Paxton, P.

Podcast: Breakthrough Infections and Lonely Puppies

While COVID-19 case counts in the United States continue to drop, you might still be reading worrisome headlines about variants and “breakthrough” infections. Fortunately, The Atlantic staff writer Katherine Wu explains to James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins why these shouldn’t alarm us just yet. And staff writer Sarah Zhang drops in to help figure out how to keep pandemic puppies from being too anxious as people return to pre-pandemic routines.

Move Over, Mars

In June of 1769, an astronomer named David Rittenhouse prepared to observe a rare cosmic phenomenon, the transit of Venus. Rittenhouse had built an observatory on his farm in Pennsylvania to monitor the planet as it moved across the face of the sun, a small black dot against the glowing orb in the afternoon sky.