Today's Liberal News

“Seeking Justice”: How the Hind Rajab Foundation Pursues Israeli Soldiers for War Crimes

Belgian Lebanese activist Dyab Abou Jahjah, the founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation, discusses how the organization seeks to hold Israeli soldiers accountable for war crimes committed in Gaza. Named after a 6-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza almost a year ago, the Hind Rajab Foundation uses evidence gathered from soldiers’ own social media to build cases against them.

“Journalism Is Not a Crime”: Gaza Reporter Slams International Press as Journalist Death Toll Rises

As negotiators from Israel and Hamas continue discussions in Qatar about a possible Gaza ceasefire, we speak with Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, who spoke at a press conference of Gaza media workers last week urging the international press to speak up for their Palestinian colleagues. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says nearly 200 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023.

“Tinderbox”: How Fossil Fuel Companies & Electric Utilities Intensified L.A. Wildfires, Climate Chaos

We speak with Leah Stokes, a researcher on climate and energy policy, who says the scale of the Los Angeles wildfires is a result of burning fossil fuels and destabilizing the planet’s equilibrium. “The ultimate driver here is climate change,” says Stokes. She says that as people begin to consider rebuilding their communities, they should think about how to build more resilient homes or whether the risk is simply too great in some areas.

Biden Urged to Pardon Immigrant Rights Leader Ravi Ragbir, Who Could Soon Be Deported

Immigrant rights activists are urging the Biden administration to pardon longtime activist Ravi Ragbir, who has been targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for potential detention and deportation since 2001. Ragbir has been subject to regular ICE check-ins for over two decades, each time facing the possibility of being taken into custody by the agency. “Once you go into that building, your family, your friends, your community don’t know if you’ll walk back out,” says Ragbir.

Jimmy Carter Championed Human Rights But Also Funded & Armed Indonesia’s Genocide in East Timor

We continue to reflect on Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy with history professor Brad Simpson. Despite presiding over an administration that stood out for its successful championing of human rights elsewhere in the world, “in Southeast Asia, Carter really continued the policies of the Nixon and Ford administration,” particularly in Indonesia, which was at the time occupying and carrying out a genocide in East Timor.

“Sabotaged by His Own Democratic Party”: Ralph Nader on Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, has been laid to rest in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, following a state funeral held in Washington, D.C. “He was the last president to actively encourage participation and involvement in governmental processes by the progressive civil community,” remembers the celebrated civil society and consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

We stay and its ours

No snow yet this fall
but the gardens are just dirt now,
nothing left to eat except
invisible parsnips lurking below.

The snowbirds are fleeing South    
to endless summer, Florida,
Arizona, Mexico, the Caribbean.
Some of us actually like winter.
It’s quiet and offers its own beauty,
chiaroscuro or blazing white.
The real birds flock to feeders,    
competing with squirrels.
In summer, flowers give color;
in winter, birds. Flashes of red
on woodpecker heads, bellies.

How the Ski Business Got Too Big for Its Boots

Updated at 2:08 p.m. ET on January 12, 2025
In 2016, I was hired to teach skiing at the Park City resort, in Utah. The ultimate fun job: For one winter, I would get paid to do and share my favorite activity.
But I soon realized that although the piste conditions might be great, the working conditions were poor. An early clue was a training video that Vail Resorts, Park City’s owner, showed to employees. It bragged about how the company’s charity organization was helping local residents.

Reckless Driving Isn’t Just a Design Problem

Ever wonder what would happen if the police just stopped enforcing traffic laws? New Jersey State Police ran a sort of experiment along those lines, beginning in summer 2023—about a week after the release of a report documenting racial disparities in traffic enforcement. From July of that year to March 2024, the number of tickets issued by troopers for speeding, drunk driving, and other serious violations fell by 61 percent.