Today's Liberal News

Ex-Chicago Cop Jason Van Dyke Freed Early over Murdering Laquan McDonald; Activists Seek Fed Charges

We go to Chicago, where protests erupted Thursday over the early release of the white ex-police officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted of killing a Black 17-year-old named Laquan McDonald in 2014. Van Dyke — who was the first police officer in the United States to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting — was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison but was freed early for “good behavior” after only serving a little over three years of his sentence.

GOP Grill Fed Nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin over Climate Views; Her Husband Rep. Jamie Raskin Responds

We speak with Rep. Jamie Raskin about his wife Sarah Bloom Raskin’s grilling by a Senate panel Thursday over her qualifications to be President Biden’s nominee for the top bank regulator, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Republicans argue her past comments on climate change show she could use her position to discourage banks from lending to fossil fuel companies. Raskin said if she was confirmed, she would not be able to take such actions.

Daily Kos Week in Action: Fighting for representation and equality

Hello, Daily Kos Community, and welcome back to Daily Kos Week in Action! This series from the Daily Kos Activism team shares the issues we’re tackling each week and gets your feedback on where we might focus our future efforts.

This week, we’re highlighting the postal service’s efforts to deliver COVID-19 tests to the American people. We continue our commemoration of Black History Month by advocating for D.

As conservatorship abuse gains more attention, more activists speak out against it

by Sravya Tadepalli

This article was originally published at Prism

Disability advocates in California have given their blessing to proposed legislation that would curb the power of conservators and promote less restrictive alternatives to conservatorships. Conservatorship abuse gained a national spotlight when singer-songwriter Britney Spears fought to be released from a 13-year conservatorship that allowed her father to have full control over her person and assets.

I’ve decided it’s time for me to build a little free library of banned books

Let me explain something about my carpentry skills: As a young kid, I was required in eighth grade to go through “Shop” class, where we worked with power tools and learned everything there was to know about being a good “young man.” Girls took Home Economics and boys, Shop. We were not given a choice in the matter. My goodness do I wish I could have swapped, because I had no ability, at all, to work a power tool.

The possibility of first Black woman SCOTUS nominee prompts misogynoirist pushback

by Natasha Ishak

This article was originally published at Prism

Last week, Justice Stephen Breyer surprised the public by announcing his retirement, paving a path for President Joe Biden to pick a liberal replacement to fill the retiring jurist’s seat on the Supreme Court. The president had repeatedly stated he would nominate a Black woman to the court during his presidential campaign and reaffirmed his pledge to do so.

Starbucks workers keep organizing despite anti-union campaign, this week in the war on workers

Los Angeles. Philadelphia. Tallahassee. Starbucks workers are moving to unionize all across the country following two union victories out of three elections held in Buffalo in late 2021. They’re getting some great community support—if you’re ordering at Starbucks, especially one where there’s a union effort, you can join in by giving your name as “union strong” or another pro-worker message.

The End of the Republicans’ Big Tent

The best way to understand a controversial new resolution from the Republican National Committee censuring Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger is not, as some people have suggested, to legitimize the January 6 attack on the Capitol, but as something more primal: Trump service. The resolution hardly changes a thing—the two lawmakers are already personae non gratae in the party—but it seems designed to pacify the angry ochre god-king and his acolytes.

The Surprising Innovations of Jackass Forever

The power of Jackass has always rested with the peanut gallery. Almost every ridiculous, painful stunt Johnny Knoxville and his gang of nimrods have pulled over the past 20-plus years has come with a reliable laugh track: the rest of the ensemble gathered around to watch, doubled over and cackling as someone subjects themselves to unspeakable injury.

Beware the FOMO Bullies of Technology

Sign up for Charlie’s newsletter, Galaxy Brain, here.Here is my confession: I’m traumatized by a David Letterman clip. It’s from November 1995, and Letterman’s guest is a young, bespectacled Bill Gates. The video starts with a question from the legendary late-night host: “What about this internet thing?” he asks.

The Humiliating Ohio Senate Race

Bernie Moreno should have been a contender. Instead, he has dropped out of the race for Ohio’s Senate seat after spending millions of his own money and never reaching even fifth place in polls of the Republican primary. It’s a story with a lesson, a very sad lesson.Moreno, age 54, declared last year for the seat now held by Ohio Republican Rob Portman.

Can China Ever Reopen?

One day in January 2020, a team of experts from Beijing arrived in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins and assess the scale of an outbreak of a mysterious virus. At least 60 people in Wuhan had already fallen ill. Troublingly, cases had begun to surface in Thailand and Japan.The same day, Chinese President Xi Jinping departed from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where he had met with the country’s leaders.