Today's Liberal News

The Warning Signs of a Combustible Presidential Transition

LATROBE, Pennsylvania—President Donald Trump has long signaled that if he loses reelection, it would surely be illegitimate. With his base primed to believe that victory is the only acceptable outcome, the post-election period could be the most combustible in memory.

The Evolution of Racism

In June, as Black Lives Matter protests were in full swing after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, a dictionary definition made headlines. The definition that drew so much attention was the one that Merriam-Webster gave for the word racism. The news was that the dictionary publisher was going to be revising its entry for the term after hearing from a young Black activist from Missouri, Kennedy Mitchum.

As the Military Transformed, Their Friendship Grew

Each installment of The Friendship Files features a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship.This week she talks with two women who met as roommates during Army officer training. Emily, a queer woman, was wary of her roommate at first because of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But they grew close and supported each other through their eventful military careers.

Claudia Rankine’s Quest for Racial Dialogue

Yael MalkaWhen Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric arrived in the fall of 2014, shortly before a St. Louis County grand jury decided not to charge Darren Wilson for Michael Brown’s murder, critics hailed it as a work very much of its moment. The book-length poem—the only such work to be a best seller on the New York Times nonfiction list—was in tune with the Black Lives Matter movement, which was then gathering momentum.

“We Are the 99%”: Occupy Wall Street Activist & Author David Graeber, Dead at 59, in His Own Words

Upon the death of acclaimed anthropologist and anarchist David Graeber, we feature his 2011 interview on Democracy Now!, two days after the Occupy encampment began. Graeber helped organize the initial Occupy Wall Street protest and was credited with helping to develop the slogan, “We are the 99%.” “The idea is the system is not going to save us; we’re going to have to save ourselves,” says Graeber.

“Death Is on the Ballot”: Lessons for the US, 50 Years After Allende’s Socialist Revolution in Chile

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the election of socialist President Salvador Allende in Chile, a significant moment in the history of political revolutions. We speak with Chilean American author, human rights defender and poet Ariel Dorfman, who was cultural and press adviser to Allende’s chief of staff in the last months of his presidency, about how the revolution used peaceful means to bring about radical change in Chile and beyond.

Report: Trump refused to honor American war dead, calling them ‘losers’

Update by Kos: Clearly sensing the damage this is doing to him politically, Trump issued a three-tweet denial Thursday night. 

..Country, had to be approved by me, as President, & I did so without hesitation or complaint. Quite the contrary, I felt it was well deserved. I even sent Air Force One to bring his body, in casket, from Arizona to Washington. It was my honor to do so. Also, I never called..— Donald J.

Unarmed Black dad and 10-year-old son returning U-Haul truck are shot at by white couple

Charles McMillon Jr., his 10-year-old son, and Kendrick Clemons had just dropped off a U-Haul van at Fountain Plaza parking lot, in Tallahassee, Florida, when suddenly bullets began whizzing around them. McMillon and the two others were reportedly sitting in the truck, typing in mileage onto the app, the way rentals like this work, when Wallace Fountain and his wife, Beverly Fountain, began shooting at them. Luckily, McMillon quickly drove off before anyone got hurt.

Family of man shot five times in back files wrongful death lawsuit against sheriff’s department

More than two months after he was shot five times in the back by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the family of 18-year-old Andrés Guardado has filed a wrongful death suit against the county, the sheriff’s department, and deputies Miguel Vega and partner Chris Hernandez, alleging they “not only used unreasonable and excessive force in fatally shooting the young man but were possibly acting in connection and in agreement with member

Facebook announces new preelection rules for political ads and claims—but will it follow through?

Facebook, the gargantuan and nation-bending social media behemoth, today announced a collection of new actions intended to make it look Slightly Less Bad in the final weeks of the 2020 elections. Facebook has been harshly criticized as one of the top venues, in any medium, for fake news and propaganda dissemination from political campaigns, from professional hoaxers seeking quick advertising revenue, and from your own particularly gullible relatives.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Hardly Working for the Weekend edition

Happy almost-Labor Day!

I know we’re all anxious to get on with our holiday weekend (for those lucky enough to get to enjoy it), so I’m going to get right to the point.

Two months from today, Democrats across the country have their very last chance to prevent Republicans from controlling the next round of redistricting.

In most states, the legislators elected in November will play a role in drawing congressional and state legislative district lines.