Today's Liberal News
Arranger Alex Lacamoire Breaks Down His Process for Hamilton
His other work includes In the Heights, Dear Evan Hansen, and Bring it On: The Musical.
U.S. sets new single-day record for coronavirus infections
The latest surge comes ahead of what’s expected to be an especially dangerous winter for the virus, with hospitalizations already on the rise.
CDC broadens definition of who’s at risk of getting coronavirus
The updated guidance defines a “close contact” as anyone who spends at least 15 minutes within six feet of an infected individual over a 24-hour period.
Why the U.S. doesn’t have an at-home coronavirus test yet
Concerns about the tests’ reliability, how consumers might react to their results and how public health departments will track them have slowed development.
DOJ announces $8B-plus settlement with OxyContin maker
The settlement with the opioid manufacturer comes less than two weeks before Election Day.
Banning Political Talk at the Office Is Not the Answer
What counts as “politics” is itself political.
“Some of My Kids Are Slipping Through the Cracks”
Four teachers on the challenges and failures of the school year so far.
How coronavirus is reshaping America’s job market
About 1 in 3 people were either working in a different job in September than they were in February or were unemployed, researchers say.
How the Pandemic Is Worsening America’s Racial Gaps
Covid isn’t just disproportionately killing people of color; it’s sticking them in a feedback loop that exacerbates economic and racial inequity, says Chicago economist Damon Jones.
Federal deficit triples to $3.1T, Treasury data shows
Government spending exceeded more than $6.5 trillion in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, up from $4.4 trillion in fiscal 2019.
Hard-hit small businesses face long winter without lifeline
Some 60 percent of all U.S. businesses that have closed during the pandemic have not reopened.
“It’s Criminal”: Biden Slams Trump as Gov’t Can’t Find Parents of 545 Children Separated at Border
During the second and final presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump and Biden about immigration and family separation. Trump deflected questions during the debate, repeatedly stating that the Obama-Biden administration “built the cages” and falsely claiming that kids seeking asylum in the U.S. are “well taken care of.
Biden Admits Past Mistake Supporting Crime Bill as Trump Defends Attacks on Black Lives Matter
President Trump and Joe Biden sparred on their records over race and criminal justice in Thursday’s presidential debate. Trump simultaneously promoted his criminal justice reform efforts while continuing to lean on “tough on crime” rhetoric. Trump also criticized Biden for authoring the 1994 crime bill and supporting other laws that intensified mass incarceration in the U.S., which Biden acknowledged was “a mistake.
We’re going to punish Republicans for shredding democracy. Here’s how
Republicans just shredded every democratic norm and rammed through arch-conservative Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, an extremist move that will take America in a very ugly direction.
Progressives have been promoting many ideas to fix this severe problem, like rebalancing the court by adding more seats, or instituting term limits for justices.
Majority of Supreme Court now confirmed by senates where GOP represented fewer Americans than Dems
On Monday, Senate Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and in doing so have officially brought minority rule to the highest court in the land: Five of the six conservative justices—a majority of the Supreme Court—have been confirmed by senates with Republican majorities that represented fewer Americans than their corresponding Democratic minorities.
McConnell goes totally nuclear, puts Barrett on the Supreme Court 8 days before the election
How bad is the Republican Senate under Mitch McConnell? It’s so bad it just handed Donald Trump—Donald Trump—one-third of the Supreme Court. Amy “Superspreader” Barrett has been confirmed on a nearly purely party-line vote, 52-47. Sen. Susan Collins, in a completely transparent bid to scrape any Democratic or independent votes that might still be up for grabs in Maine, voted with Democrats against confirmation.
Monday Night Owls: All those wild Trump economic promises were just more ruinous ‘trickle-down’
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week
Tim Dickinson at Rolling Stone writes—How Trump Took the Middle Class to the Cleaners. He promised a return to shared prosperity, but the benefits of his economic policies only bubbled up to the richest.
As a candidate, Trump positioned himself as a different kind of Republican.
Schumer Issues Warning To GOP: You May Regret This For ‘A Lot Longer’ Than You Think
“My deepest and greatest sadness is for the American people,” Schumer said just before the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Twitter washes Republican hack Peggy Noonan away, as she tries to rain on Kamala’s parade
There are moments in time that speak to sheer joy. In a world filled with dire upswings in COVID-19, an epic economic crisis, the rise of white supremacy, children in cages, and a lunatic in the White House, we need hope, inspiration, and an uplift for our spirits.
Brett Kavanaugh Just Endorsed A Radical Legal Theory That Could Cause Election Chaos
The Trump appointee affirms Trump’s suspicions about late-counted ballots and lays out his desire to block state courts from expanding voting rights.
Justice Kagan Says Supreme Court ‘Failed’ To Protect Voters Amid Pandemic
The liberal justices dissented as the Supreme Court ruled against extending Wisconsin’s deadline to count mailed-in ballots received after Election Day.
The Economy Really Is Worse in Blue States Right Now
Biden Country is suffering worse than Trump Country. Here are four theories why.
The Amy Coney Barrett Hail-Mary Touchdown
Senate Republicans were always going to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. Conservative voters wanted it, and the party united around the concept. Republicans “believe voting on this justice is a constitutional duty. The nomination happened. There was time to get it done. So they got it done,” Steven Duffield, a Republican former senior Senate aide, told me.
Senate Confirms Amy Coney Barrett To The Supreme Court
Every Democrat opposed President Donald Trump’s nominee, who will tilt the court to a 6-3 conservative majority, likely for years to come.
Supreme Court Blocks Wisconsin From Counting Mailed Ballots Received After Election Day
Siding with Republicans, the high court blocked the state from counting ballots received up to six days after Nov. 3.
The Atlantic Daily: The Inevitability of Amy Coney Barrett
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.SUSAN WALSH / APThe rushed appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court tells a story of a party aware of its own weaknesses. The nation is a week out from a national election that Republicans may very well lose.
Listen: The Virus Is Peaking, but Help Is Going Away
Many provisions of the CARES Act ran out in July. Soon, state unemployment insurance will start to run out for people who lost work at the beginning of the pandemic. Congress and the White House have failed to pass new support, and even if an agreement is reached, Senate Republicans have signaled that they’ll prioritize confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court before the election.