Today's Liberal News
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.
Head of U.N. Climate Summit in Azerbaijan Caught on Tape Pushing Oil & Gas Deals
The U.N. climate summit known as COP29 is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, where negotiators are trying to make progress on reducing emissions and preventing the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Many activists, however, have criticized the decision to hold the talks in an authoritarian petrostate.
What Crypto Wants From Trump
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.
Over the years, the cryptocurrency industry has made many lofty promises, but any meaningful application for the technology—besides for scams and crimes—has largely failed to materialize.
The Sanewashing of RFK Jr.
Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s improbable nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, actually such a crank? Short answer: yes. But two opinion pieces published in just the past few days argue that although Kennedy is often taken as unhinged, some of his ideas may very well be sound. Take the call for removal of fluoride from the nation’s drinking water. “It’s not an entirely crazy idea,” wrote Leana Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner, in The Washington Post.
How RFK Jr. could cause an earthquake for American public health
Food additives, pesticides and vaccines are on his “Make America Healthy Again” hit list.
The Democrats’ 2022 Error Message
In 2022, Democrats defied the political history of poor midterm-election results for the party holding the White House by running expectedly well in the seven key swing states—most crucially, the former “Blue Wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—despite pervasive dissatisfaction with the economy and President Joe Biden’s performance. That success, ironically, may have helped seal the party’s fate in the 2024 election.
Either Way, Matt Gaetz Wins
Yesterday, when Donald Trump announced that he wanted Representative Matt Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice, virtually all Democrats—and even some Republicans—were aghast. The man who was the subject of a federal sex-crimes investigation will now be America’s chief prosecutor? they wondered, eyes wide. Attorney General Matt Gaetz?
They may have to get used to it. “It’s the absolute perfect pick,” Steve Bannon, the former Trump campaign strategist, told me last night.
The Rise of the Troll
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present, surface delightful treasures, and examine the American idea.
Trolls are not just pranksters on the margins. They are in replies, DMs, comments, and email inboxes, sharpening their knives for humiliation, baiting those with whom they disagree, and blurring the line between a joke and a threat.
The Atlantic has examined trolling as an internet behavior for decades.
Iraqis Tortured at Abu Ghraib Win $42 Million Judgment Against U.S. Military Contractor CACI
A federal jury in Virginia has ordered the U.S. military contractor CACI Premier Technology to pay a total of $42 million to three Iraqi men who were tortured at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. The landmark verdict comes after 16 years of litigation and marks the first time a civilian contractor has been found legally responsible for the gruesome abuses at Abu Ghraib.
Report from Gaza: Palestinians Feel They Are Being “Slowly Exterminated” in Israel’s Genocide
We go to Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, where we get an update from Arwa Damon of the humanitarian organization INARA on “deteriorating conditions” as Palestinians are “slowly exterminated” by disease and starvation caused by Israel’s brutal siege. A special U.N. committee has found that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide.” Palestinians in Gaza feel that “they are living through their own annihilation,” says Damon.
Trump Picks Far-Right Loyalist Matt Gaetz to Be AG as He Moves to Weaponize DOJ Against “Enemies”
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated far-right Florida Congressmember Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general. The selection of Gaetz, a staunch Trump loyalist, appears to signify Trump’s intent to weaponize the Department of Justice to target political enemies.
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.
Tech Billionaires Quickly Proved the Only Thing They Care About This Week
The only agenda item for tech titans is protecting their bottom lines.
Unfortunately, the Vibe on Fox News Right Now Says It All
The network’s anchors and panelists are trying to be professional while also just waiting for the opportunity to gloat about Donald Trump.
It Was Supposed to Be Our Greatest Defense Against Trump. It’s Failed Spectacularly.
The foremost symbol of journalistic impotence in the Trump era.
‘Been a long time since I felt that way’: Sexually transmitted infection numbers provide new hope
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday shows meaningful declines in STI rates between 2022 and 2023.
Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures
Most of the bills target mifepristone — the drug used in more than two-thirds of abortions nationwide.
RFK Jr.: ‘We’re not gonna take vaccines away from anybody’
The former Democrat-turned-Trump-ally gave more details on the role the president-elect envisions for him.
Anti-abortion forces broke the left’s post-Roe winning streak, but 7 more states enacted protections
Anti-abortion groups scored big victories Tuesday.
Harris hoped to ride abortion to another post-Dobbs Democratic victory. It didn’t work.
The issue failed to stop Donald Trump, who on Tuesday overcame a large gender gap — and Democrats’ relentless focus on women’s reproductive health — to win back the White House.
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.