Democrats Grapple With Joe Biden’s Sinking Approval Rating
The coronavirus. Inflation. The stalled agenda.
Today's Liberal News
The Culture War Has Warped the Supreme Court’s Judgment
If you read the legal language in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to act in an emergency capacity when workers face “grave danger from exposure to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards,” and when “such emergency standard is necessary to protect employees from such danger,” you might think that the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate stood a g
Proud Boy’s Modeling Photos Help Sleuths Bust Him For Assaulting Cops On Jan. 6
The man, dubbed “RayBanTerrorist” by online sleuths, was no. 222 on the FBI’s list of Capitol attack suspects.
What John McCain Would Say About Putin and Ukraine
Usually I’m reluctant to put words in the mouth of my late employer, Senator John McCain, other than those he instructed me to write at some point during our long association. Yet since his death I have so missed not only his company, but his voice in our national affairs, that I have at times been tempted to conjure it from my knowledge of the values and views that animated his distinctive appeals to Americans and the world.
The TV Show for the Age of Conspiracism
This article contains spoilers through the ninth episode of Yellowjackets Season 1.The Ouija board brands itself as a “mystifying oracle,” an ornately silk-screened conduit to the past and the future. I know it mostly from childhood sleepovers.
“Who We Are”: New Film Chronicles History of Racism in America Amid Growing Attack on Voting Rights
As the United States heads into the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend, attempts by Democrats to pass major new voting rights legislation appear to have stalled. We examine the new award-winning documentary “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” which follows civil rights attorney Jeffery Robinson as he confronts the enduring legacy of anti-Black racism in the United States, weaving together examples from the U.S. Constitution, education system and policing.
Afghanistan in Freefall: Deadly U.S. Sanctions Blamed for Shocking Humanitarian Crisis
As Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis, we look at how more Afghans may die from U.S. sanctions than at the hands of the Taliban. The U.S.’s attempts to block support for the new de facto government have prevented vital funding from flowing to the nation’s civil servants, particularly in education and the health sector. Dr.
China locks down third city, raising affected to 20 million
The approach of the Winter Olympics and the emergence of Omicron have brought back citywide lockdowns.
Decoding what Biden health officials told Congress about Omicron
In contrast to previous oversight hearings on the administration’s Covid-19 response, Dems raised sharp questions and complaints on the state of the resurging pandemic.
Medicare won’t cover controversial Alzheimer’s drug — unless patients are in a clinical trial
FDA approved the drug on an accelerated pathway, which requires a fourth clinical trial to demonstrate that the drug actually slows cognitive decline.
‘Rules need to be clear’: Dems call for Covid strategy reset as cases spike
Congressional Democrats fret that the White House’s strategy on Covid in recent weeks has been confusing and ineffective against the Omicron variant.
Price spikes threaten to ground Biden’s big-spending plans
The government reported Wednesday that the consumer price index, the most widely watched gauge of inflation, hit a four-decade high in December compared to the previous year.
U.S. consumer prices soared 7 percent in past year, most since 1982
The jump is the latest evidence that rising costs for food, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households.
Powell’s warning to Congress: Inflation a ‘severe threat’ to jobs
The potential clash over the Fed’s plans to tighten monetary policy could be a harbinger of conflicts to come with Democrats and even some Republicans.
Fed’s Powell pumped trillions into the economy. Now, he may be the party killer.
Heightened frustration among Americans about soaring prices is fueling congressional pressure on the Fed chief over how the Fed will respond.
U.S. unemployment claims drop to 198,000
The four-week average, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, fell to just above 199,000, the lowest level since October 1969.
Environmental Justice Activists Want NJ Gov. to Vote No New Gas-Fired Power Plant in Newark
In Newark, New Jersey, residents of the largely Black and Latinx community of Ironbound are calling on Governor Phil Murphy to stop plans to build a $180 million gas-fired power plant that could worsen the poor local air quality and exacerbate the climate crisis. As the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission holds a vote to begin construction on Thursday, activists are urging the governor to enforce the environmental justice law that he passed last year.
