California enacts new abortion laws, expecting copycats
New policies taking effect aim to make California an abortion haven.
Today's Liberal News
Wall Street’s biggest bear: Fed’s Jerome Powell
Fed officials are signaling that they’re determined to keep their vise-like grip on the economy through the end of 2023.
Yellen to stay on as Biden’s Treasury chief as debt fight looms
People close to Yellen said she had considered leaving for family reasons and because the Treasury job is highly political — and would become more so with Republicans in control of the House.
U.S. inflation slowed sharply to 7.1 percent over past 12 months
Even with last month’s further easing of inflation, the Federal Reserve plans to keep raising interest rates.
“Lacks Educational Value”? Critics Slam Florida’s Rejection of AP African American Studies Course
Civil right advocates, educators and lawyers, like Ben Crump, are fighting Florida education officials who rejected a new advanced placement course for high school students on African American studies. Officials say the course “lacks educational value,” and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis claims the course violates state law.
Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight: Peace Activist Frida Berrigan Demands Nuclear Disarmament
On Tuesday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reset the Doomsday Clock for 2023 to 90 seconds to midnight, warning the world is closer to global annihilation than ever before, in part due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since 1947, the Bulletin has maintained a Doomsday Clock to illustrate how close humanity is to the end of the world due to existential threats including nuclear war and the climate emergency.
Jim Jordan Asked A Question About Kayleigh McEnany. It Did Not Go Well.
The Ohio Republican received a series of blunt reminders.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Republican Who Urged Her To ‘Educate’ Herself
The New York Democrat argued that leasing more land to fossil fuel companies wouldn’t guarantee a drop in gas prices.
‘He’s Lost Touch With Reality’: George Conway Rakes Meta For Welcoming Trump Back
“Let’s just let him play with fire again,” the attorney said of the company’s decision to let the former president back on its social media platforms.
Trump Adviser John Eastman Facing California Disciplinary Charges
The State Bar said Eastman could be disbarred for making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption.
George Santos Campaign Committee Claims It ‘Hired’ New Treasurer Who Says It Didn’t
Yet another glitch pops up amid questions about the mystery source of contributions to Santos’ campaign.
The Flu-ification of COVID Policy Is Almost Complete
For all the legwork that public-health experts have done over the past few years to quash comparisons between COVID-19 and the flu, there sure seems to be a lot of effort nowadays to equate the two. In an advisory meeting convened earlier today, the FDA signaled its intention to start doling out COVID vaccines just like flu shots: once a year in autumn, for just about everyone, ad infinitum.
‘Unfortunate Family’
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.America has suffered an onslaught of mass shootings in the first weeks of 2023, adding to an ever-growing national community of survivors and grievers.But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.
Meet the latest housing-crisis scapegoat.
Change to Covid vaccine formulation signals start of FDA pivot in immunization strategy
The expert panel voted on Thursday to recommend replacing the primary Covid-19 vaccine series with the BA.4/5 bivalent shot.
Asteroid Measurements Make No Sense
A couple of newly discovered asteroids whizzed past our planet earlier this month, tracing their own loop around the sun. These two aren’t any more special than the thousands of other asteroids in the ever-growing catalog of near-Earth objects. But a recent news article in The Jerusalem Post described them in a rather eye-catching, even startling, way: Each rock, the story said, is “around the size of 22 emperor penguins stacked nose to toes.
Sam Smith’s Radical Centrism
Sam Smith’s music defines the word inoffensive—so why does the singer inspire so many arguments? For more than a decade, Smith’s distinctive voice has soaked through the collective consciousness like the syrup in a rum cake. But that success has also triggered annoyance from across the cultural spectrum. As a nonbinary person, Smith has been treated as a punch line by right-wing media.
Biden Proposes Renters Bill of Rights as Landlords Make Record Profits; Housing Advocates Want More
A new Biden administration plan announced Wednesday aims to make rent more affordable and protect tenants’ rights. This comes as rental costs in the United States rose nearly 25% between 2019 and 2022. It also comes as investors bought nearly a quarter of all single-family homes sold in 2021, making home ownership increasingly impossible for people forced to spend much of their money on ever-increasing rent.
“20 Days in Mariupol”: Meet the Ukrainian Filmmaker Who Risked His Life Documenting Russian Siege
Ukrainian Associated Press journalist Mstyslav Chernov joins us for an in-depth interview about how he and others risked their lives to document the Russian invasion. He is the director of the new documentary, “20 Days in Mariupol,” which has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Social media is a defective product, lawsuit contends
A California court could decide whether social media algorithms contribute to mental illness.
In conservative states, abortion opponents push back on Republicans
Debates about rape, incest and health exceptions are dividing Republicans.
With Roe gone, abortion opponents at March for Life take aim at next targets
Overturning Roe “was only the first phase of this battle,” House Whip Steve Scalise said.
Wall Street’s biggest bear: Fed’s Jerome Powell
Fed officials are signaling that they’re determined to keep their vise-like grip on the economy through the end of 2023.
Yellen to stay on as Biden’s Treasury chief as debt fight looms
People close to Yellen said she had considered leaving for family reasons and because the Treasury job is highly political — and would become more so with Republicans in control of the House.
U.S. inflation slowed sharply to 7.1 percent over past 12 months
Even with last month’s further easing of inflation, the Federal Reserve plans to keep raising interest rates.
Jeremy Scahill: Biden & Trump Scandals Point to Deeper Problems with Overclassification of Gov’t Docs
We speak with The Intercept’s Jeremy Scahill about the brewing scandals over the handling of classified documents by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and how they “point to deeper systemic problems with Washington’s obsession with secrecy.
Washington Post Predicts How Kevin McCarthy’s Latest ‘Pettiness’ Could Haunt Him
The GOP House speaker’s move could greatly benefit one of his biggest Democratic rivals, suggested the newspaper’s editorial board.
Trump and Facebook’s Mutual Decay
This afternoon, Meta announced that it will soon reinstate Donald Trump’s account after a two-year suspension from Facebook and Instagram. The former president was deplatformed after his posts were deemed to have incited, or at the very least encouraged, the January 6 insurrection. But according to Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs, the public-safety risk that triggered the punishment “has sufficiently receded.” The poster in chief can post once again.
In Rare Rebuke, Elaine Chao Calls Out Trump’s Anti-Asian Attacks
Trump’s former transportation secretary has previously made a point of not responding to the ex-president’s comments.
RNC Touts Focus On ‘Working Class’ As It Stays At $1,283-A-Night Pacific Coast Resort
But Republican National Committee members can enjoy a sweeping view of the ocean, a 30-meter pool, shopping at the on-site Cartier’s and $60 breakfasts.
The Cognitive Dissonance of the Monterey Park Shooting
News of mass shootings, as frequently as they happen in the U.S., has been shown to produce acute stress and anxiety. But for many Asian Americans, this past week’s deadly attacks in California—first in Monterey Park, then in Half Moon Bay—feel profoundly different. The tragedies occurred around the Lunar New Year, during a time meant for celebration.