Money Talks: The Underground Economy
Mariana van Zeller joins Felix Salmon for a look into the hidden economics of black and gray markets.
Today's Liberal News
When ICE Agents Lie: DOJ Drops Charges Against 2 Minneapolis Men Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder
Two ICE officers have been placed on administrative leave and are accused of lying under oath about an incident in Minneapolis last month involving two Venezuelan immigrants, one of whom was shot in the leg by an agent. After the incident, the two Venezuelan men, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, were charged with felony assault, falsely accused of beating an ICE officer with a broom and snow shovel. Sosa-Celis was shot in the right thigh.
Jesse Jackson’s Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition
We look back on the life and legacy of civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday at the age of 84. From marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to building the Rainbow Coalition in his two presidential runs and beyond, “Jackson’s life contributed to making this country more democratic, more inclusive, more fair,” says Howard University political science professor Clarence Lusane.
Bernie Sanders on Jesse Jackson: One of the Most Significant Political Leaders of “Last 100 Years”
As we remember the life and legacy of civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday at the age of 84, we air remarks by Senator Bernie Sanders from a 2024 tribute held during the Democratic National Convention. Sanders, whose own two runs for president galvanized progressives across the United States, hailed Jackson’s campaigns in 1984 and 1988 for building a broad coalition for social justice.
“Keep Hope Alive”: Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon Who Twice Ran for President
Civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84. Jackson is known for working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement, and he later ran two groundbreaking presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, when he pushed to cut the Pentagon budget while increasing domestic spending on education, housing and healthcare.
Why Congress failed to reach an Obamacare deal
Lawmakers delayed negotiations despite a drumbeat of warnings. That was just the first problem.
A Century-Long Google Bet
Alphabet issues century bonds, the majority of Trump’s tariffs were paid by US citizens, and Felix defends fakes.
Super Bowl Commercials This Year Sent a Clear Message. I Hope Donald Trump Isn’t Listening.
Regrettably, I must support the Dunkin’ commercial.
The Real Reason Jeff Bezos Killed the Washington Post
The billionaire wanted the Post to die, because a vigorous, well-resourced newspaper does not help his bottom line.
Disney Just Had Its Succession Ending
Josh D’Amaro’s rise mirrors Tom Wambsgans’ improbable victory—and hints at a bleak and less creative future for Disney.
RFK Jr.’s allies are trying to free anti-vaccine doctors to speak their minds
They want the Supreme Court to allow physicians to buck the medical establishment when they advise patients and the public.
RFK Jr.’s battle with the public health establishment has turned to trench warfare
The health secretary turned his agencies toward skepticism of processed food and vaccines, but he’s faced pushback at every turn — including from Republicans.
Top aides to RFK Jr. will leave posts
The moves are part of a broader management shakeup at the health department.
RFK Jr. shakes up leadership team
The health secretary said Medicare Director Chris Klomp will now oversee all department operations.
RFK Jr. ally says GOP risks losing his supporters
Tony Lyons told POLITICO Republican candidates must demonstrate they support Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again mission to win midterm votes.
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.
Trump in Iowa tries to shift the conversation back to the economy
A brief swing through the farm state underscored administration fears about the midterms.
Americans give Trump low marks on handling of economy as midterms likely to center on affordability
Sixty-one percent of voters told a CNN poll released Friday that they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy.
“Policy of Aggression”: Cuba’s U.N. Ambassador Denounces U.S. Oil Blockade, Push to Topple Government
Cuba is facing a growing humanitarian crisis due to a U.S.-imposed oil blockade. The Trump administration has also threatened new tariffs against any nation that sends fuel to Cuba, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962. These measures have caused fuel shortages and widespread blackouts, while the cost of food and transportation has skyrocketed. “This is a massive violation of human rights,” says Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuban ambassador to the United Nations.
“Love Forward Together”: Faith Leaders in North Carolina Launch 50-Mile March for Social Justice
Faith leaders in North Carolina are leading a three-day trek from Wilson to Raleigh in an event aimed at supporting “unabridged voting rights; living wages and ending poverty; welcoming immigrants,” and more. Reverend Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove spoke with Democracy Now! from the march, saying that “love is the power that can overcome fear in this moment.
A Different Kind of Leading Man
Robert Duvall didn’t speak a word in his first film performance. When he was cast as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, he was but an up-and-coming theater actor, and his role as the silent, mysterious neighbor to the heroine Scout Finch was small but pivotal.
Winter Olympics Photo of the Day: Snow Jump
Lars Baron / Getty
Domen Prevc of Team Slovenia jumps through a snow squall during the Men’s super-team final round on day 10 of the Winter Olympics at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on February 16, 2026.
A No-Name Director to Everyone but His 38 Million Fans
At the box office earlier this month, four out of the five top-grossing movies were not from big companies. There was Solo Mio, an inspirational romantic drama starring Kevin James from the faith-based distributor Angel Studios; a filmed concert from the K-pop group Stray Kids; and a French adaptation of Dracula from the director Luc Besson that had already made big money overseas.
“The Alabama Solution”: Oscar-Nominated Film Uses Prisoner Cellphones to Show U.S.’s Deadliest Prisons
Three activists — Robert Earl Council, Melvin Ray and Raoul Poole — featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary The Alabama Solution were placed in solitary confinement last month in what advocates believe is retaliation for their role in exposing the abuses of the state’s prison system and for helping to organize a prison labor strike.
Why Is ICE Still Jailing Leqaa Kordia? Palestinian Protester Suffers Seizure After 11 Months Locked Up
Thirty-three-year-old Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia will soon mark one year trapped in ICE detention. Kordia, who was born in East Jerusalem, first came to police attention when she was arrested during the 2024 Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia University. Those charges were dropped, but Kordia was later detained at routine immigration check-in in New Jersey.