Today's Liberal News

Scenes From New Zealand

On a day when much of the world’s attention is focused on the United States, I thought it might be nice to share some images from the other side of the planet—specifically the island country of New Zealand. Gathered below are a collection of photographs from the North Island, the South Island, and a few of the other 600 islands that make up the nation of New Zealand.

Forget the Exit Polls, Watch Florida, Ignore Pennsylvania

Updated at 6:13 p.m. ET on November 3, 2020. The election will be weird, no matter what. If the polls are right, and Joe Biden wins the states where he’s favored, tonight could bring the most resounding defeat of an incumbent president since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. If the polls are wrong, and Biden concedes to President Donald Trump early tomorrow morning, it would mark the most catastrophic polling disaster in modern history.

“I Am a Citizen”: Watch Nikki Giovanni Read Her Poem “Vote” on the Power of the Ballot

Acclaimed poet and activist Nikki Giovanni has a new collection of poems called “Make Me Rain,” a celebration of her Black heritage, as well as an exploration of racism and white nationalism. In the poem “Vote,” Giovanni offers her thoughts on the importance of voting. It was filmed by The Meteor, a feminist collective of activists, journalists and creators, part of a daily Instagram series focusing on voting rights.

Racial Justice, Immigration, Abortion Rights & Ranked-Choice Voting Initiatives on the Ballot Today

While most eyes are trained on the contest between President Trump and Joe Biden, down-ballot races and state ballot measures will also have major consequences for racial justice, immigration, reproductive rights and more. “The issues and policies that affect people day in and day out are often determined on the bottom of the ballot,” says Ronald Newman, the national political director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Maria Hinojosa on the Latinx Vote, Bipartisan Immigration Abuses & New Memoir, “Once I Was You”

Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa joins us to discuss her new book, “Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America,” which tells the story of U.S. immigration through her own journey to the United States from Mexico as a small child to her groundbreaking work as a reporter. She says it wasn’t until the height of the family separation crisis under the Trump administration that she learned about her own family’s near-separation by U.S.

Ex-Bernie Adviser Chuck Rocha: Latinx Voters Will Be “Single Most Important Factor” in 2020 Election

The 2020 general election is on pace to have the highest turnout rate in over a century, with nearly 100 million ballots cast early — nearly three-quarters of the 2016 vote total. We look at how Latinx voters could play a key role in deciding the presidency and who controls the Senate. Many key battleground states, including Florida, Texas, Arizona and Pennsylvania, have large Latinx communities.

“Let the People Pick the President”: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College

As Donald Trump and Joe Biden make their final campaign pushes in battleground states that could decide the election, we speak with author and journalist Jesse Wegmen about the case for abolishing the Electoral College system altogether and moving toward a national popular vote for electing the president. Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote.

Monday Night Owls: Building on a history of resistance, Black women lead the way in this election

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

At The Nation, Keisha N. Blain writes—This Election, Black Women Are Leading the Way—Again. With voting rights under attack, activists like Stacey Abrams and LaTosha Brown are continuing the struggle that leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer helped ignite:

Black women are one of the most powerful voting blocs in the nation.

Performers are using their craft as a vehicle for activism

This election cycle has brought massive get-out-the vote efforts and awareness campaigns, but the ones by artists are arguably the most fun and entertaining. Art has never been apolitical, and the last four years have brought a surge in the number of artists using their craft to resist the current administration and speak out about ongoing injustices.