Today's Liberal News

Trump Is Losing Touch With the Public

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One of the few issues that unites voters and politicians of both parties right now is data centers. Three-quarters of Americans would oppose a data center being built near where they live, according to a new poll released last week by Heatmap Pro and Embold Research.

Logging in Was Never Supposed to Be This Complicated

One afternoon earlier this month, I pulled up to the rec center and realized that I had a problem. It was not the three boisterous tweens in the back seat who were clamoring to be set loose in the basketball gym. It was my parking app. I had somehow gotten logged out of Passport Parking, which has become the only way to pay for a spot in much of my town, and it was demanding a four-digit PIN to let me back in. My first guess drew a warning message in red letters: “Invalid PIN.

Where Do America’s Colleges Go From Here?

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On August 3, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to states and higher-education leaders with instructions to, as McMahon put it, “describe to the American public your commitments to rigorous teaching, pathbreaking research, and national service—commitments that make our universities a bedrock institution of the American republic.

The Atlantic announces Jessica Goldstein as SVP of events

The Atlantic has hired Jessica Goldstein as senior vice president of events, who will work in partnership with managing director for events Evan Smith to lead and produce the magazine’s robust live programs nationwide. She begins with The Atlantic in early September.
Jessica has spent her career telling stories through reporting and creating live experiences that resonate far beyond the stage.

Scenes From the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games

Lintao Zhang / Getty
A humanoid robot waves a flag during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, on August 22, 2026.Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty
Robots parade on a track during the opening ceremony of the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 22, 2026.Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty
Robots play drums during an opening-ceremony performance on August 22, 2026.

In Defeat for AIPAC, Aisha Wahab Wins House Seat, Becoming First Afghan American in Congress

Progressive California state lawmaker Aisha Wahab made history last week in a special election that will make her the first Afghan American in Congress. Wahab overcame a flood of attack ads from pro-Israel groups to beat her Democratic rival, Melissa Hernandez, in a race to replace disgraced Congressmember Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

“Unbought & Unbossed”: Angie Nixon on Winning Democratic Senate Race in Florida, DSA Membership & More

Progressive state Representative Angie Nixon pulled off a stunning victory in Florida last week, defeating the establishment-backed centrist candidate Alexander Vindman to win the state’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Vindman, a former Army intelligence officer who testified during Trump’s first impeachment trial, raised more than 16 times as much campaign money as Nixon.

Montreal Considers Cutting Ties to Israel as Outrage Grows in Canada over Israeli Impunity: Avi Lewis

The Montreal City Council is set to debate a controversial motion Monday calling on the Canadian city to suspend all institutional ties with the Israeli government. Avi Lewis, a leading Jewish Canadian politician and head of the progressive New Democratic Party, says it’s a reflection of widespread outrage among Canadians over Israel’s actions across the Middle East.
Pro-Israel forces “are on the defensive now,” says Lewis.

“Most Stupid Trade Fight in History”: U.S. & Canadian Workers Stand to Lose in Trump’s New Tariff War

The U.S.-Canada trade war is deepening after talks collapsed without a deal on Friday. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the Trump administration of issuing demands that would compromise Canada’s sovereignty and undermine key industries. On Saturday, the United States slapped 50% tariffs on around $20 billion worth of imports from Canada, and Carney announced retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. products set to go into effect on September 8.

How to Lose a Trade War

U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed last night. Punitive Trump tariffs will now go into effect. Canada will reciprocate with retaliatory tariffs of its own.
The story may not be over. Donald Trump is notorious for issuing threats, then reversing them. Wars are on, off, on again, off again, then on a third time—but only as a “little detour.” This is not an administration that thinks even one move ahead. But without a supersized Trump TACO, the U.S.-Canada impasse likely won’t resolve soon.

Meet Loui Ridi: Palestinian American Returns to West Bank Home Besieged by Israeli Settlers

Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American man who lives in Ohio, traveled to the occupied West Bank on Monday to help relatives defend their family home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. Israeli settlers have surrounded the home, which Ridi owns, for more than a week. Settlers have besieged several Palestinian houses in the village, trapping people inside and cutting off water and electricity in some cases.
“I’m not getting no protection here. I still fear for my life.

“Love Machines”: James Muldoon on How AI Is Changing Relationships & the Global Workers Fueling AI

James Muldoon is a sociologist who writes about the changing nature of human-technology relationships. Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Our Relationships investigates how people form emotional attachments with large language models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labor Powering A.I.