Today's Liberal News

Can Democrats capitalize on latest House Republican exit?

Yet another GOP lawmaker announced on Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in November, joining a long list of Republicans choosing to head for the exits or run for different office rather than return to possibly minority status in 2027.

Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida said in a statement that his fifth term will be his last, opening up the Sunshine State’s 2nd Congressional District for the first time in a decade.

None of This Should Have Happened

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After an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, forensic examinations of videos of the incident emerged within hours.

MAGA influencer’s face-plant shows pitfall in creator culture

Many of those who call themselves journalists these days have a very different set of standards than the old guard. That was resoundingly apparent when MAGA “independent journalist” Nick Shirley sat down with fellow creator Andrew Callaghan for an interview and their conversation highlighted major pitfalls within the journalistic creator economy.

Texas Sends Plato Back to His Cave

Thomas Jefferson loathed Plato. In 1814, he wrote to John Adams that he had been reading the Republic and came away unimpressed: “Bringing Plato to the test of reason, take from him his sophisms, futilities, & incomprehensibilities, and what remains?” The only reason the Greek philosopher is so revered, Jefferson opined, is that “education is chiefly in the hands of persons who, from their profession, have an interest in the reputation and the dreams of Plato.

Today’s Atlantic Trivia: On, Yes, the Gay Hockey Show

Updated with new questions at 2:45 p.m. ET on January 13, 2026.
Welcome back to Atlantic Trivia! Are you hungry for more?
I hope that while I’ve been away, you have been enjoying plenty of food for thought—literally. Research shows that berries help improve memory and that a walnut-heavy diet is associated with higher cognitive performance. Fatty fish and leafy greens are linked to slower cognitive decline. Caffeine is a brain boost too.

“Empire in Decline”: Historian Alfred McCoy on U.S. Aggression in Venezuela, Iran & Beyond

As President Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more, renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is “an empire in decline,” following a predictable pattern of militarism abroad and political instability at home as it loses power and influence on the world stage. “American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational,” says McCoy.

“State of Siege”: Iran Protest Death Toll Rises to 2,000 After U.S. Sanctions Spawn Economic Crisis

Iran has said it’s ready for “war” or dialogue after President Trump said the U.S. was considering “very strong options” to intervene if Iran’s security forces kill anti-government protesters in an ongoing crackdown. Vali Nasr, professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says the U.S. “can wage full-scale war on Iran — which President Trump does not seem to be eager to do — or it can hope to squeeze Iran economically in order to create political unrest in Iran.

“Stolen from Us”: Family Demands Justice for Keith Porter, Black Father Killed by Off-Duty ICE Agent

Activists in Los Angeles are demanding justice for Keith Porter Jr., an African American 43-year-old father of two, who was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve. His family is demanding transparency in the investigation into his killing. “When he walked in, he brought joy,” says Porter’s cousin Jsané Tyler. “He always had a laugh, a joke, a smile.