A shocking exposé in The Intercept reveals CIA-backed death squads in Afghanistan have killed children as young as 8 years old in a series of night raids, many targeting madrassas, Islamic religious schools. In December 2018, one of the death squads attacked a madrassa in Wardak province, killing 12 boys, of whom the youngest was 9 years old.
Indigenous and environmental activists have been holding daily protests against the construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to a terminal in Superior, Wisconsin, cutting through Indigenous territory and running under more than 200 streams.
President-elect Joe Biden has picked New Mexico Congressmember Deb Haaland to become secretary of the interior. If confirmed, Haaland will be the first Native American to serve in a Cabinet position. Haaland’s nomination was backed by progressives, as well as more than 120 tribal leaders, who sent a letter to Biden last month urging him to select her for the post.
Millions across the U.S. could be forced from their homes in the middle of the pandemic if Congress does not extend the federal eviction moratorium that is due to expire at the end of December. Congress is expected to push the moratorium back by one month, to January 31, in the $900 billion stimulus bill being debated in Washington, but such an extension would only be a temporary fix to a much wider problem. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that one-third of U.S.
Narendra Modi is no stranger to protests. Since his reelection last year, the Indian prime minister’s policies have triggered a number of mass demonstrations, including his decision to revoke the constitutional autonomy of Kashmir, India’s sole Muslim-majority state, and last year’s contentious move to establish a religious test for people from neighboring countries seeking citizenship that excludes Muslims.
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week
31 DAYS UNTIL JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE
David Dayen at The American Prospect writes—It’s Not a Big Tech Crackdown, It’s an Anti-Monopoly Revolution. Critical developments across sectors of the economy show that the movement against corporate power is winning—at last:
Just look at what’s happening across the spectrum.
The New York governor accused the Trump administration of being “grossly negligent” by not barring U.K. flights as several European nations have already done.
After fleeing their homeland scarred by U.S. nuclear tests, Marshall Islanders finally get the health care that was promised them.
In the true spirit of GOP service, Sen. Marco Rubio, of Florida, showed his support for vaccinating Florida’s most vulnerable residents by scoring one of those vaccinations in short supply himself. “I know I looked away from the needle And yes, I know I need a tan But I am so confident that the #Covid19 vaccine is safe & effective that I decided to take it myself,” he said in a tweet Saturday.
The Aloha State went for Joe Biden 64-34 after backing Hillary Clinton 62-30, which actually made Hawaii the state where Donald Trump’s margin improved the most compared to four years earlier. That shift didn’t matter much in either of the state’s very blue congressional districts, though, and Biden carried them each 64-34. The seats voted almost identically in 2016 as well, with Clinton winning the 1st 63-31 and the 2nd 61-30, respectively.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced late Sunday that congressional leaders have now reached agreement on an end-of-year pandemic relief package. While the details are still being inked, the agreement will reportedly include $600 per person stimulus checks, extended unemployment benefits of up to $300 per week, and an extension of small business loans aimed at keeping payrolls intact despite pandemic restrictions.
If all goes according to plan, this deal would end a half-year stalemate between congressional leaders and President Donald Trump’s administration.
More than any single event in recent memory, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the gaping chasms of inequality in American society. From the very outset it was accepted wisdom that “essential workers,” i.e.
“Barring a major mishap, the Senate and House will be able to vote on final legislation as early as tonight,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer.
The recommendations came after spirited debate about whether more seniors should be next in line.
Alaska is, by far, the largest state in the U.S. It is also one of the least-populated states, with vast, protected open spaces. From the North Slope through Denali Park to the Aleutian Islands, the Kenai Peninsula, the Inside Passage, and much more, here are a few glimpses of the landscape of Alaska, and some of the wildlife and people calling it home.This photo story is part of Fifty, a collection of images from each of the United States.
On Friday, December 18, the secretary of the Army and the Army chief of staff formally disavowed any intention of participating in a military coup: “There is no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of an American election.”That’s a fine statement, in line with the long-standing traditions of the U.S. military. It’s alarming, though, that anybody thought it necessary at all.
Taking that step would “generate more confidence” in the vaccine among the president’s followers, said Adm. Brett Giroir.
“We don’t know that it’s more dangerous and, very importantly, we have not seen a single mutation yet that would make it evade the vaccine,” Brett Giroir said.
Donald Trump’s descent into madness continues.The latest manifestation of this is a report in The New York Times that the president is weighing appointing the conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell, who for a time worked on his legal team, to be special counsel to investigate imaginary claims of voter fraud.
How dogs teach us to accept our loved ones—quirks and all.
The Republican senator slammed President Trump for falsely suggesting China may have been behind the cyberattack.
Illustration by Valerie Chiang; images from Hulton Archive / Shel Hershorn / Gado / Getty; Associated PressThis article was published online on December 20, 2020.Women’s-suffrage campaigners and their equally adamant opponents were in full agreement on one fundamental point: Giving women the vote would change everything.
Parenting advice on holidays, sleepovers, and immersion programs.
Talking about my mom was not an option. I didn’t understand until later that there are other ways of communicating.
GOP Senators are holding a relief deal hostage in order to kneecap the Fed—and the Biden administration—in a crisis.
The mail system is buckling right now. Here’s why.
Apparently no one’s showed them the analysis saying it could hurt red states the most.
Men and women saw something very different.
Disgraceful mass transit, record pedestrian deaths, uncontrolled emissions—transportation could use someone with ambition.