Today's Liberal News

Bloody Crackdown in Burma Since Feb. 1 Military Coup Kills 500+ Amid Resistance from Youth, Women

More than 500 people have been killed in Burma during protests against the February 1 military coup that toppled Burma’s democratically elected civilian government. At least 141 people were killed over the weekend alone, when soldiers opened fire on civilians demonstrating against military rule in dozens of cities and towns across the country. Children were among the dead, including a 5-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, according to Amnesty International.

Robin D.G. Kelley on Derek Chauvin Murder Trial, Reparations in Evanston & Cornel West Tenure Fight

As opening statements begin in Minneapolis for the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, we speak with UCLA historian and author Robin D.G. Kelley, who says a guilty verdict alone would not represent justice for George Floyd. “The real victory would be to end policing as we know it, to end qualified immunity, to end the conditions that enabled Derek Chauvin to take George Floyd’s life and his colleagues to kind of stand there and watch,” says Kelley.

Rep. Matt Gaetz under federal investigation for possible sex trafficking

It’s bombshell after bombshell in the Trump Republican era, but this one is a stunner. The New York Times reports that Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a vitriolic Trump loyalist, is “being investigated by the Justice Department” over a possible sexual relationship with a 17-year-old that may have included paying “for her to travel with him.

Undocumented immigrant formerly in sanctuary calls on Biden to rescind outrageous ICE fines

An asylum-seeker who was in sanctuary at an Ohio church for more than three years and was finally able to return to her home and community last month is calling on President Joe Biden to rescind the outrageous fines levied on her by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in what advocates have said is an intimidation tactic against undocumented immigrants who have gone into sanctuary.

‘Owning the libs’ isn’t really funny, but it is a hallmark of fascism

When Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert decided it would be a good political move to issue a histrionic email—declaring “I told Beto ‘HELL NO’ to taking our guns. Now we need to tell Joe Biden”—only hours after the news broke about the latest horrific mass shooting in a Boulder grocery store, many people took her to task for the callousness she demonstrated in self-promoting and fundraising off a tragedy.

The Weekly Planet: Biden’s New Playbook for Greening the Financial System

Every week, our lead climate reporter brings you the big ideas, expert analysis, and vital guidance that will help you flourish on a changing planet. Sign up to get The Weekly Planet, our guide to living through climate change, in your inbox.One of the core ideas of this newsletter is that you can’t fight climate change without altering the stuff of the world.

The Fourth Surge Is Upon Us. This Time, It’s Different.

Across the United States, cases have started rising again. In a few cities, even hospitalizations are ticking up. The twists and turns of a pandemic can be hard to predict, but this most recent increase was almost inevitable: A more transmissible and more deadly variant called B.1.1.7 has established itself at the precise moment when many regions are opening up rapidly by lifting mask mandates, indoor-gathering restrictions, and occupancy limits on gyms and restaurants.

Photos: The Great Vaccination Campaign

As of today, more than 565 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered around the world, at a rate of about 14 million doses a day. Shots are being given at mass-vaccination sites, hospitals, small clinics, and in people’s homes, as governments and organizations work to reach everyone currently eligible. The work has only just begun, though; despite encouraging early numbers, only 4 percent of the global population has received at least one dose so far.