Today's Liberal News

It’s Not a Dog Whistle If Everyone Can Hear It

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Sometimes just a few news items over a couple of days can capture an entire zeitgeist. Here are several that caught my eye this week: The Supreme Court is poised to weaken or destroy one of the last remaining pillars of the Voting Rights Act.

Vance’s Telling Defense of a Racist Group Chat

This week, Politico revealed the contents of Young Republican leaders’ group chats, which were filled with rampant bigotry, endorsements of rape, and praise for a certain fascist dictator (“I love Hitler”).
Some Republicans, including those who have directly employed the people in these chats, condemned these messages. But Vice President J. D. Vance had a different, and more telling, response. “I refuse to join the pearl clutching,” he posted on X defiantly.

Adiós, AirPods

Earlier this week, I stopped for breakfast in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a largely Hispanic neighborhood where street vendors sell tamales and rice pudding out of orange Gatorade coolers. I speak some Spanish, but I wanted to test out Apple’s new “Live Translation” feature, which has been advertised as a sort of interpreter in your ears. I popped in my AirPods, pulled up the Translate app, and approached.
As I opened my mouth, the AirPods blared a message into my ears: AMBIENT SOUND LEVELS ARE HIGH.

A Frightening American Fable

This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present. Sign up here.
Imagine this: A tech guy has revolutionized the world with an innovation that unleashes unimaginable productivity, and brought himself unimaginable wealth. An imperial president, empowered by the Supreme Court to wield unchecked authority, seeks a third term in office, or else to pass the reins on to his son.

Today’s Atlantic Trivia

Updated with new questions at 2:40 p.m. ET on October 16, 2025.
Atlantic Trivia reaches Week 3, which is by definition the most trivial of all: The word trivia originally referred to places where three (tri-) roads (-via) met in a crossing. If those slouch Romans had been more industrious builders, we might be playing quintivia or even septivia today.

Walkout: Top U.S. Media, Including Conservative Outlets, Reject New Pentagon Press Restrictions

The Department of Defense has introduced a new press policy requiring the Pentagon to authorize any reporting on itself. Top TV news outlets have rejected the pledge; only the far-right outlet One America News has agreed to sign on. Dozens of reporters with the Pentagon Press Association turned in their government-issued press badges and left the building Wednesday rather than agree to the rules.

Will Supreme Court Gut Voting Rights Act & Weaken Electoral Power of Black Americans?

The Supreme Court appears ready to strike down Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, threatening the equal representation of Black voters, and potentially greenlighting Republican gerrymandering ahead of the 2026 midterm election. The case concerns Louisiana’s six congressional districts, two of which are majority-Black, in approximate proportion to the Black population of the state.

Why Is Trump Bailing Out Argentina’s President Milei While Firing Thousands of Workers in U.S.?

We speak to Argentine journalist Pablo Calvi about the U.S. government’s multibillion-dollar bailout for Argentina, which could grow from $20 billion to $40 billion as Argentina is rocked by an ongoing economic crisis. “I don’t see that the bailout would benefit the Argentine people or the American people, for that matter,” says Calvi. Instead, he believes the tech industry will reap the financial rewards from its ties to U.S.

“Taken Hostage by the Israeli Military”: Freed Palestinian Prisoners Describe Widespread Torture

Palestinians who have been released from Israeli prisons as part of the hostage exchange with Hamas are describing physical and psychological torture, medical neglect, deprivation and more. Moureen Kaki, a Palestinian American aid worker with Glia International who has been interviewing the returnees, joins us from Khan Younis to share some of their stories. Most were captured and imprisoned without charge by the Israeli military in the past two years.

Report from Gaza: Despite Ceasefire, Humanitarian Crisis Continues as Israel Severely Restricts Aid

We get an update from Gaza as the ceasefire there concludes its first week. Despite the agreed-upon cessation of hostilities, the Israeli military has continued its deadly attacks on Palestinians. Israel’s pledge to let in the 600 aid trucks needed daily to fill the dire need among the starving population has likewise fallen short. “We do not have enough supplies entering Gaza,” says Rachael Cummings, who is with Save the Children International in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.