Today's Liberal News
RFK Jr.’s movement is in disarray
Tony Lyons, the leading organizer of the Make America Healthy Again movement, promised to raise $100 million to support Republicans this year. He’s nowhere close.
Republicans tried to punt health care cuts until after the midterms. It didn’t work.
While most GOP-enacted cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs won’t happen until 2027, Democrats are speaking to the voters already feeling the squeeze.
A cure for ‘medical tyranny’: RFK Jr. puts a positive spin on AI
Many voters fear artificial intelligence threatens their lives, but the health secretary stressed its potential benefits during a Make America Healthy Again Summit.
Pharma’s new top lobbyist is former Majority Leader Eric Cantor
Deposed from his House seat by the tea party in 2014, the Virginia Republican has landed one of Washington’s most lucrative lobbying jobs.
Vance, RFK Jr. and ‘Iron’ Mike to headline MAHA Summit
The event Tuesday will bring together Trump Cabinet members, corporate executives and the former heavyweight champ.
When Church Was a Queer Space
Outward’s hosts sit down with the host and co-creator of When We All Get to Heaven.
Remembering, with the People of MCC San Francisco, AIDS Still Isn’t Over.
The neighborhood changes, the church moves, people forget and remember “the AIDS years,” but AIDS isn’t over.
What Happens When You Organize Church Around AIDS – and AIDS Changes?
The AIDS cocktail opens new possibilities. And MCC San Francisco tries to use the experience of AIDS to make bigger social change.
The Church’s Pastor Gets Diagnosed with AIDS. And the Church Wonders How Much They Might Lose.
The church’s minister gets sick and everyone knows it.
A Church Romance Between a Hula Dancer and a Lumbersexual Blossoms in a Dangerous Time.
The church’s “it couple” faces AIDS, caregiving, and loss as part of a pair, part of families, and part of a community.
Sen. Kennedy rails against AI developers as ‘high IQ stupid people’
The Louisiana Republican’s comments come as both Democrats and Republicans have been forced to find ways to address the backlash against data centers.
Will Kevin Warsh Squander a Huge Opportunity?
The new Fed chair will have the spotlight at the central bank’s high-profile conference in Jackson Hole. He should use it.
Vance asks Mainers to vote Republican — as Trump ups the trade war with Canada
Vice President JD Vance’s visit marked his second to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District in four months.
“The School That Became a Grave”: Jeremy Scahill on U.S Bombing of Minab, Killing 120+ Iranian Kids
Drop Site News released a major investigation this week into the U.S. bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh children’s school in the Iranian city of Minab on February 28, the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Drop Site spoke to survivors, first responders, parents and witnesses in one of the most in-depth reports on the massacre to date. The bombing killed at least 156 people — 120 of the victims were children, 26 were teachers, and the rest were parents.
The Curse of the Incumbent
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
Heading into yesterday’s first round of presidential voting in Brazil, the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was thought to be a narrow favorite. When the results came in, though, Lula was behind his challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, 45 percent to 47 percent.
Hegseth’s One Percent
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is again focusing his attention on junior officers and noncommissioned officers. In a speech delivered September 30 at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, he invoked a verse he has frequently cited, Isaiah 6:8—
And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
Whom shall I send,
And who will go for us?
Then I said: Here am I; send me.
Photos: Human-Tower Season
David Ramos / Getty
Members of Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls build a human tower during the 30th Concours de Castells competition in Tarragona, Spain, on October 4, 2026.
Albert Gea / Reuters
Castellers de Vilafranca start to form a tower in Tarragona on October 4, 2026.
Josep Lago / AFP / Getty
A child that will attempt to climb to the top of a human tower wears a helmet and safety glasses during the La Mercè festival on September 24, 2026, in Barcelona.
The Atlantic Announces Mike Isaac as Staff Writer
Mike Isaac is joining The Atlantic as a staff writer later this year. In an announcement, editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg and executive editor Adrienne LaFrance write: “You are undoubtedly familiar with his groundbreaking reporting on, among other companies, Meta and Uber, as well as his many other scoops and investigations. Mike is joining us at a key moment, as we work overtime to expand our presence in Silicon Valley.
The Upgrade Holdouts
A decade ago, an Apple executive named Phil Schiller had a message for people using computers that were more than five years old. “This is really sad,” he said, with apparent sincerity, to scattered applause during an iPad Pro launch event. The remark was meant, seemingly, to encourage those poor souls to toss their obsolete devices aside and upgrade their way toward the future. (In other words: buy more Apple products.
Meet Issa Amro: Palestinian Human Rights Advocate Attacked by Settlers, Detained by Israeli Army
We speak with Palestinian human rights defender Issa Amro after he was detained at an Israeli military base for seven hours on Friday. Amro, the founder of the Hebron-based group Youth Against Settlements, was helping a Palestinian family that he says had been attacked by armed Israeli settlers at their farmhouse outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Amro says when Israeli soldiers arrived, they ignored the settlers and instead targeted the Palestinians, including him.
“I Am Jane Doe”: Cornell Case Reignites Debate over Rape Culture, Frats & Prosecuting Sex Crimes
Revelations of sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity in 2024 and how the university responded have sparked national outrage, reigniting a public debate about “the extent to which fraternities, the extent to which athletics really support this kind of culture that allows perpetrators to escape with little or no accountability,” says law professor Deborah Tuerkheimer.
Far Right Makes Gains in Brazil as Flávio Bolsonaro Tops Lula in First Round of Presidential Race
Brazil’s presidential election is headed to a runoff between leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro after neither candidate cleared 50% in Sunday’s vote, in which the right made gains in Congress and in governor races across the country. Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote compared to Lula’s 45%. The second round of voting is on October 25.
What Should You Do With Your Money?
Personal finance expert Adam Auriemma on budgeting, renting versus buying, investments, financial advisors, and more!
Money Talks: Wall Street’s Personal Injury Payouts
New York Times investigative reporter Ellen Gabler on what can go wrong when investors stand to profit from a personal-injury lawsuit.
How Bitcoin Became an Emotional Tether for a Specific Type of Lost Boy
The cryptocurrency has become a sort of emotional tether for a specific type of lost boy. I went to Las Vegas to learn why.
Republicans tried to punt health care cuts until after the midterms. It didn’t work.
While most GOP-enacted cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs won’t happen until 2027, Democrats are speaking to the voters already feeling the squeeze.
A cure for ‘medical tyranny’: RFK Jr. puts a positive spin on AI
Many voters fear artificial intelligence threatens their lives, but the health secretary stressed its potential benefits during a Make America Healthy Again Summit.