Today's Liberal News

America Will Have to Reckon With Its Cynicism About Afghanistan

Very few Americans are allowing themselves to feel anything about Afghanistan anymore. A triple bombing in Kabul left 80 people, many of them schoolgirls, dead last week. In photographs, you see the physical devastation of the bombing—a crater, twisted metal, gouged walls—but the more visceral devastation is in the faces of family members, the contorted, grief-stricken expressions of mothers and fathers at the gates of the school as they search for their daughters.

Republicans Oppose Kristen Clarke for Top Civil Rights Job at DOJ in Latest Attack on Voting Rights

Republican senators in Washington are attempting to block Kristen Clarke, a prominent voting rights advocate, from a top Justice Department position. The Senate Judiciary Committee has deadlocked on an 11-11 vote on whether to move Clarke’s nomination for assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to the Senate floor for a full vote.

Watch Rep. Rashida Tlaib Blast U.S. Aid for Israel & Attack on Gaza in Dramatic House Floor Speech

As the death toll in Gaza reaches at least 119 amid Israel’s escalation of its aerial assault, Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, delivered a powerful speech on the House floor Thursday to denounce the violence and attempted erasure of the Palestinian people. “I am the only Palestinian American member of Congress now,” Tlaib said. “I am a reminder to colleagues that Palestinians do indeed exist.

Philly Health Commissioner Resigns After Mayor Reveals MOVE Bombing Victims’ Remains Cremated in 2017

As MOVE family members and hundreds of supporters held a memorial Thursday to mark the deadly May 13, 1985, police bombing of their home in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the resignation of the city’s top health official over stunning new revelations he cremated some of the bombing victims’ remains, including bone fragments, without the knowledge or permission of the families.

The Rivalry That Defines the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

“Today Iran, tomorrow Palestine.” Thus cheered the crowd in Tehran in February 1979, during the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s visit to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini just days after the success of the Iranian revolution. Arafat was the first foreign dignitary to visit Iran after the fall of the shah.

Community Spotlight unmasked: Sharing the intriguing stories behind DK usernames

Congratulations to everyone who commented in the username origin story edition of Community Spotlight two weeks ago! In 1,293 comments, there was not one instance of acrimony, snotty rejoinders, or gripes. As elfling said, “I think the count is AWESOME. You host a great party!”

I agree, it was a great party, although it was all because of you—I only opened the room and made sure everyone was served.

Republicans spend time attacking wearing face masks. Tough. I’ll wear whatever the hell I want

I am not a man of high fashion. I wish I could say that I spend my morning color-matching all of my clothing and making sure I’m wearing the latest trending product lines. There are a few things I do love: I like having a good pair of shoes because I’ve found it helps make my back hurt less. I enjoy wearing sweats almost everywhere, because damnit—I get to work from home, and if that isn’t a benefit of working from home, I don’t know what the hell is.

Joan McCarter on The Dean Obeidallah Show: Infrastructure, Manchin, and the filibuster

This week, Daily Kos’ senior political writer, Joan McCarter, joined Joe Sudbay on The Dean Obeidallah Show to talk about the filibuster, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s obsession with bipartisanship and his resulting hold on passing legislation, and the infrastructure bill. The result was a rollicking discussion about pushing back against the filibuster, protecting voting rights, and ensuring that messaging about Republican obstruction is successful.