Today's Liberal News
J&J vaccine production could restart in U.S. ‘within days,’ Emergent executive testifies
Restarting Emergent’s production of the J&J shot would revitalize efforts to get the single-dose vaccine to many Americans.
Texas governor bans schools, local governments from requiring masks
Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, hasn’t shied away from controversial pandemic policies.
Supreme Court pulls Biden into an abortion fight he didn’t want
By placing the issue front and center, the high court immediately forces his administration to reconsider its measured strategy.
Mask controversy spurs CDC to rethink its pandemic response
The changes include creating a clear reporting chain from the new director of the agency’s vaccine task force up to Rochelle Walensky.
CDC’s second-in-command Anne Schuchat to step down
Her decision reportedly comes after clashes with agency director Rochelle Walensky.
The Real Reason UNC–Chapel Hill Is Withholding Tenure From Nikole Hannah-Jones
She’s the most recent victim of the right wing’s war on universities.
Tax the rich? Executives predict Biden’s big plans will flop
Corporate executives and lobbyists say they are confident they can kill almost all of these tax hikes by pressuring moderate Democrats in the House and Senate.
Biden pressed to send clear message on economy as warning signs flash
The White House’s reaction to unexpected jobs and price data has opened the administration up to GOP attacks.
Lockdown mentality still holding the economy back, banking official says
Neel Kashkari of the Minneapolis Fed says things should get better as people overcome fears related to the pandemic.
Mark Carney on Canada’s economic growth: ‘It’s going to take more than one budget’
“There were elements of growth in the balance from what I can see and understand,” Carney said in a long response that didn’t directly answer the question.
“Show People the Video”: DA Finds Andrew Brown’s Death “Justified” But Won’t Release All Footage
In North Carolina, the Pasquotank County District Attorney’s Office has found the April 21 police shooting of Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Black father, in Elizabeth City was justified. Meanwhile, Andrew Brown Jr.’s family and their attorneys have said body-camera and dashcam videos of his killing show it was an “execution” and that he was not a threat. Andrew Brown Jr.
News Roundup: Federal judge says Betsy DeVos has some ‘splaining to do; DHS cancels ICE contracts
Welcome to Thursday! A lot is going on as the Republican Party tries its darnedest to talk out of both sides of its mouth. The Biden administration continues its two-pronged mandate to fix what was broken while progressing forward past where we once were.
New swing state poll shows rural voters aren’t grasping the (cash) benefits of voting Democratic
Is there a word for being really shocked and alarmed—and yet not at all surprised—by a new piece of information? Maybe something from German with, like, 80 letters, seven umlauts, and a couple Klingon-worthy expectorations?
Judge orders Betsy DeVos to sit for three-hour deposition to explain rejecting loan forgiveness
Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been ordered to sit for a three-hour deposition for lawyers handling a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of around 160,000 student loan borrowers, came from the students defrauded by numerous for-profit colleges across the country. These were organizations like Trump University, where Trump settled a civil lawsuit for $25 million in November 2016.
This Week in Statehouse Action: Sign o’ the Crimes edition
While Biden was driving a cool truck and congressional Republicans decided they’re against a commission to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, GOP lawmakers in GOP-controlled legislatures were partying like it’s 1999 … by which I mean they were busy passing a slew of retrogressive bills that have no place in the 21st century.
GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert Concedes People Think He’s The ‘Dumbest Guy In Congress’
Then he made a point about SAT scores and the Department of Education that’s contradicted by test data.
Five Oregon counties vote to consider joining ‘Greater Idaho,’ which also is friendly to the idea
It’s becoming increasingly self-evident that Republicans no longer support democracy because they know they can’t enact their right-wing agenda through normal democratic means—that is, by persuading a majority of their fellow citizens to join and vote with them.
Podcast: Dealing With Post-Pandemic Trauma
We’ve all been suffering during the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another, and as the U.S. starts to emerge, we’ll need to reckon with that. The Atlantic’s Ed Yong discusses his piece on pandemic trauma, how to think about it, and what he’s learned through talking to psychiatrists and other experts.
Ted Cruz’s Tweet About Russia Army Makes ‘EmasculaTED’ Trend
The Texas senator angered people on Twitter by suggesting the Russian army was better prepared than America’s “woke, emasculated military.
GOP Lies Fueled The Capitol Riot. Of Course They Don’t Want A Panel To Expose That.
House Republicans opposed to a Jan. 6 commission also spread lies of a stolen election — the same lies that led to the insurrection. They know that.
5 Oregon Counties Vote In Support Of Joining Idaho
Supporters of a “Greater Idaho” have argued that the move to the red state would align with rural Oregonians’ political views.
I Have a Secret—and I’m Terrified to Tell the Men I Date the Truth
I told one man recently. It did not go well.
The Atlantic Daily: How Obama Really Feels About Trump
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.Donald Trump’s 2016 win caught many Americans off guard—including then-President Barack Obama and his second-in-command, current President Joe Biden.
When Social-Justice Horror Goes Wrong
This story contains spoilers for the film Spiral: From the Book of Saw.Saw, that undying paean to torture porn, finally started running out of stamina when its eighth—eighth!—entry hit theaters in 2017. The once-popular Lionsgate series had gotten predictable; the death traps were rusty, the box-office returns waning. Even B-listers hadn’t joined the cast in years. It needed a new star and a new purpose.As it turned out, the studio could kill two birds with one Chris Rock.
Chris Cuomo Advised Governor Brother On Response To Sexual Harassment Claims: Report
The CNN anchor advised New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after nine women accused the governor of sexual harassment, The Washington Post reported.
The New York Times’ Absurd Lecture About Banning Cops From Pride Parades
The paper adds “NYPD” to LGBTQ.
Don’t Sleep on Asian American Voters
When Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and other prominent Democrats appeared online at a major fundraiser last night, they spotlighted one of the least discussed lessons of the 2020 election: Asian Americans are poised for a major leap in electoral influence.In Democratic circles, the bloc’s impact on the 2020 election has been largely obscured by the intense focus on understanding how Donald Trump improved his performance among another rapidly growing minority group, Latinos.
Angela Davis & Noura Erakat on Palestinian Solidarity, Gaza & Israel’s Killing of Ahmad Erekat
On Sunday, many Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities boycotted President Biden’s virtual Eid celebration. We play a statement of solidarity from legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis on Sunday for “Eid with Palestine: A Protest of the White House Eid Event.
“It Is Apartheid”: Rights Group B’Tselem on How Israel Advances Jewish Supremacy Over Palestinians
As Israel faces international condemnation for its assault on Gaza, we look at growing accusations that Israel is an apartheid state. Hagai El-Ad, executive director of the human rights group B’Tselem, describes the findings of their report that details how Israel is committing “apartheid.” Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is “not complicated,” El-Ad says. “Believe your eyes. Follow your conscience.