South Dakota Governor Signs Transgender Athlete Ban Into Law
It’s the first state to pass such a ban in 2022.
Today's Liberal News
Jen Psaki tears into Josh Hawley for ‘parroting Russian talking points’
It would be nice if we could clone White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki thousands of times and send the newly minted Psaki Corps out to every drunk uncle and horse paste-chugging churl in the U.S., but we don’t have that technology. (Plus it might be unethical or something.
Capitol Rioter With Photo From Senator’s Office Told FBI He’d Visited A ‘Gift Shop’
Brian Stenz told authorities he went into “a place that appeared to be a gift shop,” but he had an image from inside Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office.
Medicare beneficiaries to get no-cost at-home Covid-19 tests
Medicare will directly pay certain pharmacies and other participating entities.
Jury Forges Ahead On Whether Michael Avenatti Cheated Stormy Daniels
On Thursday, jurors told the judge they were “unable to come to a consensus” on the first of two counts against Avenatti and asked “What are our next steps?
Whoopi Goldberg’s American Idea of Race
It made sense, to the New York Daily News sports editor, that these guys dominated basketball. After all, “the game places a premium on an alert, scheming mind and flashy trickiness, artful dodging and general smartalecness,” not to mention their “God-given better balance and speed.”He was referring, of course, to the Jews.In the 1930s, Paul Gallico was trying to explain away Jewish dominance of basketball.
Our Solar System in True Color Is Really Something Else
Picture Venus. You know, the second planet from the sun, where the clouds are shot through with sulfuric acid and the surface is hot enough to melt lead.What color is it?For the longest time, I thought of Venus as caramel-colored, swirled with golds, yellows, and browns—warm colors that matched the planet’s reputation for being a scorching world covered in volcanoes. And then I saw a picture of Venus that James O’Donoghue, a planetary astronomer, shared online recently.
The Reason Putin Would Risk War
There are questions about troop numbers, questions about diplomacy. There are questions about the Ukrainian military, its weapons, and its soldiers. There are questions about Germany and France: How will they react? There are questions about America, and how it has come to be a central player in a conflict not of its making.
Does Biden Have a Second Act?
Ronald Reagan did it. So did Bill Clinton. Barack Obama did as well.Can Joe Biden do it too?After a difficult first two years in the White House, Reagan, Clinton, and Obama each rebuilt enough public support to win a second term—not long after many observers had labeled them fatally damaged by their early setbacks.
Biden’s relaunched cancer moonshot needs funding for liftoff
The new moonshot lands one year into Biden’s presidency, giving the administration a long runaway to steer its progress.
Jan Egeland on Afghanistan Facing Famine, a Massacre in DR Congo & Civilian Casualties in Syria
The United Nations warns Afghanistan is “hanging by a thread” as millions in the country suffer from hunger and are at risk of freezing to death during the winter as U.S. sanctions have devastated the economy. We get an update on what is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis from Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“We Need Peace”: War in Ukraine Would Be Humanitarian Catastrophe for Millions in the Region
As tensions grow between Russia and NATO over a potential invasion of Ukraine, up to 2 million people in eastern Ukraine are at risk of massive displacement and violence if the conflict escalates. We speak with the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Jan Egeland, who is on the ground in Ukraine and says a war could roll back nearly a decade of humanitarian progress made in the Ukrainian region.
Russian Historian: We Need Both the U.S. & Russia to Deescalate Crisis over Ukraine
Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin continuing to deny accusations of a planned invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration ordered the deployment of 3,000 additional troops to Eastern Europe on Wednesday to supposedly protect Ukraine. Moscow-based historian and political writer Ilya Budraitskis says both Russia and the U.S. are gaining more from the threat of conflict than an actual war, and says Russia has no real strategic gain from a potential invasion.
Amnesty International Defends Report on Israeli Apartheid, Rejecting Criticism from U.S. & Israel
Amnesty International has become the third major human rights organization to accuse Israel of committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians in a new report released on Tuesday.
So long, Omicron: White House eyes next phase of pandemic
Biden and his top health officials have already begun hinting at an impending “new normal.
Top Republican throws cold water on struggling FDA nominee
A White House spokesperson said Califf has met with 33 senators to date and is scheduled to meet with an additional 14 so far.
Pfizer asks FDA to authorize Covid shot for children under 5
The FDA said it would convene its independent panel of vaccine experts Feb. 15 to consider the data.
Medical boards get pushback as they try to punish doctors for Covid misinformation
Medical boards have sanctioned eight physicians since January 2021 for spreading coronavirus-related misinformation, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Novavax asks FDA to authorize its Covid shot
The company is aiming to produce at least 2 billion doses of its vaccine in 2022, of which the U.S. has ordered 100 million.
Opinion | Why Are Minority-Owned Banks Disappearing? Washington Holds the Smoking Gun
Congress needs to create a new safety net for such lenders — not let regulators squeeze them out of business.
Biden’s first year: A tale of 2 presidencies
Inside the White House, there is still optimism: “President Biden was elected to a four-year term, not a one-year term.
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.
“It’s Not About Security”: Belgian Peace Activist Says NATO Has Outlived Its Purpose
To speak about the key role NATO is playing in the Ukraine crisis, we speak with Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson of the peace organization Vrede vzw in Belgium, where NATO is headquartered. De Brabander says NATO has outlived its purpose, and touches on how activists in NATO countries like Belgium are pushing against narratives in the media that war with Russia is necessary.
Germany Refuses to Send Arms to Ukraine Despite Pressure from U.S. & NATO
Germany’s new coalition government is refusing to send lethal weapons to Ukraine but has offered to send over 5,000 combat helmets to protect Ukrainian soldiers in case of a Russian attack. The move has been ridiculed as the U.S. and other NATO countries continue to send military support to Ukraine. In response, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised his country will stay in tune with European Union and NATO policies toward Russia.
U.S. Pressures Israel To Take ‘Full Accountability’ In Palestinian American’s Death
The State Department said it expects a “thorough criminal investigation” into the death of 78-year-old Omar Assad, whom Israeli soldiers detained last month.
National Archives Will Turn Over Pence Records To House Panel Investigating Capitol Riot
Donald Trump has continued to fight the release of documents to the House select committee but has largely failed to stop it.
News Roundup: Jan. 6 probe hears more from Pence team; Republicans (still) behaving badly
In the news today: The House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol continues to make behind-the-scenes headway as it hears from all the witnesses who have not been refusing to testify—which puts the squeeze on those still trying to hide.
Fani Willis: ‘I am conducting a criminal investigation of former President Donald J. Trump’
In case anyone had any doubts, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has made her most explicit statement to date regarding the target of her investigation into alleged attempts at improperly influencing the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Willis’ letter sent Sunday to the FBI requesting a “risk assessment” of the county courthouse and the surrounding area has been covered by Daily Kos and other news outlets.