Today's Liberal News

Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Sondheim Tunes

“I chose and my world was shaken, so what? The choice may have been mistaken; the choosing was not.” 
— Stephen Sondheim in a lyric presumably inspired by playing trivia
And by the way, did you know that Sondheim wrote exclusively with Blackwing 602 pencils, the flat-tailed, lightweight instrument also favored by John Steinbeck? They were discontinued while Sondheim was still writing, but he had purchased boxes and boxes of them just in case.

“The Institutions Have Not Collapsed”: Prof. Ali Kadivar on Iran’s Resilience to U.S.-Israeli War

As the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month, President Donald Trump has said he wants “to take the oil” and seize Kharg Island, Iran’s key export hub in the Persian Gulf. President Trump’s comments come as 3,500 U.S. troops began arriving in the region on Friday, with The Washington Post reporting that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of potential ground combat in Iran.

Report from Beirut: “Hearts Are Very, Very Heavy” After Israeli Strikes Target Journalists, Medics

We speak with journalist Lylla Younes in Beirut as Israel vows to expand its invasion of Lebanon and occupy much of the country. This comes as an Israeli strike targeted a marked press car in southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing Ali Shoeib of Al-Manar TV, reporter Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen TV, and her brother, freelance cameraman Mohamed Ftouni. Israel’s military said it had targeted Shoeib, accusing him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative, without providing evidence.

NYC Palestine Activist Nerdeen Kiswani Speaks Out After Being Target of Assassination Plot

New York police say they foiled an assassination attempt against Palestinian American activist Nerdeen Kiswani. She describes the terror of finding out about the plot and why it reflects the “impunity” with which Zionist groups have targeted pro-Palestine voices.
“It really made me feel even more vulnerable than I already do as a Palestinian activist,” says Kiswani, co-founder of the group Within Our Lifetime.

No Kings: Rep. Omar, Sen. Sanders, Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez at Massive St. Paul Rally

An estimated 8 million people took part in anti-Trump protests across the United States on Saturday as part of the No Kings movement, with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown animating many participants. One of the largest rallies took place in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, where federal immigration agents killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.

Hurray for the Riff Raff Performs “Pa’lante” at Democracy Now!’s 30th Anniversary

The 30th anniversary celebration of Democracy Now!, held in New York City’s historic Riverside Church this week, featured live performances and appearances from writers and musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. The musical performances were kicked off by singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra and their band Hurray for the Riff Raff, performing the Puerto Rico-inspired anthem “Pa’lante.

Meta & Google Found Liable in Landmark Cases for Knowingly Causing Harm to Young People

Juries in California and New Mexico have found the tech giants Alphabet and Meta liable for knowingly causing harm to children and teens who used their social media platforms. Over the course of the trials, documents revealed that tech companies were well aware of the addictive properties of their social media products and exploited these properties to increase their profits.

“No Kings”: March 28 Rallies Could Be Biggest Day of Protest in U.S. History

Millions of people are expected to take to the streets this Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration in the third iteration of the nationwide No Kings protest movement. Ahead of the thousands of No Kings demonstrations scheduled not only across the country, but also around the world, we speak to one of the organizers behind the campaign, Leah Greenberg of Indivisible. “People are coming out in every state, in every county, collectively, and saying, ‘Enough.

Following

His name followed
her around everywhere,
slipping out of well-meaning mouths,
tumbling forth from familiar faces, embarrassing friends
who knew better but made more of a habit of forgetting than
remembering she wanted nothing
to do with Him, but here He was as her aunt
passed the stuffing at Thanksgiving, each family holiday
reminding her He was the firstborn, her family’s favorite, Jesus
He was the older sibling who would never let her
forget Him, forget them:
her childhood crush
her high-schoo

Don’t Get Sucked Into the War on Lice

The human-head louse has a ghostly quality. It tends to glimmer in and out of view, leaving only subtle signs and omens of its presence. Is that oblong speck an egg sac or a flake of dandruff? Was that a prickle on your scalp? Is it normal that your son is scratching just behind his ear? Maybe you have lice and he has lice, and you’ve all had lice for weeks. The possibility is frightening. The uncertainty leads to madness.
The louse evolved to be intrepid and sneaky.