News Roundup: Supreme Court COVID decision upends workplace safety; McCarthy hides Jan. 6 evidence
In the news today: The Supreme Court handed down a stunning ruling that overturned OSHA rules requiring COVID-19 vaccination or testing for the nation’s largest employers. The most stunning part was the bizarre theory invented by the court’s conservatives—one that would seem to invalidate nearly all workplace safety rules, from fire prevention to safety railings.
Tributes pour in for late American Indian Movement co-founder Clyde Bellecourt
Throughout his 85 years of life, Clyde Bellecourt lived up to his Ojibwe name of Neegawnwaywidung. Its translation, “the thunder before the storm,” became the title of his brilliant autobiography released in 2016—nearly five decades after he and other community activists led a meeting on pressing issues like discrimination, police brutality, and the many federal policies that directly target Native Americans.
Guess which group of people is about to get free access to national parks—for life?
Since the novel coronavirus pandemic became part of daily life, many people are (understandably) interested in getting outside, whether that’s in their own neighborhood or at a state or national park. Access to the outdoors is a complex issue when we consider transportation, barriers for disabled folks, and the sheer privilege of having time off of work to get outside. It can also, perhaps paradoxically, come at a cost.
Former Gov. LePage says he’s ‘against mandates in all respects,’ except maybe for poor people
Mandates are anti-freedom. Vaccine mandates for military members are anti-freedom. Mask requirements are anti-freedom. All kinds of public health measures are anti-freedom, according to the Republican Party. Unless, of course, we are talking about people in need of some government assistance. No, not tax-exempt religious assistance. No, not corporate welfare assistance: We’re talking about the millions of citizens and families not making ends meet in our country.
This Week in Statehouse Action: What Pandemic? edition
Different week, same old GOP statehouse garbage.
Seriously, the sense of deja vu with these cats is real.
Especially because they seem oblivious to the fact that WE’RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING PANDEMIC
But Republican lawmakers are objecting to the most basic of public safety measures, like masks, with a vehemence one might more suitably reserve for, say, drinking spoiled milk.
Fox News’ Brit Hume Panned For Very Poorly Timed Jan. 6 Tweet
The conservative analyst suggested Jan. 6 should not be called an insurrection unless someone is charged with it.
Kyrsten Sinema Is Living In An Alternate Universe
In a floor speech defending the filibuster, Sinema described a country and a political system that just doesn’t exist.
Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine-Or-Test Rule For Large Employers
The justices allowed a separate vaccine rule covering millions of health care workers to take effect.
Major Student Loan Processor Cancels $1.7 Billion In Debt
Navient reached the agreement with state attorneys general to settle claims of predatory lending.
Kyrsten Sinema Dooms Democrats’ Voting Rights Push
The Arizona senator’s speech opposing filibuster changes on Thursday cast a cloud over Democrats’ final voting rights push.
Senate panel advances Biden’s FDA pick in 13-8 vote
Two senators on the panel who caucus with Democrats and six Republicans opposed the nomination.
For Women, Is Exercise Power?
Of all the cult workout products that have dominated the American imagination over the past few decades, the one I least expected to be rooted in feminist protest was the ThighMaster. Consider this TV spot from 1991: “Great legs,” a male voice opines as a pair of disembodied, high-heeled gams stroll onto the screen.
John Nichols on How “Coronavirus Criminals & Pandemic Profiteers” Hurt World’s Response to COVID-19
We speak with The Nation’s national affairs correspondent John Nichols on the occasion of his new book, “Coronavirus Criminals and Pandemic Profiteers: Accountability for Those Who Caused the Crisis,” which takes aim at the CEOs and political figures who put profits over people during the coronavirus pandemic. The chapters cover notorious figures such as former President Trump, Mike Pompeo, Jared Kushner and Jeff Bezos.