Today's Liberal News
Republicans block Democratic bill on IVF protections
As Trump pitches himself as a “leader on IVF,” GOP senators dismiss the legislation as a Democratic stunt.
A ‘miracle molecule’ could cut fentanyl deaths in half — or lead more into addiction
A plan to expand access to the drug treatment is hung up on fears of a black market, despite bipartisan support.
Supreme Court declines to block Biden family planning rules in Oklahoma
The state lost millions in federal funding because it refused to offer patients a national hotline number for information about abortion.
‘Most people are confused’: What to know about the latest Covid shot
While the risk of hospitalization and death is nowhere near what it was in 2021, there is still a danger, particularly for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.
Parents can’t function they’re so stressed, surgeon general warns
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump want to provide relief, though they disagree on the details.
Joe Biden preps to sell the economy — to boost his legacy and help Harris
Biden is determined to convince a skeptical public that he strengthened the economy.
Vance’s media strategy takes a turn
He was Trump’s policy whisperer to key voting blocs. Now, he’s fueling rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating cats and dogs.
Weed, wages and same-sex marriage: The most intriguing ballot measures that voters will decide in November
Across the U.S. in November, voters will weigh proposals on election policies, minimum wage increases and marijuana legalization.
Trump’s Wall Street pitch: Punishing tariffs, low taxes, ‘explosive’ growth
Trump arrived in New York amid growing concerns among some investors about his economic plans as Harris casts his agenda as a financially calamitous wishlist.
“Borderland: The Line Within”: New Film on Who Profits from Deportations & Border-Industrial Complex
We speak with filmmaker Pamala Yates about her new documentary, Borderland: The Line Within, which explores the human impact of restrictive U.S. immigration policies and border militarization.
“Erasing History”: Yale Prof. Jason Stanley on Why Fascists Attack Education & Critical Inquiry
We speak with Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley, author of the new book Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future, which examines the global rise of authoritarianism in the United States, Russia, Israel and beyond. He says attacks on education are a key part of the fascist toolkit to undermine democracy and pluralism.
Scientific American Didn’t Need to Endorse Anybody
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.
Scientific American has been a mainstay of science and technology journalism in the United States. (It’s been in business 179 years, even longer than The Atlantic.) As an aspiring nerd in my youth—I began college as a chemistry major—I read it regularly.
Don’t Fool Yourself About the Exploding Pagers
Yesterday, pagers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least a dozen people and injuring thousands. Today brought another mass detonation in Lebanon, this time involving walkie-talkies. The attacks are gruesome and shocking. An expert told the Associated Press that the pagers received a message that caused them to vibrate in a way that required someone to press buttons to stop it. That action appears to have triggered the explosion.
Fed moves to protect weakening job market with bold rate cut
The move signals that the central bank is growing nervous about the declining labor market.
Did the Fed Wait Too Long to Act?
The Federal Reserve has declared victory in the war on inflation. At its meeting today, the central bank announced that, after setting higher interest rates for two years in an effort to tame prices, it is finally beginning to bring them back down.
The Fed lowered interest rates by 0.50 percent (or 50 basis points), and has suggested that future cuts will be similarly sized.
This Is What a Losing Campaign Looks Like
This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here.
Updated at 1:05 p.m. ET on September 18, 2024
A first draft of this story opened: “It’s not every day that a candidate for vice president of the United States rage-tweets at you.”
Backspace, backspace, backspace. Although it’s not every day that a candidate for vice president of the United States rage-tweets at me personally, it is almost every day that Senator J. D. Vance rage-tweets at somebody.
The Death of the Minivan
The minivan dilemma: It is the least cool vehicle ever designed, yet the most useful. Offering the best value for the most function to a plurality of American drivers, a minivan can cart seven passengers or more in comfort if not style, haul more cargo than many larger trucks, and do so for a sticker price roughly a quarter cheaper than competing options. Even so, minivan sales have been falling steadily since their peak in 2000, when about 1.3 million were sold in the United States.
Georgia’s Deadly Abortion Ban: The Tragic Deaths of Two Black Women, Candi Miller & Amber Thurman
At least two women in Georgia have died since the state’s six-week abortion ban went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Candi Miller and Amber Thurman, both Black women and mothers to young children, died after they were unable to access care for rare but typically treatable complications caused by medication abortion.
Israel Blamed as Pager Explosions in Lebanon Kill 12 & Injure 2,800; Hezbollah Vows to Respond
At least 12 people were killed and over 2,800 people were injured Tuesday in Lebanon when electronic pagers used by many members of Hezbollah — who had switched to the older technology over concerns of mobile phones’ vulnerability to security breaches — exploded simultaneously across the country in a coordinated attack on the group. Individual explosions occurred in supermarkets, cafes, houses and in other public places.
Everyone Forgets How We Got Fox News. That Story Is Crucial Now.
Slow Burn Season 10 reveals the network’s real origin story.
Read Another Book
The Power Broker leaves us ill-equipped to understand or confront the struggles that face the city today.
A Bold New Experiment in Sports Coverage Just Might Work
Betches CEO Aleen Dreksler explains why it’s time to take women sports fans seriously.
If You Want to Know Who Won the Debate, Watch Fox News the Moment It Ended
Even host Jesse Watters seemed a little lost.
A ‘miracle molecule’ could cut fentanyl deaths in half — or lead more into addiction
A plan to expand access to the drug treatment is hung up on fears of a black market, despite bipartisan support.
Supreme Court declines to block Biden family planning rules in Oklahoma
The state lost millions in federal funding because it refused to offer patients a national hotline number for information about abortion.
‘Most people are confused’: What to know about the latest Covid shot
While the risk of hospitalization and death is nowhere near what it was in 2021, there is still a danger, particularly for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.
Parents can’t function they’re so stressed, surgeon general warns
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump want to provide relief, though they disagree on the details.
Joe Biden preps to sell the economy — to boost his legacy and help Harris
Biden is determined to convince a skeptical public that he strengthened the economy.