Today's Liberal News

Venezuela: Maduro Claims Victory, Accuses Opposition of Coup Attempt Following Disputed Election

Protests erupted on Monday in Venezuela after sitting President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential election despite the opposition’s accusations of election fraud. Maduro has countered by accusing the opposition of attempting to stage a fascist coup. We go to Caracas for an update from Venezuelanalysis reporter Andreína Chávez, who says the opposition’s claims are still unsubstantiated.

It’s Not Just “Childless Cat Ladies”: JD Vance Once Described Childless People as “Sociopathic”

New details have emerged about Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance’s past comments that continue to plague the Trump campaign, with the Ohio senator having made repeated remarks over the years denigrating people without children as “cat ladies” and “sociopaths.” We speak with ProPublica reporter Andy Kroll, who has reported on Vance and says he is “demonizing huge swaths of Americans” and embodies a “really extreme version of conservative politics.

The Case Against Biden’s Supreme Court Proposal

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.
Even more dangerous than the politics of Biden’s Supreme Court–reform proposal is the escalating attack on American institutions that it represents.
First, here are four new stories from The Atlantic:
Donald Trump questions whether Kamala Harris is really Black.

Donald Trump Questions Whether Kamala Harris Is Really Black

Onstage at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention today, Donald Trump complained bitterly that technical difficulties had delayed his appearance, but he had no trouble squeezing plenty of inflammatory comments into a shortened interview.
The former president refused to condemn the violent rioters on January 6, 2021. He gave only faint support for J. D. Vance’s preparedness to serve as president.

The Seine River Passed Its Test

Last night, in Paris, thunderstorms threatened to pummel the Seine. The men’s triathlon had already been postponed after levels of bacteria in the river measured high, and more rain would have made it worse. Downpours can sweep trash and grime into the river and overwhelm treatment plants as well as old combined pipes where stormwater mingles with wastewater; even the massive tanks Paris installed to keep that mess from pouring into the Seine can be bested by pounding rains.

Olympics Photo of the Day: Up Close and Underwater

Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty
Every time a new Olympic Games takes place, photojournalists endeavor to cover the action in novel and compelling ways—not only taking advantage of new technology, but also using their professional eye to discover new angles or framing. AFP photographer Oli Scarff placed an underwater camera in just the right position to capture close views of swimmers as they pass by above.

What Happens When a Beloved Rock Star Gets Fed Up?

Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET on July 31, 2024
When the Woodstock festival took place in August 1969, it was famously only the second gig for the newly minted supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. “We’re scared shitless,” Stephen Stills, informed an audience of 400,000-plus during their set. Watching their performance in Woodstock, Michael Wadleigh’s legendary documentary film, you can see the nerves, and the skill, on display.

“Disarm the War on Woke”: Kimberlé Crenshaw on Fighting Racist, Sexist Attacks on Kamala Harris

We speak with legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw about the historic presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing a slew of racist and misogynist attacks from Donald Trump and others as she runs to be the first woman and the first woman of color to occupy the White House. Crenshaw, who coined the term “intersectionality,” says Harris’s candidacy is leading to backlash from those who fear the emergence of a more diverse country.

Will Israel Start a Regional War? Hamas Leader Killed in Iran, Hezbollah Commander Targeted in Beirut

Fears of all-out war in the Middle East are growing after top Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday. Haniyeh was in Iran for the inauguration of the country’s new president. Iran and Hamas both blamed Israel, which has not officially claimed responsibility but had previously vowed to kill Haniyeh and other top Hamas leaders over the October 7 attack.