Today's Liberal News

A Rigged Judiciary Leads to Rigged Elections: Ari Berman on Barrett Hearings & GOP Voter Suppression

Amy Coney Barrett’s involvement in the court fight over the 2000 presidential election, when she was a member of George W. Bush’s legal team, shows she is willing to bend the law to benefit Republican candidates, says Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman. “That’s what’s so disturbing about Amy Coney Barrett, because that’s exactly what President Trump wants to do right now,” says Berman.

Wednesday Night Owls: As with other questions, Barrett stonewalls on her views about climate crisis

Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week

Dana Drugmand at DeSmog writes—Amy Coney Barrett’s Remarks on Climate Change Raise Alarm That a Climate Denier Is About to Join the Supreme Court:

During her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, October 13, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett trotted out a tired and dismissive refrain from climate deniers, saying, “I’m certainly not a scientist” when Senator John Ke

Trump’s COVID-19 herd immunity petition is full of names like ‘Dr. Johnny Bananas’ and ‘I.P. Freely’

In August, Trump brought in a new quack doctor to advise him on COVID-19 and how to make it seem like Donald Trump was doing anything about it. Neuroradiologist Scott Atlas was brought in to push the well-debunked theory of letting everyone just get sick until we, as a national community, have achieved “herd immunity.” As Daily Kos’s Mark Sumner explains, this idea has “always been an immoral and impossible idea.

It’s not too late. We can still get rid of Republican gerrymandering in 2020

Republican gerrymandering is one of the main causes of how wildly corrupt people like Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have been able to not only get control but more frighteningly still—expand it. 

We all get sucked into the latest headline-grabbing crime that Trump and his gang of the-worst-people-you’ve-ever-heard-of have been up to. So consider this your daily reminder to keep our eyes on the prize.

Engaging with working class communities of color in Pennsylvania is essential for voting outreach

While the two major parties fight over the suburban white mom vote, groups like Make the Road Action in Pennsylvania are investing in turning out Black and brown voters across the country. Building on the political power and engagement of working class communities of color, including immigrants, organizers with Make the Road Pennsylvania use community outreach and political education to move their members to action.

The Atlantic Daily: We Can Stop the COVID-19 Fall Surge

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 ATLANTICThere’s no point in avoiding the obvious: Cases are rising fast. The winter looks bad.But weary Americans may take comfort: This time, we know more. The coming season doesn’t have to be a catastrophe.

The U.S. Shouldn’t Be a ‘Sleazy Offshore Principality’

Instead of asking questions of Amy Coney Barrett at the first meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave a brief lecture—with charts—on dark money, political-influence campaigns, and the unknown millionaires who have long sought to shape America’s courts. Anyone surprised by this performance shouldn’t have been.

Winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, founded in 1965, is an annual international showcase of the best nature photography. This year, the contest attracted more than 49,000 entries from around the world. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The owners and sponsors have once again been kind enough to share the following winning and commended images from this year’s competition.

How to Get Rich By Losing Lots of Money

HBO’s Silicon Valley aired its final episode last year, the tech world’s realities having gotten too dystopian to be fictionalized, in good conscience, for laughs. When a reporter asked what material the show had left on the table, the showrunners, Mike Judge and Alec Berg, admitted, “We missed the WeWork guy.

Dahlia Lithwick: Amy Coney Barrett May Claim Neutrality, But Her Record Is “Extremely Conservative”

In the second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the federal judge’s refusal to answer basic questions on voter intimidation and whether a president can delay elections did her “no favors” and was part of an aim to “present herself as neutral; she’s an open book; whatever she was before, whatever she ruled on the bench before, is immaterial,” says Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent and Supreme Court reporter f

Can Trump Delay Election or Reject Peaceful Transition of Power? Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Say

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced 11 hours of questioning in the Senate Tuesday but refused to provide clarity about her views on the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, voting rights and even if President Trump could delay the election. Republicans are racing to confirm the 48-year-old federal judge before Election Day, which would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the high court. We air highlights from the marathon session.

Paging Dr. Hamblin: How Dangerous Are Woodwinds?

Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, James Hamblin takes questions from readers about health-related curiosities, concerns, and obsessions. Have one? Email him at paging.dr.hamblin@theatlantic.com.Dear Dr. Hamblin,My daughter is part of an accomplished high-school woodwind quintet. For two years, they practiced constantly and participated in competitions, becoming one of the best in the state. But the shutdowns in March put an end to it. They haven’t played together at all since.