Today's Liberal News

In Racial Justice Victory, Johnson & Johnson to Pay $2B to Women in Asbestos-Laced Baby Powder Suit

Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $2.1 billion to a group of women who developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder contaminated with asbestos. Johnson & Johnson heavily marketed the powder to African American women despite warnings that the products could cause cancer. Six of the plaintiffs in the Johnson & Johnson case died before the trial started. Five more of the women have died since 2018. We get response from M.

McSally, after votes to take away healthcare protections, lies through her teeth about saving them

Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, vying with fellow Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado for whose political career is most likely to be toast come November, is pretending that she cares about whether or not you have health care. She’s running an ad back home in Arizona, where coronavirus is raging out of control in which she says “Of course I will always protect those with preexisting conditions. Always.”

Hahahahahahahaha.

Biden campaign predictably outstrips Trump campaign on diversity, but still has work to do

Joe Biden released diversity data on his campaign staff and, in the words of She the People founder Aimee Allison, it’s “not terrible.” The numbers aren’t embarrassing, in other words, but there’s work to be done. Biden will be “more successful having a set of top advisers who relate to and can connect with the very communities they are dependent on to win,” Allison told The Washington Post.

Over 80% of Republican state lawmakers in Wisconsin voted by mail—while forcing others to the polls

Back in April, Wisconsin Republicans fought bitterly to prevent mail-in voting during a pandemic, instead demanding that voters instead wait in long lines to cast in-person votes despite the literal danger to their lives.

The Associated Press now reports that of those Republican state senators and assembly members, over 80% of them themselves voted absentee in the same election. Specifically, 81% of Republican assembly members and 83% of Republican state senators voted by mail.

The Atlantic Daily: The President’s Plague

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.GETTY / THE ATLANTICTrump’s role as chief executive is inextricable from his status as an incumbent facing tough reelection prospects. A new uptick in U.S. coronavirus cases raises more questions about his ability to guide the country in this moment.

Reddit Is Done Pretending The Donald Is Fine

Reddit is banning one of its most notorious communities today, the subreddit—or forum—dedicated to discussion of President Donald Trump.The ban comes after years of controversy around r/The_Donald and its promotion of racism, anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and violent memes starring a cartoon frog. Reddit is also removing 2,000 other communities today, including the 160,000-member subreddit associated with the popular left-wing podcast Chapo Trap House.

How One Network Absolutely Nailed Its Virtual Awards Show

Last night’s BET Awards made it immediately clear, with its first performance, that it wouldn’t be a regular awards show—and not just because it had to be put together remotely. Rather than opening with a nominated star debuting a new song or having its host, the comedian Amanda Seales, kick things off with a monologue, the three-hour ceremony began with the 12-year-old gospel singer Keedron Bryant belting out his viral ballad, “I Just Wanna Live.

What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means

Chief Justice John Roberts balked.This morning, the Supreme Court announced its decision in June Medical Services v. Russo, the first big test of whether, and how, this Court—with two Donald Trump appointees—would revise abortion rights in the United States. When Trump was running for president, he explicitly promised to appoint judges who would “automatically” overturn Roe v. Wade, the case that established the constitutionality of abortion.

Louisiana Activists Face 15 Years for “Terrorizing” Oil Lobbyist with Box of Plastic Pollution

Two environmental activists with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade face up to 15 years in prison for leaving a box of plastic pellets, found on the Texas coast, at the home of an oil and gas lobbyist in December. Advocates say the “terrorizing” felony charges reflect longtime attempts to criminalize environmental activists in Louisiana and come amid a campaign to block Formosa Plastics from building a new plant in St. James Parish, an area known as Cancer Alley.

Massive Case of Denial: COVID Surges in US, Tops 10M Globally, as Pence Touts “Remarkable Progress”

As coronavirus cases top 10 million worldwide and spikes are being reported in 36 states, Vice President Mike Pence has touted “truly remarkable progress” on the pandemic. “This has just been a massive case of denial, of idiotic government policy, of the lack of any strategic planning, any really specific strategic goal,” Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Laurie Garrett says of the response to the pandemic. “We’re in very, very dire straits right now.

The 3 Weeks That Changed Everything

Coping with a pandemic is one of the most complex challenges a society can face. To minimize death and damage, leaders and citizens must orchestrate a huge array of different resources and tools. Scientists must explore the most advanced frontiers of research while citizens attend to the least glamorous tasks of personal hygiene.