Today's Liberal News

U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 500,000 as Rich Nations Hoard Vaccines, Leaving Poorer Nations Without Any

The United States has passed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, by far the highest toll in the world. The morbid milestone comes as new COVID-19 cases continue to fall across the country amid an accelerating vaccine rollout, but the head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries not to undermine efforts to get vaccines to poorer nations by buying up billions of doses — in some cases ordering enough to vaccinate their populations more than once.

Daily Kos amasses over 260,000 signatures in support of Deb Haaland for secretary of the interior

Today, Daily Kos delivered over 260,000 signatures in support of Rep. Deb Haaland as the Senate is about to begin hearings to confirm her as the new secretary of the Department of the Interior under the Biden-Harris administration. Haaland currently serves as the representative from New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District and was nominated to lead the Department of Interior by President Joe Biden in December 2020.

Learning from the New Deal—for the Next Recovery

A few days ago, I was talking on the phone with the mayor of a medium-sized “red state” city about how his town was weathering the public-health and financial crises of this era. I told him I was mainly curious about his observations, rather than looking at the moment for on-the-record quotes.

‘Finally, I can go home’: Ohio mother targeted by ICE leaves sanctuary for the first time in years

For more than three years, asylum-seeker Edith Espinal has been in sanctuary at Columbus Mennonite Church in Ohio. She’d lived in the state for 20 years. She has no criminal record. She’d been checking in regularly with the government. But in October 2017, she was forced to go into sanctuary after becoming a priority for deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

That church has been her home since.

Postmaster Frazier Baker and his infant daughter were lynched in South Carolina, on Feb. 22, 1898

When we celebrate Black History Month, we should also ensure that we don’t erase its ugly underbelly. Watching the television news shows this weekend as a host of Republican white supremacy supporters and insurrectionists got interviewed, and continued to spew lies, I was thinking about this portrait. 

Do you know this family? My guess would be probably you don’t—because so much of Black folks’ history gets erased.

Recent Eruptions on Mount Etna

Mount Etna has erupted four times in the past six days, sending lava down its slopes and showering nearby villages with ash. Etna, on the Italian island of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. No significant damage or injuries have been reported during this recent outburst, and officials have said they do not think there is immediate danger of escalation, but the views have been spectacular.