Today's Liberal News

Democrats dare the GOP to try to repeal another popular health care achievement

Democratic lawmakers who have spent decades devoted to health care reform are celebrating a relatively minor legislative victory of 2022, expecting it to pay big dividends down the line. The first year of the Biden administration was going to be when Medicare drug price negotiation finally happened. That didn’t happen in full, but Democrats succeeded in inserting a wedge and intend to keep pushing it until they break Big Pharma’s hold entire.

How to Build a Happier 2023

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.Rebecca Rashid produces an Atlantic podcast called How to Build a Happy Life. The series, hosted by Arthur C. Brooks, joins scientific data with snapshots of human experience to help listeners find the path to a more fulfilling existence.

People Are Fed Up With Rapid Tests

Max Hamilton found out that his roommate had been exposed to the coronavirus shortly after Thanksgiving. The dread set in, and then, so did her symptoms. Wanting to be cautious, she tested continuously, remaining masked in all common areas at home. But after three negative rapid tests in a row, she and Hamilton felt like the worst had passed. At the very least, they could chat safely across the kitchen table, right?Wrong.

Sudden Russian Death Syndrome

Here is a list of people you should not currently want to be: a Russian sausage tycoon, a Russian gas-industry executive, the editor in chief of a Russian tabloid, a Russian shipyard director, the head of a Russian ski resort, a Russian aviation official, or a Russian rail magnate. Anyone answering to such a description probably ought not stand near open windows, in almost any country, on almost every continent.

Our Strange New Era of Space Travel

In December of 1972, astronaut Eugene Cernan left his footprints and daughter’s initials in the lunar dust. In doing so, he became the last man to set foot on the moon. Now, after 50 years, humanity is going back. But in the half-century since Apollo 17, a lot has changed in how we explore space—and how we see our place in it.While those early missions were all run by governments, much of modern spaceflight is the domain of billionaires and their private companies.

Are Peace Talks Possible? Prof. Gilbert Achcar on Whether Russia & Ukraine Can Negotiate End to War

The war in Ukraine is now in its 11th month, and Russia unleashed a new bombardment this week of cities across the country, including the capital Kyiv. This comes as both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed a willingness to negotiate an end to the war — but their positions remain so far apart that there are no real hopes of peace talks, says longtime antiwar activist, author and international relations scholar Gilbert Achcar.

Iran Protests Pass 100 Days as Demonstrators Facing Brutal Crackdown Request International Solidarity

Anti-government protests in Iran, launched in September following the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police, have passed their 100th day, even as demonstrators have been met with widespread arrests, brutal violence by police and executions. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reports thousands of protesters have been arrested and more than 500 protesters have been killed so far, including 69 children.

Pandemic Poverty: Ray Suarez on How COVID-19 Set Back Low-Income Workers in the U.S., Especially Women

A new series of video reports by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and The Intercept called “Insecurity” looks at women leaving the workforce, the impact of the expanded child tax credit, and the wave of union organizing during the pandemic. The series spotlights people navigating food, housing and healthcare insecurity — who are falling through the cracks of the social safety net in the process.

McCarthy’s political life continues to be hell. Just what he deserves

This should have been Kevin McCarthy’s week of celebration and victory laps, with the U.S. House of Representatives set to flip to the Republicans next week on his watch. He should be unveiling all the big policy proposals and plans the GOP House has for the nation. He should be holding court with the D.C. press, talking about his rise to power.

Buffalo police declare dollar store break-ins a top priority in wake of deadly blizzard

Following a massive blizzard that has killed at least 34 people in Erie County, New York, and continues to leave many people stranded, Buffalo police know where their priorities are: investigating thefts at dollar stores and ticketing drivers, not recovery missions.

The area has been devastated. A travel ban was issued too late, leaving many people trapped in cars or away from home when the storm moved in soon after.

There is a Case for Optimism in 2023

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.I indulged in my share of gloom in 2022, and I have plenty more where that came from. But I want to make the case for a certain amount of optimism in 2023—and to offer my gratitude to readers of the Daily. But first, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.