Today's Liberal News

Trump Promises a ‘Bloody Story’

Donald Trump says something crazy or vicious almost every time he speaks. It’s his nature, but it’s also a political strategy. The flow of half-demented, half-depraved talk energizes those who enjoy it—and exhausts those who are horrified by it.
The mainstream media cannot report every outrageous remark, or they would do nothing else. Even those shocking comments that do get reported tend to  make just a blip.

A Book That Puts the Life Back Into Biography

When the critic Janet Malcolm set aside a biography of Sylvia Plath and began reading a memoir about the author instead, she felt as if she “had been freed from prison.” The writing in the biography, Bitter Fame, by Anne Stevenson, had been “by far the most intelligent” of the published Plath biographies at the time, but the conventions of the form, its “hushed cautiousness, the solemn weighing of ‘evidence,’” could stifle even the most effervescent talent.

How the GOP Went From Reagan to Trump

Donald Trump’s far-right worldview has a lot of critics, many of them Republicans, who argue that Ronald Reagan would “roll over” or “turn over” in his grave if he could see what is happening to his old party. The Trump-dominated, populist-nationalist GOP is certainly very different from the conservative party that Reagan led in the 1980s, and Trump is a very different figure, in both outlook and personality, from Reagan.

Two Books Worth Reading Back-to-Back

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.
Welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what’s keeping them entertained.

Fred Trump III Denounces His Uncle Donald Trump for Saying Disabled People “Should Just Die”

Democracy Now! is joined by the nephew of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has endorsed Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Fred Trump III’s new memoir, All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way, shares fresh insights into the Trump family and acts as a platform to advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. Fred Trump’s own son William has a rare genetic disorder that causes severe developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“Beyond Catastrophic”: U.N. Issues Dire Warning on Gaza as Israel Hinders Polio Vaccination Drive

The United Nations is warning the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains “beyond catastrophic” as more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza did not receive any food rations in August amid Israel’s relentless assault. Israel’s 11-month campaign has killed more than 15,000 children and enabled the besieged territory’s first polio outbreak in a quarter-century.

Russia Intensifies Strikes on Ukraine as U.S. Pledges $250 Million More for Kyiv Amid Deepening War

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced more U.S. aid for Ukraine just days after the country was hit by one of the deadliest airstrikes since Russia’s invasion in early 2022. On Tuesday, a pair of Russian missiles struck a military academy and hospital in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava, killing at least 51 people and injuring more than 270. “The sense … is that the U.S.

How U.S. College Administrators Are “Dreaming Up Ways to Squash Gaza Protests”

As the fall term gets underway for students across the United States, we speak with journalist and academic Natasha Lennard about how college administrators are attempting to quash Gaza solidarity actions following mass protests at campuses across the country in the spring. One example is New York University, which recently updated its student policy to make criticisms of Zionism potentially punishable under its anti-discrimination rules.

Paralympics Photo of the Day: A Vampire Who Bites Medals

David Ramos / Getty
Gold-medalist Mauricio Valencia of Team Colombia poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the men’s shot put F34 final on day 10 of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. Valencia had his canine teeth modified to look like fangs in order to break down any stereotypes people may have about Paralympic athletes. He says, “I didn’t want to have the same smile as the rest of the world. I’ve always said that Paralympic sport has to be a spectacle.

The Candidates Prepare to Debate

Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings or watch full episodes here.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face each other in a televised debate on Tuesday in Philadelphia. With fewer than 60 days to go until the election, the evening will be a chance for both candidates to sway swing voters in key battleground states.

When Life Feels Too Busy for Friendship

This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning.
Lately, my friends and I have been talking about a euphoric feeling you might call the “post-rescheduling thrill.

What Settler Violence Is Doing to Israel

Last Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians was causing “enormous damage to security in the West Bank.” A week earlier, Ronen Bar, the head of Shabak, the country’s internal-security agency, sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that settler violence leads to “chaos and loss of control; the damage to Israel is indescribable.

The YIMBYs Won Over the Democrats

Total and complete victory. For a niche technocratic movement hyper-obsessed with increasing the supply of housing, that’s what the past few weeks in Democratic politics have felt like. In recent years, a remote-work-induced housing-market boom has pushed housing affordability higher on the national political agenda. And years of advocacy by yes-in-my-backyard, or YIMBY, activists has familiarized politicians with the logic of the housing shortage.