Trump transition closes in on picks for top health posts
Many of the candidates are allies of RFK Jr. and have maligned the agencies they would oversee.
Today's Liberal News
I Used to Have Friends. Then They Had Kids.
Editor’s Note: Every Tuesday, James Parker tackles a reader’s existential worry. He wants to hear about what’s ailing, torturing, or nagging you. Submit your lifelong or in-the-moment problems to dearjames@theatlantic.com.
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Dear James,
I’m in a strange situation of seeming basically like an extrovert but feeling quite lonely.
The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger
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For anyone who teaches at a business school, the blog post was bad news. For Juliana Schroeder, it was catastrophic. She saw the allegations when they first went up, on a Saturday in early summer 2023. Schroeder teaches management and psychology at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Nuclear Revival? Diné Activist Warns Against New Uranium Mining as AI, Bitcoin Energy Needs Soar
The search for an energy alternative to fossil fuels has renewed interest in nuclear power production across the globe. Despite nuclear boosters’ promotion of the energy source, Tim Judson of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service calls nuclear power an “elaborate greenwashing scheme.
Massive Energy Needs of AI & Cryptocurrencies Lead Amazon, Google & Microsoft to Embrace Nuclear Power
Tech companies are turning to nuclear to fulfill the skyrocketing energy needs of artificial intelligence, with major corporations like Amazon, Google and Microsoft announcing plans to invest in nuclear power. But the speed at which energy needs are growing may not align with the construction or revitalization of nuclear infrastructure, says Alex de Vries, who researches the unintended consequences of AI and cryptocurrencies.
Daughter of Political Prisoner in Azerbaijan: Gov’t Is Using COP29 as Chance to “Enrich the Regime”
In Baku, Azerbaijan, Democracy Now! continues our coverage of the 2024 U.N. climate summit and its host country’s record on human rights. “Considering that our economy is completely relying on oil and gas sales and the COP29 is a great place to have a lot of oil and gas lobbyists, it’s actually a great chance for the Azerbaijani government to have more oil and gas contracts … and then to enrich the regime itself,” says Zhala Bayramova, a human rights lawyer focused on LGBTQ rights now.
It’s Time to Start Calling “Megadonors” What They Really Are
Americans should be alarmed and outraged at the role money is playing in their democracy.
The New Trump Voters No One Wants to Talk About
This can’t be explained by just demographics and disorder.
Money Talks: Where Did Victoria’s Secret Lose Us?
The authors of ‘Selling Sexy’ discuss the iconic store’s heyday and dwindling legacy.
What the Markets Had to Say About the Election Results
The stock market was excited by the Trump win. The bond market, less so.
Selection of RFK Jr. will amplify discussion of public health, Deborah Birx says
“What I’m hoping is he brings his transparency for all Americans and we really start to tackle these issues one-by-one-by-one,” she said.
RFK Jr.’s vaccine theories are ‘cruel,’ former CDC director says
“To continue to lift that up is a cruel thing to do,” Richard Besser said.
GOP backlash against RFK Jr.’s nomination could jeopardize his confirmation
The president of the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said “there’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we have concerns about” Kennedy.
Washington’s lobbyists are stunned Trump chose RFK Jr.
They’re holding their fire and hoping Senate allies will block his confirmation as HHS secretary.
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.
It’s still the economy: What TV ads tell us about each campaign’s closing message
The final paid messages: Economy, culture wars and character.
Harris is pounding Trump on fascism. Some Dems think that’s a mistake.
Harris has ratcheted up her warnings about the dangers of a second Trump term in recent weeks.
There’s a Reason Harris’ Campaign Is Locked in on Quick Fixes
The Democratic nominee isn’t campaigning much on the Biden administration’s bigger, slower-moving policies.
Janet Yellen Defends Her Record – and Delivers a Warning
The Treasury secretary is defending her legacy — and warning that the stability of the U.S. economy is at stake.
Harris dismisses Trump as ‘not serious’ on the economy in MSNBC interview
It was her first solo interview with a national network as the Democratic presidential nominee.
The Senate Exists for a Reason
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As president-elect, Donald Trump has the right to name the people he wants in his Cabinet. Some of Trump’s nominations, such as Senator Marco Rubio to lead the State Department, are completely ordinary. A few are ideological red meat for Republicans. Others are gifts to Trump loyalists.
Drought Is an Immigration Issue
In Mexico, the conditions that have contributed to the largest sustained movement of humans across any border in the world will get only more common. This spring, at the start of the corn-growing season, 76 percent of Mexico was in drought, and the country was sweltering under a deadly heat dome. Finally, after too many months, summer rains started to refill reservoirs. But years and droughts like this promise to become more intense: Mexico is slated to warm 1 to 3 degrees Celsius by 2060.
How Trump Could Make Congress Go Away for a While
Power-hungry presidents of both parties have been concocting ways to get around Congress for all of American history. But as Donald Trump prepares to take office again, legal experts are worried he could make the legislative branch go away altogether—at least for a while.
Several of Trump’s early Cabinet nominees—including Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
‘Voters just didn’t care’: The abortion-rights movement grapples with Trump’s return
Abortion-rights activists say it’s imperative they figure out what went wrong in the wake of their worst setback since the fall of Roe two years ago.
He Was the World’s Longest-Held Death-Row Inmate. He Was Also Innocent.
Illustrations by Matt Rota
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On a sunny morning in October 2023, a 90-year-old woman in a blue blazer walked slowly toward the main courthouse in Shizuoka, a city on the Japanese coast about a two-hour drive south of Tokyo.