Today's Liberal News

“We Are the 99%”: Occupy Wall Street Activist & Author David Graeber, Dead at 59, in His Own Words

Upon the death of acclaimed anthropologist and anarchist David Graeber, we feature his 2011 interview on Democracy Now!, two days after the Occupy encampment began. Graeber helped organize the initial Occupy Wall Street protest and was credited with helping to develop the slogan, “We are the 99%.” “The idea is the system is not going to save us; we’re going to have to save ourselves,” says Graeber.

“Death Is on the Ballot”: Lessons for the US, 50 Years After Allende’s Socialist Revolution in Chile

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the election of socialist President Salvador Allende in Chile, a significant moment in the history of political revolutions. We speak with Chilean American author, human rights defender and poet Ariel Dorfman, who was cultural and press adviser to Allende’s chief of staff in the last months of his presidency, about how the revolution used peaceful means to bring about radical change in Chile and beyond.

Therapy for the crazy season: The sound of orcas breathing

FRIDAY HARBOR, Washington—The endangered Southern Resident orcas have been scarce in the San Juan Islands this summer, appearing for two weeks in July and then disappearing for the rest of the summer. Their appearance this year was full of hopeful signs, including several noteworthy pregnancies, and the fact that they largely appear to be well-fed.

Connecting beyond the height of emergency

This story is part of a joint series by The Forge and Prism. Read the rest of the series—Organizing, Innovation, and Upheaval—here.

Three months ago, protests in Minneapolis gave way to a national uprising. Ushering in a new focus on racial justice, the uprisings have challenged the way people relate to one another and how some talk about community safety.

Pennsylvania teacher who voted for Trump in 2016 takes her regrets very public

In 2016, Pennsylvania special education teacher Jane Scilovati voted for Donald Trump, because “I thought he was going to shake up the system.” In 2020, she’s so committed to not voting for Trump that she appears in an American Federation of Teachers ad against Trump. 

The AFT is putting six figures into a digital ad campaign featuring the ad.

Make sure you watch ‘Surge,’ a documentary detailing Rep. Lauren Underwood’s historic 2018 victory

As we grow closer to what could be the defining election of our lifetime, we need to also take stock of the amazing gains we made in the historic 2018 midterm elections. Those victories, especially for women who flipped seats from red to blue, could be clear indicators pointing to Democratic victories in 2020. 

The documentary film Surge, scheduled to air on Sept. 8, goes behind the scenes in three of those races.

.@SurgeTheMovie details the long odds Rep.

Everyone Knows It’s True

Donald Trump generates a lot of noise. He talks. He tweets. He is echoed and amplified by a vast claque, on TV and online, made up of Americans and foreigners, humans and bots.Never has he shouted louder than in the days since my colleague Jeffrey Goldberg reported the president’s disparaging comments about those who have fallen, been maimed, or taken prisoner in war.Trump’s protestations have been seconded by his wife.

Freedom Struggle: Angela Davis on Calls to Defund Police, Racism & Capitalism, and the 2020 Election

In a Democracy Now! special, we revisit our June 2020 interview with the legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis about the uprising against police brutality and racism launched in May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests have helped dramatically shift public opinion on policing and systemic racism, as “defund the police” becomes a rallying cry of the movement. Davis is professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The Uncanny Tale of Shimmel Zohar

I.So I first heard about Shimmel Zohar from Gravity Goldberg—yeah, I know, but she insists it’s her real name (explaining that her father was a physicist)—who is the director of public programs and visitor experience at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, in San Francisco.

The Silent Suffering of Cafeteria Workers

Shannon Spear’s family had just finished dinner when the phone rang. It was a Friday night in March, and Spear’s school district was calling to announce that her daughter’s high school was moving to remote learning.  This was no surprise: Like other parents whose children attend the Contoocook Valley schools in New Hampshire, Spear had received dozens of emails from the district preparing families for the change.

Dear Therapist: I Blame Myself for My Son’s Death

Editor’s Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com. Dear Therapist,My adult son died recently from a drug overdose, after a lifetime of struggles with depression, learning problems, peer rejection, and addiction. A large part of my grieving is self-blame.