Today's Liberal News

How to Socialize Safely in the Booster Era

This past spring, if someone told you that they were fully vaccinated, you knew precisely what they meant: At least two weeks before, they’d received two doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, two doses of Pfizer, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.Now what it means to be vaccinated encompasses much more variety. Some people who have gotten their initial doses haven’t gotten a booster dose, and some people mixed and matched the brands of their first shots and their booster.

‘It’s Giving’: A Gift to Language

Sign up for Caleb’s newsletter here.The first time I heard the phrase It’s giving, I admit that I was mystified. A friend showed me a pre–Met Gala Instagram post by the pop star Camila Cabello: a picture of her face with small circles of makeup next to her eyes, each a different reddish shade, to which she had given the caption, “It’s giving … dots.

We’re Not at Endemicity Yet

No one knows exactly what endemic COVID will look like, but whatever it looks like, this—gestures at the current situation—ain’t it. COVID is not yet endemic. There is little doubt that the coronavirus will get there eventually, when almost everyone has been vaccinated or infected or both, but right now we are still living through a messy and potentially volatile transition period. Cases are ticking up again. A new variant is afoot.

“Crisis of Accountability”: Pentagon Reopens Probe of Syrian Airstrike That Killed Dozens of Civilians

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a new investigation into one of the deadliest U.S. airstrikes in recent years after the New York Times exposed an orchestrated cover-up by U.S. military officials to conceal the attack. The March 2019 airstrike killed dozens of women and children during a bombing of one of the last strongholds of the Islamic State of Syria. Evidence has shown that U.S.

“Systemwide Failure”: Gun Control Advocates Demand New Regulations After Michigan School Shooting

Funerals have begun in Oxford, Michigan, for the four students killed when their 15-year-old classmate opened fire in a rampage that also injured seven others. Ethan Crumbley has been charged with terrorism and first-degree murder, and his parents have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly giving him access to a firearm even as he displayed obvious signs he was thinking about committing violent crimes.

What’s Really Behind Global Vaccine Hesitancy

In the public-health world, the rise of Omicron prompted a great, big “I told you so.” Since the new variant was detected in South Africa, advocacy groups, the WHO, and global-health experts have said the new variant was a predictable consequence of vaccine inequity. Rich countries are hoarding vaccine doses, they said, leaving much of the developing world under-vaccinated. But in reality, countries with low vaccination rates are suffering from more than just inequity.

Why Biden picked Powell

In the end, President Joe Biden did what many close to him expected: He took a longer-than-anticipated amount of time to arrive at a reasonable, moderate decision that thrilled few but carried limited risk.

Haitian Asylum Seekers Held Under Del Rio Bridge Now Face Inhumane Conditions in New Mexico ICE Jail

The world was shocked by images of Haitians whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback as they sought refuge. Thousands were soon deported, but dozens are now detained in an ICE jail in New Mexico where they face inhumane conditions and lack access to legal services. We speak with a lawyer who describes medical neglect, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poor treatment by the staff.

From Abortion Bans to Anti-Trans Laws, a Christian Legal Army is Waging War on America

As the Supreme Court looks poised to uphold Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban and possibly overturn Roe v. Wade, we speak to The Nation’s Amy Littlefield about her investigation into the Christian legal army behind the Mississippi law as well as anti-trans laws across the country. She also critiques the mainstream pro-choice movement’s failure to center the poor and people of color.

As France Honors Black Artist Josephine Baker, Far-Right Pundit Éric Zemmour Launches Presidential Bid

On the same day France celebrated the induction of American-born singer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker into the Pantheon, far-right xenophobic writer and pundit Éric Zemmour announced he will run for president of France in the upcoming April 2022 election. Many have pointed out the contradiction in these opposing events, even in President Emmanuel Macron’s speech that painted Baker as a model of colorblind unity, when in reality she was outspoken about racial justice.

Has Succession Done the Unthinkable?

This article contains spoilers through the eighth episode of Succession Season 3.What’s clear by now is that the Roys need to stay away from water. Every late-in-the-season tragedy and act of bloodshed, whether real or intangible, has been tied to the element that classically represents femininity, emotion, and intuition. These are not, of course, qualities that you’d associate with the Roys, and yet balance will have its way in the end.

News Roundup: Omicron, Tucker, and Marjorie (sigh) Taylor Greene, yet again

In the news today: The omicron variant of COVID-19. Tucker Carlson’s dangerous demonization of supposed enemies apparently is something for the cameras, because in his personal life? Different story. And Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to make the nation worse every time she opens her mouth, which takes some real doing. Still, she seems up for the challenge.

For Muslim eco-activists, protesting the L3 Minnesota pipeline is a religious responsibility

by Tasmiha Khan

This story was originally published at Prism.

Coverage of the fight against climate change in the U.S. often ignores the efforts of Muslim activists, for whom caring for the environment is a religious obligation. However, Muslims have been among those urgently calling for greater conservation efforts and more sustainable policies, both nationally and within their own communities.

KosAbility: Internalized ableism is a consequence of an ableist society. Let’s dismantle both

Ableism is pervasive in society, accepted as normal and “how things are,” because too many people are oblivious to the myriad ways systemic ableism determines how we build out human spaces and interact. Even if you aren’t disabled, read on—everyone contributes to internalized ableism, or the ableism disabled people apply to themselves, because it comes from society.