Kim Jong Un Vows North Korea Will ‘Exponentially’ Increase Nuclear Arsenal
North Korea fired about 70 ballistic missiles in 2022, the most in a single year.
Today's Liberal News
Jan. 6 ‘Disqualifies’ Trump From Office, Says GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson
“I think Jan. 6 really disqualifies him for the future. And so, we move beyond that,” said the Arkansas governor, who’s considering his own run for the presidency.
Trump: GOP Midterm Fail ‘Wasn’t My Fault’
The former president blamed the GOP’s less-than-successful midterm showing on the “abortion issue.
Gen Z’s 1st Congressman Mocks GOP As ‘Out Of Touch’ For Tweet About His Housing Woes
Rep.-elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) hasn’t been sworn in to Congress yet, but he’s already clapping back at bad-faith tweets posted by the Republican Party.
Jacob and Esau
Who left his pair of genuine-leather holsters,
Tooled for cowboy cap guns, outside in the rain?
A question my father had to contend with one morning
Some seventy summers ago in Missouri.
He stood in the driveway, late for the office,
Seersucker jacket over one arm,
And weighed his options.
Once-favored Covid drugs ineffective on Omicron may be putting millions at risk
While antiviral pills are plentiful and remain an option for some with weak immune systems, they won’t work for everyone — Pfizer’s Paxlovid interacts with many widely prescribed drugs.
Making a New Year’s Resolution? Don’t Go to War With Yourself
New Year’s resolutions are a time for reflection—a chance to think about the limited time we have on this Earth and how to use it wisely.Oliver Burkeman is a writer who focuses on this nexus of mortality and productivity. He is the author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mere Mortals (4,000 weeks is about the length of the average American’s life span).
The Superhero Movie That Actually Pulls Off Blockbuster Magic
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.Good morning, and welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer reveals what’s keeping them entertained.Today’s special guest is Xochitl Gonzalez, a best-selling novelist and newly minted Atlantic staff writer.
What Squirrels Taught Me About Life After Divorce
Noah likes to feed the squirrels naked. I don’t know if he does it this way when I am not here. But like clockwork on the weekend mornings we spend together, the squirrels will start to tap on the window. And Noah will rise from the bed as if responding to a baby monitor. He will stumble to the kitchen, grab a handful of unsalted almonds from a jar in the cabinet, return to the bedroom, and crack the window an inch, popping the almonds out one by one so they land on the sill in a line.
Alcohol abuse spiked during the pandemic. Treatment hasn’t kept up.
Now some states are making pandemic rules permitting booze-to-go and delivery permanent.
House Dems raise issues with ‘atypical’ FDA review process for Alzheimer’s drug
The panels began investigating Aduhelm’s approval and pricing in June 2021, just weeks after it won the FDA’s backing despite questions about the drug’s clinical benefit to patients.
‘The slippery slope is powerful’: Dems believe drug pricing law will pay dividends
This year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act will empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time.
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.
Fed jacks up rates again but Powell hints it might slow down
Inflation has cooled only slightly and job growth remains strong.
Voters remain gloomy despite recent economic gains
A new POLITICO-Morning Consult poll suggests voters’ views of the economy are baked in.
“Angola Do You Hear Us?” Oscar-Shortlisted Doc on Plantation Prison Takes On Mass Incarceration
We look at a remarkable film that follows how acclaimed playwright Liza Jessie Peterson gave a mesmerizing performance of her one-person play “The Peculiar Patriot” at the Louisiana State Penitentiary known as Angola, before authorities stopped it halfway through.
More Jails Became Death Traps in 2022 Amid Lack of Mental Healthcare, Housing, Bail Reform Backlash
In 2022, more jails in the United States became death traps, as people faced inhumane conditions in overcrowded facilities amid a lack of mental healthcare, housing and backlash against bail reform. Most of those who died were incarcerated pretrial, and activists say this number is heavily underreported. From New York City to Houston, Texas, jail deaths have reached their highest levels in decades.
