Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: DeJoy under investigation; Gaetz probe widens; Trump plans new rallies

In the news today: Postmaster General Louise DeJoy joins the ranks of Trump-allied officials known to be under federal investigation. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, already being investigated for the alleged sex trafficking of a minor, is now being probed over a potential cover-up scheme. Donald Trump will soon be reinitiating public rallies—but, according to allies, he’s now so delusional that he believes he could be returned to office by August, toppling Joe Biden.

Trump-loving West Virginia governor admits he’s on the hook for $700 million loan

Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia is your run-of-the-mill Trumpian billionaire. He is considered the wealthiest person in West Virginia even though he’s something of a deadbeat, living off of subsidies, and failing ever upward. He mindlessly parrots whatever the conservative culture war persecution complex-of-the-day may be. Like Trump, Justice owns a golf course. And like Trump, Justice has reportedly made his life’s work dodging taxes and not paying his bills.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Pride Goeth Before edition

It’s June!

Happy Pride Month!

Republicans, unfortunately, are observing in the most awful ways.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off June by signing a bill sent to him by the GOP-controlled legislature that bans transgender girls from competing in women’s sports at the state’s public schools and universities.

Campaign Action

According to Democratic state Rep.

Here’s why people on Twitter are talking about yet another Chick-fil-A boycott

People on all sides of politics have varying opinions on boycotts—namely, whether or not they work and whether or not they’re worth someone’s time. Is an individual refusing to buy from a megacorporation really making a difference? What about people who have limited options due to location or budget? These are the questions that are hard to answer and reinforce the importance of accountability for corporations (and the wealthy people who run and profit from them).

Son of Jeb! launches campaign by boasting that he’s the only Bush who Donald Trump likes

Did you know there’s another Bush politician? No, not warmongering party guy. Not warmongering scary CIA guy. Not the boring guy that Donald Trump used as a punching bag. It’s the son of Jeb and the grandson of George H.—it’s George P. Bush! The “P” stands for psycho-phant Prescott. George P. has announced he will run for Texas attorney general. He’s got a chance as the current attorney general in Texas is Ken Paxton, and unlike Ken Paxton, P.

Podcast: Breakthrough Infections and Lonely Puppies

While COVID-19 case counts in the United States continue to drop, you might still be reading worrisome headlines about variants and “breakthrough” infections. Fortunately, The Atlantic staff writer Katherine Wu explains to James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins why these shouldn’t alarm us just yet. And staff writer Sarah Zhang drops in to help figure out how to keep pandemic puppies from being too anxious as people return to pre-pandemic routines.

Move Over, Mars

In June of 1769, an astronomer named David Rittenhouse prepared to observe a rare cosmic phenomenon, the transit of Venus. Rittenhouse had built an observatory on his farm in Pennsylvania to monitor the planet as it moved across the face of the sun, a small black dot against the glowing orb in the afternoon sky.

Watch What’s Happening in Red States

It’s not just voting rights.Though this year’s proliferation of bills restricting ballot access in red states has commanded national attention, it represents just one stream in a torrent of conservative legislation poised to remake the country. GOP-controlled states—including Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Iowa, and Montana—have advanced their most conservative agenda in years, and one that reflects Donald Trump’s present stamp on the Republican Party.

“The Second”: Carol Anderson on the Racist Roots of the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms

Do African Americans have Second Amendment rights? That’s the question Emory University professor Carol Anderson set out to answer in her new book, “The Second,” which looks at the constitutional right to bear arms and its uneven application throughout U.S. history. She says she was prompted to write the book after the 2016 police killing of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop after he told the officer he had a legal firearm.