Today's Liberal News

Another Theory of the Trump Movement

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In the decade since Donald Trump began to define American politics, critics have struggled to understand his massive appeal. They have perhaps sensed by now that Trump’s support comes from someplace underneath conscious and rational political analyses.

From Aunt Uncle to Private First Class, Delta Company

For Giovanni
The year my nephew becomes a man,
so do I, I guess.
He calls from boot camp after days of
hand-to-hand combat, voice husky. A few months
ago, at 17, playing Xbox, he could only imagine
what the inside of a gas chamber looked like.  
I do not cry. It’s the testosterone: it
draws tears down to a reservoir
so deep in my body,
they turn to sheet ice.   
Aunt Uncle has a beard now. Aunt
Uncle has a jaw that makes it harder to sleep. Aunt
Uncle still wears earrings and makeup.

What to Read If You’re Angry About the Election

A close friend—someone whom I’ve always thought of as an optimist—recently shared his theory that, no matter what time you’re living in, it’s generally a bad one. In each era, he posited, quality of life improves in some ways and depreciates in others; the overall quotient of suffering in the world stays the same.
Whether this is nihilistic or comforting depends on your worldview.

Dr. Mehmet Oz Wants to Privatize Medicare. Trump Just Picked the TV Star to Head Medicare Agency

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped several TV personalities for key posts in his incoming administration, including Dr. Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency that oversees health coverage for 150 million people. Oz, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022, supports privatizing Medicare. “His background really has nothing to do with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” says Dr.

Trump Nominates Wrestling CEO Linda McMahon as Education Secretary Amid Push to Abolish Dept. of Ed.

President-elect Trump has announced his nomination of billionaire Linda McMahon to head the Department of Education, which Trump has pledged to shut down. McMahon is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and also headed the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. “President-elect Trump has a habit of choosing people who have either a desire to destroy the department or who have no experience.

Azerbaijani Journalist Speaks from Exile After Six Colleagues Jailed Ahead of Climate Talks

We continue to look at the attacks on civil society in Azerbaijan leading up to the COP29 U.N. climate summit. The government’s crackdown has included the arrests of local journalists, including several with the independent outlet Abzas Media. Since November of last year, at least six of their reporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges of smuggling foreign currency into the country.

Democracy Now! Asks Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister: When Will Jailed Reporters & Activists Be Freed?

As we broadcast all week from COP29 in Baku, climate justice activists and civil society groups have raised concern over Azerbaijan’s role as host of the U.N. climate talks. The authoritarian country has cracked down on journalists, activists and government critics leading up to COP29 and has been accused of using the climate summit to drum up business for its oil and gas industry.

Trump Picks Climate-Denying Oil & Gas Magnate as Energy Sec. He Once Drank Fracking Fluid on Live TV

As we broadcast all week from the COP29 talks in Azerbaijan, we look at what Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president means for the climate. Clean energy and environmental advocates are raising alarm over Trump’s picks for key roles in his administration, including fracking magnate Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department, where he could greatly expand drilling on federal lands.

Apple Lost the Plot on Texting

For a brief moment earlier this month, I thought an old acquaintance had passed away. I was still groggy one morning when I checked my phone to find a notification delivering the news. “Obituary shared,” the message bluntly said, followed by his name. But when I opened my phone, I learned that he was very much still alive. Apple’s latest software update was to blame: A new feature that uses AI to summarize iPhone notifications had distorted the original text message.