Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: Grim Reaper threatens more reaping; Whitehouse wants Kavanaugh follow-up

The Great National Post-Trump Cleanup continues. In today’s news, Sen. Mitch McConnell made headlines for vowing to make the Senate an even less productive place, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is asking that the new attorney general report back on several incidents of apparent corruption that Trump’s Justice Department blocked proper investigations of, and a Trump-era whistleblower finally gets the military promotion that Trump’s ever-crooked team tried to sabotage.

Man goes on a racist rant before pepper-spraying Asian American gas station owner in Oakland

Crimes against Asian Americans are at an all-time high, as every day another incident is reported in which an Asian American is the target of identity-based hate. An analysis found that while crimes in the United States’ 16 largest cities decreased overall by 7% in 2020, those targeting Asian Americans rose by nearly 150%.

Incidents all over the U.S. have been reported and recorded on social media, especially in California.

Bill seeking to block gender-affirming care for transgender youth gains momentum in Alabama

In the slew of anti-trans legislation springing up around the country, most measures focus on one of two areas. There are a number of anti-trans sports bills that aim to keep transgender girls out of girls’ sports. There are also a number of bills aiming to make it a felony for physicians to prescribe gender-affirming care, like hormones, to transgender and nonbinary youth. One example of this is slowly but surely moving forward in Alabama.

The Weekly Planet: Why a Climate-Denial Coalition May Be Cracking Apart

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.Last week, China released the draft summary of its next five-year plan, its comprehensive economic planning document for 2021 to 2025. It’s an important document, a kind of “plan of plans” for the country’s provinces and agencies.

The Identity Hoaxers

The confession, when it came, did not hold back. “For the better part of my adult life, every move I’ve made, every relationship I’ve formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies,” read the Medium post. It was published in September under the name of Jessica A. Krug, a George Washington University professor specializing in Black history.

Why an Infrastructure Deal Everyone Wants May Fail

“When you ask individual senators whether they want to see expanded infrastructure, the answer is nearly always yes.” — Senator Elizabeth Warren“This is an area that is ripe with opportunity for bipartisan compromise.” — Senator Ted Cruz“There’s an opportunity to do something really good for the American public here.

The Dark Side of America’s Gleaming Skyscrapers

Photographs by Daniel SheaIn 2014, at age 19, Eric Mendoza left his farming village outside Mexico City and crossed the Rio Grande. Once in the United States, he worked construction jobs to pay his way across the country. From Texas, Mendoza traveled to rural North Carolina, where he built homes. At a Metro PCS store, he bought a cellphone for $100 so he could call his mother, Elizabeth, who had come to the U.S. when Eric was 8.On his new phone, Eric told his mother that he had finally arrived.

NY State Senator Alessandra Biaggi Says Cuomo Has Abused His Power for Years & Must Resign

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is refusing to step down despite growing calls for his resignation after multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct, as well as his cover-up of thousands of COVID-19 nursing home deaths. Alessandra Biaggi, a New York state senator representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester, says it’s long past time for Cuomo to go and that the many scandals surrounding the governor reveal a consistent pattern.

Immigrant Advocate: Unaccompanied Minors Are Not a “Border Crisis” But a Humanitarian Crisis

Thousands of migrant children seeking refuge are being held in crowded cells amid an increase in asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite claims by Republican lawmakers during a tour of the southern border aimed at warning against rollbacks of Trump’s immigration policy, most adults at the border are still being turned away, while the Biden administration is allowing unaccompanied children to cross while their cases are processed.

Vijay Prashad Warns Biden Is “Doubling Down” on Trump’s Anti-China Cold War Policy

Beijing has accused the U.S. of perpetuating a Cold War mentality as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials shore up alliances in the Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence and increasingly describe the country as a geopolitical threat. Vijay Prashad, director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, says the “bellicose” tone out of Washington is not because the U.S. sees China as a military threat, but because China threatens U.S.

What Conspiracy Theorists Don’t Believe

Some people believe the most extraordinary things. Earth is flat, and airplane GPS is rigged to fool pilots into thinking otherwise. COVID-19 vaccines are a pretext to inject thought-controlling microchips into us all. The true president of the United States is Donald Trump; his inauguration will happen on January 20, make that March 4, make that a date to be arranged very soon.The question “How could anybody believe this stuff?” comes naturally enough.