Today's Liberal News

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”: In His Final Speech, MLK Spoke of Reaching “Promised Land” of Equality

Today is the federal holiday that honors civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929, and was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis at just 39 years old. We play an excerpt from King’s last speech, “I Have Been to the Mountaintop,” in which he spoke of the ongoing struggle for equal rights that he said would continue even without him. “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you.

“Infinite Hope”: Angela Davis Speaks at 2025 Peace Ball Ahead of Trump Inauguration

With the U.S. political establishment gathered in Washington for the second inauguration of Donald Trump, the iconic venue Busboys and Poets on Sunday hosted the Peace Ball, an event held around presidential inaugurations since 2009 and featuring voices of resistance to war, racism, poverty and more. This year’s Peace Ball featured author Angela Davis, who spoke of the power of “infinite hope” to fight against injustice.

People’s March: Thousands Rally Against Trump in Washington Ahead of Second Inauguration

Ahead of President elect-Donald Trump’s second inauguration, thousands of people rallied in Washington, D.C., on Saturday at the People’s March to oppose his policies on immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights, the climate crisis and more. We air voices of resistance from the protest. “All of us deserve to feel like human beings, and all of us deserve to have our rights respected,” said Hope Giselle, executive director of the National Trans Visibility March.

Bad Deal Better Than No Deal: Ex-Israeli Negotiator Fears Netanyahu Could Resume Attacks

We continue our coverage of the long-awaited Gaza ceasefire by going to Jerusalem to speak with Israeli activist Gershon Baskin, who has experience negotiating with Hamas, including during this latest conflict. Baskin says while it’s heartening to see captives returning home, the ceasefire agreement is “a bad deal” because of how fragile it is. “Hamas would not have agreed to enter into this two- or three-phase deal without having guarantees … that in fact the war would end,” says Baskin.

Gaza Ceasefire: Palestinian Lawyer Says Women, Children Released by Israel Faced Torture, Starvation

As the ceasefire in Gaza has entered its second day and appears to be holding, we begin our coverage in Ramallah. “We’re hoping that it will continue, the Israelis will continue to release prisoners. And, of course, we have no guarantees they will not be rearrested again,” says Tala Nasir, a lawyer with the Palestinian prisoner and human rights organization Addameer. She also notes that many of those released are coming home in poor health.

Will Biden Grant Leonard Peltier Clemency? Indigenous Leaders Plead, “Don’t Let Him Die in Prison”

After commuting the sentences of over 2,500 people imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, Joe Biden has set a record for most pardons and commutations by a U.S. president. But Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier remains behind bars. Over 120 tribal leaders are calling on Biden to grant clemency to Peltier as one of his final acts in office, warning this may be the last opportunity Peltier has for freedom.

Gideon Levy & Mouin Rabbani on Ceasefire: “Netanyahu Will Do Everything Possible” to Kill It Later

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a long-awaited ceasefire deal with Hamas. If finalized, the ceasefire is expected to go into effect on Sunday. “The main challenge will be the second phase, and here there are many, many problems on the horizon,” says Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, who stresses the importance of also freeing the thousands of Palestinians held by Israel. “Again and again, Israelis always think that they are the only victims.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s Attorney General Pick, Has History of Corporate Lobbying and Election Denial

In her confirmation hearing Wednesday, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, refused to answer Democrats’ questions about maintaining the Department of Justice’s independence from the president and pursuing his personal vendettas. Bondi also avoided directly answering questions about Trump’s vow to pardon January 6 defendants and refused to say Trump definitively lost the 2020 election.

Dave Chappelle’s Sincere Plea on Saturday Night Live

No matter how much has changed over the past decade, one thing remains true: Saturday Night Live never brings in Dave Chappelle for a filler episode. The comedian has now hosted the show four times in just more than eight years, each stint coming on the heels of a pivotal election. Last night, in the SNL installment preceding President-Elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration on Monday, Chappelle opened his monologue by detailing his attempts to turn down the daunting gig this time around.

TikTok’s Near-Death Experience

It was like a party at the end of the world. Before TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, pulled the plug on the app last night—getting ahead of the official ban in the United States, which took effect today—the app’s most devoted users were going overboard. I watched someone with their hand up a Kermit puppet having (or maybe just performing) an emotional breakdown over the app’s impending demise, the frog’s mouth gaping toward the ceiling on livestream.

Los Angeles’ Ash Problem

When my family returned to our home in Santa Monica last Sunday night, we breathed a sigh of relief. Our house was fine, and the air quality was in the “good” category. Schools would reopen the next day. But as we unpacked, I noticed what looked like salt-and-pepper snow delicately dancing over the street. Ash from the Palisades Fire, burning just five miles north of us, was descending all around, coating the car we had left behind.