Today's Liberal News

Why Biden Is Patient as Democrats Panic

A faint but discernible note of alarm has been slipping into Democrats’ chatter about the 2022 and 2024 elections. President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have slumped to their lowest levels since his inauguration. His governing coalition is splintering over the Haitian migrant crisis. Many Democrats view the legislation moving through Congress this week as a defining test of whether they can marshal their congressional majority and pass something that most Americans want.

Pelosi: ‘Make No Mistake: This Is the Biden Agenda’

Editor’s Note: This article is part of our coverage of The Atlantic Festival. Learn more and watch festival sessions here. Nancy Pelosi is juggling a series of looming deadlines. House Democrats must avoid a government shutdown and federal default, and they need to reach a consensus on advancing President Biden’s agenda through two different bills.

We’re Already Barreling Toward the Next Pandemic

Updated at 7:55 p.m. on September 29, 2021.A year after the United States to actually do the job.[Read: The coronavirus is here forever. This is how we live with it. ]“Nobody should read that plan as the limit of what needs to be done,” Eric Lander, the president’s science adviser, told me.

Meet Mansoor Adayfi: I Was Kidnapped as a Teen, Sold to the CIA & Jailed at Guantánamo for 14 Years

We speak with Mansoor Adayfi, a former Guantánamo Bay detainee who was held at the military prison for 14 years without charge, an ordeal he details in his new memoir, “Don’t Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo.” Adayfi was 18 when he left his home in Yemen to do research in Afghanistan, where he was kidnapped by Afghan warlords, then sold to the CIA after the 9/11 attacks.

News Roundup: Republicans continue path towards federal shutdown; press yawns at Trump sedition

In the news today: Republicans are continuing to block all efforts to keep the federal government open while insisting that Democrats somehow keep it open anyway. Yes, they’ve given up on even pretending to govern. The press continues to treat the revelation that Trump’s team had a specific—if bizarre—plan for nullifying the U.S. presidential election with yawns, and it’s not clear why.

Man died after a COVID denier recorded himself ‘helping’ the man leave against doctor’s pleas

As anti-vaxx groups nationwide continue to push dangerous theories, some are already reaping the consequences. In their latest deadly advice, the same anti-vaxx groups that pushed at-home COVID-19 remedies including drinking bleach, taking ivermectin, and gargling Betadine have been encouraging members not to go to the hospital.

The conspiracy theory lies in the idea that doctors are preventing anti-vaxxers from getting miracle cures and are killing them intentionally.

Vaccine Data for Kids Under 5 Are Coming ‘Before the End of the Year’

Editor’s Note: This article is part of our coverage of The Atlantic Festival. Learn more and watch festival sessions here. The vaccine timeline for young kids is looking a little more solid. This morning, Pfizer submitted data to the FDA showing that its COVID-19 vaccine is effective and safe for children ages 5 to 11. And this afternoon, the company’s CEO, Albert Bourla, said that trial results for even younger kids, aged 2 to 4, will be available in a couple months’ time.

Sea Slugs Can Be Solar-Powered

Studying sea slugs in the group Sacoglossa can mean being on the receiving end of some very imaginative emails. Sidney K. Pierce, of the University of South Florida, retired a few years ago. “But to this day,” he told me, “I get questions from little kids in their science classes” who have stumbled upon the marvelous mollusks—and want to know if they could help “end world hunger.”The answer, Pierce assured me, is no.

Fauci: Boosters Are for Keeping People Healthy, Not Alive

Editor’s Note: This article is part of our coverage of The Atlantic Festival. Learn more and watch festival sessions here. A week after FDA and CDC advisory committees clashed on the nuances of when and whether to recommend COVID-19 booster shots, Anthony Fauci told my colleague Ed Yong that he still believes third doses of the mRNA vaccines are crucial, suggesting once again that they will eventually be part of a standard regimen.