Today's Liberal News

Nagorno-Karabakh: What’s at Stake in the Conflict Between Armenia & Azerbaijan?

As fighting continues between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, we look at the roots of the conflict that has already killed at least 700 people since fighting began in late September and which threatens to escalate despite two ceasefire attempts brokered by Russia. Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians, was the site of a bloody conflict in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Friday Night Owls: With code changes, Facebook helped rightwing publishers and throttled the left

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

At Mother Jones, Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery write—Facebook Manipulated the News You See to Appease Republicans, Insiders Say:

Near the close of the first year of the Trump presidency, executives at Facebook were briefed on some major changes to its News Feed—the code that determines which of the zillions of posts on the platform any one of us is shown when we look at Facebook.

New Civiqs survey finds top-two primary initiative failing in Florida

Civiqs’ new poll for Daily Kos finds 51% of Florida voters opposing Amendment 3, which would establish a top-two primary system in state-level races like governor and state legislature starting in 2024, while only 36% support it; respondents also favor Joe Biden 51-47 here. Amendment 3 would not apply to federal elections such as the presidential or congressional contests due to limitations on the scope of any single initiative.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez killed it on Twitter after Trump called her out at debate

Not only did Donald Trump avoid answering half the questions he was asked during the second and last presidential debate Thursday night, but he decided to name-drop Democratic representatives in Congress. In an attempt to criticize Joe Biden during a discussion on the climate crisis involving the Green New Deal, Trump said: “You know who developed it [the Green New Deal]? AOC plus three.

Q&A: Patrisse Cullors in conversation with Los Angeles DA candidate George Gascón

Ahead of the election for Los Angeles district attorney, I sat down with both candidates to learn more about where they stand on the issues and how they see the role of the DA. In this conversation, I spoke with George Gascón, former San Francisco district attorney and current candidate for the job in LA. Read more about the race here, and read my interview with incumbent LA DA Jackie Lacey here.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

The Atlantic Daily: The Case Against Donald Trump

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.THE ATLANTIC“Spectacularly obvious.”That’s what our editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, writing on behalf of The Atlantic’s editors, called the choice voters face this November.“Two men are running for president,” he writes.

Cory Booker on Why the Democrats Haven’t Stopped Barrett

The night after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, Democrats gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court, repeating the rallying call “No confirmation until inauguration!” That had zero effect on Senate Republicans, who pledged their support for Donald Trump’s choice even before the president announced it would be Amy Coney Barrett.New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is among those struggling with what to do.

You’re Not Supposed to Understand the Rumors About Biden

On Tuesday, Fox News’ Laura Ingraham broke some news: An “investigative journalist” named Matthew Tyrmand had uncovered a cache of 26,000 emails belonging to Hunter Biden’s disgraced business partner Bevan Cooney, who is now in jail. Tyrmand claimed that he had gotten hold of the emails via a person in the same facility as Cooney (a “federal work camp for white-collar infractions,” is how Tyrmand put it).

It’s All About the Investigation

Donald Trump is trying to run his favorite play one more time: spreading unverified but salacious accusations, demanding that they be investigated, and then using the fact of the investigation to convince the public that something must be wrong. The biggest unanswered question of this election, with just 11 days to go, is whether he can pull it off one more time.

“It’s Criminal”: Biden Slams Trump as Gov’t Can’t Find Parents of 545 Children Separated at Border

During the second and final presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump and Biden about immigration and family separation. Trump deflected questions during the debate, repeatedly stating that the Obama-Biden administration “built the cages” and falsely claiming that kids seeking asylum in the U.S. are “well taken care of.

Biden Admits Past Mistake Supporting Crime Bill as Trump Defends Attacks on Black Lives Matter

President Trump and Joe Biden sparred on their records over race and criminal justice in Thursday’s presidential debate. Trump simultaneously promoted his criminal justice reform efforts while continuing to lean on “tough on crime” rhetoric. Trump also criticized Biden for authoring the 1994 crime bill and supporting other laws that intensified mass incarceration in the U.S., which Biden acknowledged was “a mistake.

Trump Lies About COVID-19 Risks & Vaccine at Debate as Pandemic Is Tied to 300K Excess U.S. Deaths

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden met in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday in the second and final debate of the 2020 campaign. It was a more subdued debate than their first clash, when Trump refused to abide by the rules and interrupted Biden at least 128 times. Thursday’s debate was moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, who began by asking the candidates about COVID-19.