Today's Liberal News

Why Biden’s Inaugural Address Succeeded

Political speeches follow a surprisingly simple set of rules—or at least the successful ones do. Newly sworn-in President Joe Biden observed them all in his inaugural address. Although his 20 minutes at the lectern are not likely to be parsed and studied for rhetorical flourishes, with this speech Biden accomplished something more important: He signaled how he will approach this job and this moment in history.The first rule in political rhetoric is authenticity.

The Grapevine Looks a Little Different Today

This story contains spoilers for Bridgerton and Dickinson.In the Netflix series Bridgerton, everyone reads the pamphlets written by the pseudonymous “Lady Whistledown,” Regency England’s answer to Gossip Girl. Each issue targets the wealthiest and most powerful residents of London in 1813, revealing something new about the city’s high-society ecosystem.

The Books Briefing: Presidential Biographies—And Presidential Mythologies

The critic Carlos Lozada read some 150 books about the Trump era before writing his book What Were We Thinking. In those volumes, he found a regime that was appalling in its lunacy and that would leave a long-lasting carnage.As Trump left office and Biden was sworn in this week, I found myself thinking about other presidential legacies and the books that reflect on them. Some, written years after a leader’s time in office, make the case for vindicating a complicated figure.

What It’s Like to Carry On a Tradition With a Friend Who Can’t Remember It

Each installment of The Friendship Files features a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship.This week she talks with Gabe and Andy, two friends who for more than six years have walked 30 minutes once a week to give each other a high five.

As Pandemic Rips Through Indian Country, Indigenous Communities Work to Save Elders & Languages

We look at the fight to save tribal elders and Native language speakers as the pandemic rips through Indian Country, with Indigenous communities facing woefully inadequate healthcare, lack of governmental support, and the living legacy of centuries of colonialism. Native Americans have died from COVID-19 at twice the rate of white people across the U.S. To combat this crisis, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has prioritized elders who speak the Dakota and Lakota languages to receive vaccines.

As Death Toll Tops 410,000, Biden Pushes “Wartime Effort” to Fight COVID. But Could More Be Done?

On his first full day in office, President Joe Biden unveiled a 198-page national plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic as the U.S. death toll tops 410,000. He signed 10 executive orders to create a new national COVID-19 testing board, to help schools reopen, to mandate international travelers to quarantine upon arrival, and to require masks on many forms of interstate transportation.

30 Things Donald Trump Did as President You Might Have Missed

Trump’s presidency may be best remembered for its cataclysmic end. But his four years as president also changed real American policy in lasting ways, just more quietly. We asked POLITICO’s best-in-class policy reporters to recap some of the ways Trump changed the country while in office, for better or worse.

The Way Forward: Can the Left Push Biden to Be a Transformative President Like LBJ, FDR & Lincoln?

We look at the path forward for the Biden-Harris administration and the role of social movements with political strategist Waleed Shahid and author and analyst Michael Eric Dyson. Shahid, spokesperson for the progressive political action committee Justice Democrats, says Biden could be “one of the most transformative presidents” in U.S. history if he acts boldly.

Photos of the Week: Ice Castles, Northern Lights, Inauguration Fireworks

Fashion Week in Berlin, the departure of former President Donald Trump, the swearing-in of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, COVID-19 burials in Turkey and Mexico, an earthquake in Indonesia, bull-taming in India, a snow-covered Great Wall in China, National Guard soldiers in the U.S. Capitol, diploma artwork in New York City, and much more.

Thursday Night Owls: You-know-who is gone, but authoritarian foundations are still in place

Night Owls is a themed open thread appearing at Daily Kos seven days a week.

At The Nation, Rafael Khachaturian writes—Trump Has Left the Building, but the Foundations Are Still in Place. Attention has rightly been paid to his malign influence. But the shift to the right started before his presidency, and promises to continue after it:

It has been an ignominious close to a historical moment that will be measured by its impact for years to come.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Still Screwed edition

We have a new president!

But Republicans still run the show in most statehouses, and they’re not going to be shy about using their power to stymie the Biden agenda at every opportunity.

And then there’s the next round of redistricting, where GOP gerrymandering is likely to return the U.S. House to an artificial GOP majority after 2022.

Sorry, sunshine was for Inauguration Day.

Inauguration Day had me bracing for impact

Back when it was safe to fly, I always dreaded the landing. As a recovering Catholic, I still do the sign of the cross out of impulse, a long-lingering tic that convinces me I’m making myself safe.