Today's Liberal News
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
What Role Does HR Play in the #MeToo Era?
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Lael Brainard’s ‘Crisis Management Agency’ — and Her Warning For Trump
Joe Biden’s top economic adviser opens up on harrowing moments from her time in the White House, and what makes her nervous about the Trump agenda.
Stephen Miran is Trump’s pick to lead Council of Economic Advisers
Miran has called for a sweeping overhaul of the Fed to ensure greater political control over the central bank, including giving the president the power to fire board members at will.
Biden: Trump’s tax and tariffs plans are a ‘major mistake’
Five weeks after the election, the president took his sharpest swing at Trump’s policy plans.
RFK Jr. says he’s open to seizing drug patents
Trump’s health secretary nominee met with Hill staffers ahead of his hearing this week.
Trump: A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama
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.
When the Panama Canal was unveiled by the United States in 1914, the roughly 50-mile-long waterway symbolized American power and technological advancement. But the glow of progress soon faded.
China’s DeepSeek Surprise
One week ago, a new and formidable challenger for OpenAI’s throne emerged. A Chinese AI start-up, DeepSeek, launched a model that appeared to match the most powerful version of ChatGPT but, at least according to its creator, was a fraction of the cost to build.
Trump’s Colombia Spat Is a Gift to China
A second Trump administration was sure to come down hard on whichever Latin American country first defied it—few in the region expected otherwise. But Colombia was perhaps the United States’ most steadfast friend in South America, and the speed with which a 100-year relationship seemed to crumble last night was frightening.
Or perhaps exhilarating, if you were a Chinese diplomat in Latin America observing the presidential spat.
First, Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, refused to allow U.S.
RFK Jr. Is an Excellent Conspiracy Theorist
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, is a longtime conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine activist. He thinks Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates are leaders of a “vaccine cartel” that intentionally prolonged or even started the coronavirus pandemic in order to promote “mischievous inoculations.” Kennedy also blames immunizations for autism and obesity (among other chronic diseases) in children.
‘A sign of a sickness’: Abortion opponents grapple with RFK Jr. nomination
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backed abortion rights, but the nation’s leading anti-abortion groups aren’t lobbying senators to reject him.
A Less Brutal Alternative to IVF
After my 20th shot of hormones, I texted my boyfriend, only half kidding, “I’m dying.” We had decided to freeze embryos, but after more than a week of drugs that made me feel like an overinflated balloon and forced me to take several secret naps a day, I no longer cared whether we froze anything. I was not doing this again.
Christian Nationalist at the Pentagon: Pete Hegseth’s Calvinist Sect Embraces Confederacy, Crusades
The Senate has confirmed former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary by just one vote. Hegseth has “very clear” ties to extreme Christian nationalism, as well as a history of alleged sexual assault and abuse. Logan Davis, a reporter in Denver, Colorado, who grew up in the same classical Christian educational movement that Hegseth is raising his family in, explains the problematic ideology that shapes it.
Trump Halts Refugee Admissions, Stranding Thousands Approved to Enter U.S., Fleeing War, Persecution
We look at the impact of President Trump’s halting of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program with Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, a faith-based nonprofit that helps place and resource refugees upon their arrival in the U.S. as part of the program. Some 100,000 refugees were settled in the United States last year under the highly selective program, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades.
“Anxiety and Fear”: Immigrants Under Attack as Trump Militarizes Border, Ramps Up Deportation Flights
A dramatic standoff between the U.S. and Colombia unfolded Sunday with Colombian President Gustavo Petro turning back two U.S. military planes that were carrying deported migrants in shackles, saying immigrants should be treated with dignity. The two countries then traded tariff threats before announcing a deal in which Colombia would begin accepting flights of deported migrants. Meanwhile, Trump has sent 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, further militarizing the region.
Pressure Grows to Free Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah & Stop Harassment of Hossam Bahgat
We discuss the cases of two of Egypt’s most prominent political activists, Hossam Bahgat and Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who have both been persecuted by the Egyptian government for exposing its human rights abuses. Bahgat is facing a new round of harassment from Egyptian security forces, while El-Fattah remains in prison past his expected release. El-Fattah’s mother, the Cairo University professor Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike for nearly four months in the U.K.
Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to “Clean Out” Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day
As survivors in Gaza begin to return to their homes during the first ceasefire in over a year, we speak to Sharif Abdel Kouddous of Drop Site News about the future of those who have been displaced.
There’s One Way to Solve Homelessness in America. We’re Trying Something Else Instead.
Well before Donald Trump took office, the country was pivoting to a more punitive approach to homelessness.
Money Talks: How Much Would You Pay to Take Care of Someone You Love?
Professor Harold Pollack discusses the obscene costs of longterm care, and how you can better prepare for your family’s future
Is an American Oligarchy Coming Or Is It Already Here?
Biden warned of a looming American oligarchy but has that ship already sailed?
There’s One Department Elon Musk Would Probably Like to Keep Inefficient
Stock trades move fast. The government moves slower.
CIA now says Covid-19 is more likely to have originated from a lab leak
The intelligence agency has said for years it couldn’t say with certainty where the pandemic originated from.
Trump signs anti-abortion policies after speaking to March for Life
Those impacted include overseas health organizations that distribute contraception and help combat HIV.
Justice Department drops case against Texas doctor charged with leaking transgender care data
The dismissal comes as the Trump administration in its first week has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights.
Trump administration takes first anti-abortion move on world stage
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive Friday to rejoin a global anti-abortion pact.
Trump and Vance sidestep abortion executive orders in March for Life speeches
Anti-abortion leaders wanted more concrete action from the new administration.