Today's Liberal News

The Moral Inversion of the Republican Party

In the original Star Trek series, there was an episode in which M-5, a revolutionary computer created by Dr. Richard Daystrom, is designed to handle all ship functions without human assistance.It’s thought to be an impressive achievement—until M-5 takes total control over the USS Enterprise and begins to attack other Federation ships. Captain Kirk tells Daystrom to disengage the M-5 unit, but it proves to be impossible.

The Knives Come Out for Josh Hawley

Since Josh Hawley was a young man, powerful people have told him he was special. His teachers gave him the “Special R” award, just one feather in the Rockhurst High School valedictorian’s cap of outstandingness. Hawley’s mentor at Stanford, David Kennedy, took a shine to him just weeks into his freshman year, and came to see him as possibly the most gifted student he ever taught.

“Viruses Know No Borders”: In Push for Global Vaccine Equity, U.S. AIDS Program Offers Blueprint

As the U.S. COVID death toll tops 450,000, the Biden administration is attempting to ramp up its vaccination campaign to slow the spread of new coronavirus variants. Meanwhile, health experts warn any vaccination progress in the United States will be threatened without global vaccine equity. “We need to, as quickly as possible, expand access to the vaccines, both in this country, in the United States, as well as around the world,” says Dr.

Alexei Navalny Faces “Kafkaesque” Charges in Russia for Breaking Parole While in Poison-Induced Coma

Russian authorities have arrested thousands of people during anti-government protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been held in jail since returning to Russia on January 17 after recovering in Germany from an attempt on his life in August using the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the poisoning that nearly killed him.

Wednesday Night Owls: A glimpse of the future of work, which isn’t optimistic for big cities

Night Owls is a themed open thread appearing at Daily Kos seven days a week.

Derek Thompson at The Atlantic writes—Superstar Cities Are in Trouble. The past year has offered a glimpse of the nowhere-everywhere future of work, and it isn’t optimistic for big cities.

Some evenings, when pandemic cabin fever reaches critical levels, I relieve my claustrophobia by escaping into the dreamworld of Zillow, the real-estate website.

Missouri Republican indicted on fraud charges for selling fake COVID-19 stem cell treatments

On Monday, the FBI released a statement about the indictment of an elected Missouri state representative for allegedly being involved in a fraud scheme that involved fake medicine, money, and COVID-19. Patricia “Tricia” Ashton Derges (R-Nixa) is facing a 20-count indictment for her part in promoting and trying to make money off of scared clients looking for a miracle treatment Derges said she could provide to treat COVID-19.