Democrats hit the airwaves to bash Republicans on Medicaid
House Majority PAC will run TV and digital ads targeting vulnerable GOP congressional incumbents.
Today's Liberal News
Wayback Machine Saves Thousands of Federal Webpages Amid Purge of Government Data Under Trump
Thousands of informational government webpages have been taken down so far in the second Trump administration, including on public health, scientific research and LGBTQ rights. Amid this mass erasure of public information, the Internet Archive is racing to save copies of those deleted resources.
“Detained, Tortured & Starved”: Report Details Abuse of Gaza Doctors & Staff in Israeli Detention
We continue to look at Israeli torture of Palestinian detainees with Naji Abbas from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which has just released a new report detailing the mistreatment of medical workers from Gaza. Hundreds of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other essential medical staff were arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 2023 and held under brutal conditions, with many describing physical, psychological and sexual abuse, starvation, medical neglect and more.
Dr. Khaled Alser Speaks from Gaza on Surviving 7 Months in Israeli Prisons After Raid on His Hospital
Dr. Khaled Alser, a renowned Palestinian surgeon at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, describes how Israeli forces abducted him from Gaza last year before transferring him to Israeli prisons rife with abuse. He was held by Israel for seven months last year, during which time he says he was beaten, humiliated, denied medical treatment and tortured.
Might Makes Right: Matt Duss on Trump’s Foreign Policy Doctrine, from Ukraine to Gaza
We speak with foreign policy analyst Matt Duss about increasingly fraught relations between the United States and Ukraine, which have undergone a seismic shift under the second Trump administration. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday and is expected to sign an agreement giving the U.S. access to his country’s rare earth minerals, which are key components in mobile phones and other advanced technology.
How One Ridiculous Rule About Elevators Explains America’s Housing Crisis
One man’s quest to fix the way we build.
The New Trump Administration Is Doing More Than Just Policing Language
When the government does it, it’s real censorship.
Are We Making an Enemy of Our Biggest Ally?
The Trump administration seems determined to alienate the EU.
If You Want Someone to Thank (or Blame) for Influencers, I Know Exactly Where to Look
Infomercials walked so influencers could run.
Money Talks: Government Data Is Going Missing
What Next: TBD’s Lizzie O’Leary unpacks the recent deletion of government data.
5th Circuit rebuffs ruling against Planned Parenthood
The unanimous ruling overturns a decision by Texas U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee.
First death reported in Texas measles outbreak
When asked about the measles outbreak and death, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said “it’s not unusual, we have measles outbreaks every year.
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
What Role Does HR Play in the #MeToo Era?
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Trump’s spending freeze spreads chaos across US
Supporters of climate, infrastructure, mortgage, tech, health, veterans’ and other projects expressed alarm as tens of thousands of programs appeared possibly at risk.
Lael Brainard’s ‘Crisis Management Agency’ — and Her Warning For Trump
Joe Biden’s top economic adviser opens up on harrowing moments from her time in the White House, and what makes her nervous about the Trump agenda.
Advocates: NY Prison Guard Strike Is Part of History of Repression & Violence Against Prison Activism
We speak with Jose Saldaña, director of Release Aging People in Prison, about a wildcat strike by New York prison guards who claim limits on solitary confinement have made their work more dangerous.
Republicans say states are pulling a fast one on Medicaid
GOP lawmakers are considering a plan to limit federal matching funds for the health insurance program to pay for tax cuts.
RFK Jr., America’s Leading Advocate for Getting Measles
“It’s not unusual.” That’s how Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist and secretary of Health and Human Services, described an ongoing measles outbreak in and around Texas that has already infected more than 100 people and killed one child. This incident is, in fact, unusual. Until this week, someone hadn’t died of measles in this country since 2015, and endemic spread of the virus was declared eliminated in the United States 25 years ago.
Trump Tests the Courts
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.
Nothing could have prepared Americans for what the first 50-ish days of the second Trump administration have been like. Even some Cabinet members and Republican members of Congress seem caught off guard.
There Was Never a Movie Star Like Gene Hackman
In 1956, an aspiring young actor named Gene Hackman joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, struggling to find a way into a field he’d been fascinated with since childhood. Hackman, who was born in 1930, had already served five years in the Marine Corps, then bounced around New York, Florida, Illinois, and other places without much luck.
USAID cuts expected to devastate global health
The Trump administration has terminated funding for HIV, malaria and maternal health programs it had labeled lifesaving.
Trump’s Cheat Code for Thinning Out the Health Agencies
In a little over a month, the Trump administration has started to hollow out America’s federal health agencies. Roughly 2,000 probationary workers have been fired en masse, by virtue of the fact that they were relatively new to their jobs. But the long-term impact of those terminations could pale in comparison to a lesser-noticed spate of departures that has recently roiled the health agencies. In the past two months, the FDA, CDC, and NIH second in commands have all resigned or retired.
Who Counts as a Hillbilly—And Who Gets to Decide?
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present and surface delightful treasures. Sign up here.
At the close of his RNC speech accepting his party’s nomination for vice president in July, then-Senator J. D. Vance lingered on the specific patch of earth where he hoped he would one day be buried.
Kennedy praises fast food chain’s efforts to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ after it ‘RFK’d’ its fries
Steak ‘n Shake said that locations across several states transitioned away from using seed oils in their fries.
The Billionaires’ Government: Branko Marcetic on Trump’s “Complete Betrayal” of His Base
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been the public face of the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle many government agencies and slash the size of the federal workforce. On Wednesday, he attended Trump’s first Cabinet meeting, although he is not a Cabinet member.