“Unacceptable”: NY Progressives Vow to Stop Dem. Gov’s Nomination of Conservative Judge to Top Court
In a remarkable development, New York Democrats look likely to defeat Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul’s nomination of Hector LaSalle to be the state’s next chief judge, after progressives raised concern about his conservative judicial record and anti-abortion, anti-labor and anti-bail reform positions.
RIP Pelé: Afro-Brazilian Soccer Icon Overcame Racism & Poverty to Be Ambassador for Beautiful Game
Brazil has begun three days of national mourning to mark the death of the global soccer icon Pelé at the age of 82. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé was a poor Afro-Brazilian who led the Brazilian national soccer team to its first World Cup title in 1958 at just 17 years old, and ultimately two more times in later years — more than any other player in history.
GOP House sets agenda for first few weeks, and yes, it’s ridiculous
Incoming House Majority Leader Steve Scalise sent a letter Friday to the Republican conference outlining the agenda for the first few weeks of the session of the Republicans’ tiny new majority. That is, if they can actually get a speaker elected, because they can’t do any business at all until that’s accomplished.
Ukraine update: Pass the smelling salts! The Tankies lost it over Zelenskyy’s Washington visit
It’s been a while since we checked in with the tankies, which is a shame, because it’s always so much fun when we do. You can find previous editions here, here, and here.
For the uninitiated, a “tankie” is someone who believes that imperialism is bad, and only the United States can be imperialist. Furthermore, all of the world’s problems can be blamed on said American imperialism.
Final note—Musicians who passed in 2022: Part Two
As we come to the end of 2022, we remember the people who have moved through the door of life and into our collective memories. Musicians, composers, and singers are among the many groups of people that deserve a moment of remembrance as they frequently put into feeling what we cannot express simply through words or pictures or hugs.
Below I will list some of the names of musicians who passed away in 2022.
I hated these 10 films more than any others in 2022. How about you?
We can’t really acknowledge 2022’s film successes unless we point out there have also been some god-awful failures in cinema this year. These movies are deserving of Razzies, and make you feel as though you wasted precious life even putting eyeballs toward the screen. In some cases, the film can start out with a good, sometimes great, premise—and just go wrong.
Let’s talk about the very real target on the backs of people as they get older: Ageism
One of the first pieces of advice a friend gave me when I launched a career in journalism after leaving a marriage and raising a child was, “Don’t tell anyone your age.” And I’ve stuck with that. I’m conscious of even talking about my son’s age, not to mention my husband’s age. I’m afraid, like many people, in many careers, about aging out of my job.
Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase Seek To Quash Lawsuits By Jeffrey Epstein Accusers
Both banks said they didn’t cause harm to the women who filed the lawsuits and that the lawsuits failed to show that they benefitted from Epstein’s sex trafficking.
Trump Called Supporters Storming Capitol ‘Trashy’ But Good ‘Fighters’: Jan. 6 Testimony
He was “reveling” in how they were “fighting for him,” testified former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
GOP Consultant On Kari Lake’s Political Career: It’s A Wrap In Arizona
“And I don’t really think she’s got a future in terms of her own electoral space here in Arizona,” the GOP consultant said.
Pardoned Gun-Waving Couple Won’t Get Weapons Back, Fine Refunded: Judge
Mark and Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty after waving guns at racial justice protesters walking past their home, but Missouri’s GOP governor pardoned them.
Farewell To The Senate’s Biggest Climate Denier
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) leaves behind a legacy of climate disinformation, and a small army of pro-industry contrarians.
The Mind-Boggling Grandeur of White Noise
Only now, in this moment in Hollywood, would an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s award-winning novel White Noise by the indie darling Noah Baumbach be funded like a blockbuster. After all, the film isn’t going to make any real money—even though it’s been playing in a few theaters for more than a month, it had its wide release yesterday on Netflix. But for years, the streamer has financed many a master filmmaker’s risky passion project.