Today's Liberal News

Four criminal referrals for Trump; Jan. 6 probe releases executive summary of final report

For its final hearing, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol voted unanimously to make criminal referrals to the Justice Department for former President Donald Trump, formally accusing him of four crimes, including aiding an insurrection. 

In addition to the insurrection referral, the committee said it amassed sufficient evidence indicating Trump criminally obstructed the joint session of Congress on Jan.

Ukraine update: Russia’s shrinking war effort, failing drone attacks, and the defense of Soledar

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In case you missed it the last few weeks:

A high-level overview of the current active front. I wrote that nearly a month ago, but nothing has changed since. 
A look at Ukraine’s future offensive options. This piece is two weeks old, and for sure nothing has changed. Ukraine won’t launch any winter offensive until the ground is good and frozen. General Mud doesn’t care if it’s Russia or Ukraine on the march.

Unstaffed and seething, Donald Trump in exile is the grifting crook he always was

I’m a fan of the little details in this Washington Post story on Donald Trump’s post-presidential, post-attempted-coup life, cooped up inside his Mar-a-Lago home and resort. That Trump is being chauffeured around his golf course in a cart that sports a laptop or a laptop and printer combo so that his driver can show him “uplifting” news or internet posts between swings may not qualify as news, but it is certainly informative and deeply funny.

Jan. 6 probe makes ethics complaint against four lawmakers including GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy

For their failure to cooperate with the investigation of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Jan. 6 committee on Monday officially requested that the House Ethics Committee assess whether four Republican lawmakers violated congressional ethics rules. 

Those referred to the House Ethics Committee are House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

Christmas in Wartime

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.During the holidays, many of us look close to home as we remember the least fortunate among us. But don’t forget that millions of people around the world, including in Ukraine, are living not only with poverty and deprivation but under wartime conditions.

11 Readers on How to Solve the Opioid Crisis

This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.Last week I asked, “What should be done about fentanyl? Has it affected your family or community?”Judy shared a personal tragedy:
My 26-year-old son died of an overdose of heroin doctored with fentanyl.

Justice Is Coming for Donald Trump

“Many secrets, no mysteries”: That is the basic rule of all Donald Trump scandals.There has never been any mystery about what happened on January 6, 2021. As Senator Mitch McConnell said at Trump’s second impeachment trial, “There’s no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.

Consider Armadillo COVID

This past spring, Amanda Goldberg crouched in the leafy undergrowth of a southwestern Virginia forest and attempted to swab a mouse for COVID. No luck; its nose was too tiny for her tools. “You never think about nostrils until you start having to swab an animal,” Goldberg, a conservation biologist at Virginia Tech University, told me.

Morocco’s Occupation of Western Sahara Is at Center of Growing European Parliament Bribery Scandal

A corruption scandal involving Qatar and Morocco is rocking the European Union, with authorities in Belgium earlier this month raiding the homes and offices of multiple European Parliament lawmakers for allegedly accepting bribes from the two governments. The raids recovered hundreds of thousands of euros in cash. Among those arrested was European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, who in the lead-up to the World Cup repeatedly defended Qatar against critics.

Judge Orders Philly DA to Disclose All Evidence in Mumia Abu-Jamal Case. Could It Lead to New Trial?

Supporters of imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal are celebrating a decision by a Philadelphia judge on Friday to order the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to share all of its files on the case with Abu-Jamal’s defense team. Judge Lucretia Clemons gave prosecutors and the defense 60 days to review the files, including many that Abu-Jamal’s team has never seen.

As Title 42 Nears End, El Paso Declares Emergency over Influx of Asylum Seekers

The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas, has declared a state of emergency over concerns the city won’t be able to provide shelter and resources to the thousands of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes as the Biden administration is expected on Wednesday to stop enforcing Title 42, the Trump-era pandemic policy that has been used by the U.S. government to block over 2 million migrants from seeking asylum in the country.

Biden, Like Trump Before Him, Derails Effort to End U.S. Support for Saudi War in Yemen

A new UNICEF report finds that over 11,000 children have been killed or injured in the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war in Yemen since 2015. A six-month ceasefire between warring parties expired in October. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders withdrew a Senate resolution Tuesday that would have ended U.S. support for the war, following pressure from the White House. Sanders said he would bring the resolution back if they could not reach an agreement.